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Blood pressure control is essential for everyone. In some circumstances, it is difficult to control blood pressure. However, it can be controlled by instilling certain lifestyle changes that reduce it. Maintaining that lifestyle is not always easy for poor people whose standard of living is below five dollars a day. Therefore, it is imperative to examine the reasons that make blood pressure control less likely in poorer areas and possible solutions to curb such a threat.
The poorest areas do not have access to healthy food. In such places, people tend to have a poor diet that leads to heart disease. Unhealthy foods that cause high blood pressure are characterized by having too much salt in the diet which causes the body to retain fluid and therefore blood pressure. People who live in those areas eat a lot of junk food, which increases both high blood pressure and abnormal obesity. Most of the water that is drunk in these areas is dirty, which makes it difficult for the filtration to work due to the response of your bodily organs. Sometimes, the dirt in the water enters the body and affects the organs of the body directly related to the functionality of the heart, thus increasing the chances of blood pressure. Unhealthy food and poor living conditions are the reasons that make it difficult to control in the poorest areas.
It is less likely to control pressure in poorer areas due to the lack of exercise of the inhabitants of those places. Many people who live in the poorest areas struggle to make a living. While doing “blue collar jobs”, people living in these places do not have enough time to exercise. Due to poor living conditions, they do not attend training where in most cases they are taught the importance of exercising. It is important to exercise, because doing so strengthens the heart and reduces the chances of doing so. Most people who live in poorer areas should find ways to exercise to control their blood pressure. They shouldn’t be too busy getting in shape and keeping their bodies healthy.
People who live in poorer areas face a lot of stress in their lives. Chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure. These people stressed about their jobs, families and finances. For example, you have a very difficult boss at your workplace. Every time the boss yells and blames you when completing a certain task. Such a person will not have peace of mind and will be under pressure and stressed most of the time. The poorest areas have many people who struggle and work at all costs, regardless of the situation. Some think that drinking alcohol and smoking will help reduce stress, but it will only aggravate the blood pressure problem. Furthermore, those areas are always a target for substandard substances and drug abuse. These low-quality products and drugs are sold very cheaply in these areas. Unfortunately, there are few or no regulatory policies for taking such goods and drugs. In the long run, people who live in such areas will develop complications which in turn will increase the blood pressure in their bodies.
Most of the poorest areas are full of people who have no support to take care of their lives. Unlike wealthier areas where most people have signed up for programs to help control blood pressure, poorer areas lack them. In addition, the inhabitants of the poorest areas do not control their blood pressure or see doctors regularly to control their health conditions. All this implies money that is difficult to obtain in the poorest areas. People in those areas just live without seeking medical help or a checkup until they face challenges associated with blood pressure.
Interventions should be implemented to help poorer areas control blood pressure. Measures can be both short-term and long-term. There must be policies and programs that provide both clean water for domestic use and healthy food. Access to healthy food will help most residents of these areas control their blood pressure. People who live in such areas should incorporate a good diet and stop eating junk food as they are the source of unhealthy foods that increase the risk of high blood pressure.
The government through different agencies can initiate educational programs for people living in poorer areas. These people need to be taught about healthy living and explained the importance of physical exercise. The government can improve their living conditions and standards by offering them better job opportunities. Also, the government can create a feeding program to help raise vulnerable people. Start training and counseling programs that teach people ways to manage stress. Similarly, through these types of initiatives, the government can introduce preventive measures for the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Urging people living in the poorest areas to minimize and avoid substance abuse as it is not a cure for stress. Help affected people understand that getting involved in substance abuse only creates problems like stress, which leads to high blood pressure.
In conclusion, it is true that blood pressure control is less likely in poorer areas. It’s because many people in those places don’t have access to healthy food, lack physical exercise, don’t know how to handle stress, and lack a support system. However, all is not lost as there are interventions that are helpful in getting poorer areas to control blood pressure. These interventions are not limited to; start clean water supply programs and offer job opportunities to residents of these areas, train and advise residents of these places on ways to manage stress and advise everyone to avoid substance abuse.
Works Cited
Carroll, Linda. “The poorest American patients are least likely to control their blood pressure.” Last modified on July 31, 2019.
Mayo Clinic staff. “10 drug-free ways to control high blood pressure.” Mayo Clinic. Last modified on February 24, 2021.
