Holiday Health Care for Hypertension Patients: Four Key Points to Help You Have a Peaceful Holiday

Holiday Health Care for Hypertensive Patients: Hypertension is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly people, and it is closely related to coronary heart disease, cerebral arteriosclerosis, and diabetes. In emergency room work, it has been observed that during holidays, hypertensive patients are prone to worsening of their condition or experiencing serious complications such as cerebral hemorrhage or myocardial infarction due to emotional excitement, overwork, overeating, intoxication, or exposure to cold, casting a shadow over their holiday experience. Therefore, hypertensive patients should strengthen their self-care awareness and take good care of themselves during holidays.

During holidays, family gatherings and visits with relatives and friends often lead to emotional excitement and reduced rest. This increases the levels of catecholamines in the body, causing systemic arterial constriction, elevated blood pressure, and potentially triggering complications such as cerebral hemorrhage. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to rest, balance work and rest, and especially ensure sufficient sleep. At the same time, it is essential to learn to control emotions and maintain moderation in joy and sorrow to avoid emotional excitement that could worsen the condition.

The increased consumption of oily foods and alcohol consumption during holidays is also detrimental to hypertensive patients. Consuming high-fat foods can raise blood lipids; overeating causes abdominal distension, raising the diaphragm and affecting normal heart function; alcohol consumption, especially intoxication, can excite the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increased blood pressure and potentially causing coronary artery spasm, reducing myocardial blood supply and increasing the risk of cerebral hemorrhage or myocardial infarction. Therefore, during the holidays, it is important to maintain a balanced diet with a mix of meat and vegetables, eat regularly and in moderation, avoid overeating, and refrain from alcohol consumption, especially intoxication. Temperatures are low during the Spring Festival, so patients should take precautions against the cold, as cold stimulation can cause vasoconstriction, raise blood pressure, and potentially reflexively cause coronary artery spasm, worsening myocardial ischemia and triggering cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, avoid going out in cold weather.

Patients with hypertension should adhere to their doctor's instructions and take their antihypertensive medication as prescribed during the holidays to maintain ideal blood pressure levels. Do not forget to take your medication or stop taking it due to the belief that "taking medication during the holidays is unlucky." In recent years, scholars both domestically and internationally have discovered that if hypertensive patients suddenly stop taking antihypertensive medication, about 5% may experience "withdrawal syndrome" within approximately 48 hours. This syndrome manifests as a significant rebound in blood pressure, sometimes even exceeding the original highest blood pressure level. Patients may experience symptoms such as excitement, headache, nausea, insomnia, and sweating, and may even suffer a stroke. If co-existing coronary heart disease is present, it can worsen myocardial ischemia and hypoxia, potentially leading to myocardial infarction or sudden death. Therefore, hypertensive patients should never arbitrarily stop taking antihypertensive medication.