Blood pressure refers to the amount of force against the arterial walls (walls of the artery) as blood is pumped around the body. The harder the heart has to work to pump blood around the body, the more pressure is applied to the arterial walls and the higher the blood pressure. High blood pressure is also termed hypertension.
Symptoms and characteristics:
High blood pressure is more of a symptom than a disease, as it is usually the result of other conditions, such as atherosclerosis, obesity and kidney disease. In these conditions, the diameter of the arteries are narrowed by fatty deposits which results in less oxygen-rich blood being pumped around the body. The brain detects this, and addresses it by making the heart beat faster. Over time, this results in the condition becoming long-standing or permanent, at which time it is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension.
High blood pressure may not produce any symptoms for a number of years. However, as the disease progresses, people may notice symptoms such as:
The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of other conditions such as:
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stroke
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coronary heart disease
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kidney disease
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heart failure
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death.
Workplace adjustments and solutions:
In the workplace there are various factors that would assist people with high blood pressure to better manage their symptoms. These include changes to work tasks and the environment, such as:
- provision of lifting or mechanical aids such as trolleys to reduce heavy and repetitive lifting requirements
- modification of tasks to avoid excessive exertion
- consideration given to safety of people working at heights
- consider capacity for staff rotation between physically demanding tasks and lighter tasks as a way of building in breaks without having to stop work
- availability of fresh drinking water and a fridge for storage of healthy lunches or snacks
- provision of healthy food options in work based canteens or vending machines that have food and drinks low in salt, fat and sugar
- education of colleagues and work based first aid officers regarding the condition and what to do in case of emergency.
The Employment Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for work-related modifications, equipment and services to help people with disability to get employment and perform their work as independently and productively as possible. To determine eligibility, please refer to the full guidelines:
(Heart Foundation 2008; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2007; MDA Internet 2005; Better Health Channel 2007)
There are solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2004, Heart, stroke and vascular diseases, Australian facts 2004, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, viewed 30 January 2009, http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/cvd/hsvd04/hsvd04-c05.pdf
Better Health Channel 2007, Blood pressure (high) - hypertension, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 30 January 2009, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hypertension_means_high_blood_pressure?open
Heart Foundation 2008, Your blood pressure, National Heart Foundation of Australia, viewed 30 January 2009, http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/A%20Hypert%20Guidelines2008%20ISC%20YourBloodPressure.pdf
Heart Foundation 2008, Hypertension management guide, Heart Foundation, viewed 30 January 2009, http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Professional_Information/Clinical_Practice/Hypertension/Pages/default.aspx
MDA Internet 2005, Reed Group Ltd, Colorado, viewed 18 May 2007, http://www.mdainternet.com (secure site)