COURSE OVERVIEW:

Your blood pressure is important because if it is too high, it affects the blood flow to your organs. Over the years, this increases your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, diabetes, eye disease, erectile dysfunction and other conditions.

Very occasionally, people with very high blood pressure are at serious risk of problems and need urgent treatment in hospital to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. More than one third of Australians over the age of 18 have high blood pressure.

Most people with hypertension have no symptoms, and may feel quite well. This is why it’s important to see your doctor and have your blood pressure checked regularly, especially if you have one or more of the risk factors.

Like diabetes, hypertension is a lifestyle disease. It tends to occur in more affluent nations, where food is plentiful and hard manual labour is less common. This fact is both a problem and a challenge. On the one hand, affluent societies don’t want to give up their benefits. On the other, these more fortunate people don’t want to destroy themselves.

You can do so much about high blood pressure — you can prevent it, and if it’s already high, you can control it. But before you act, you need to know what hypertension is and how you measure it. You also need up-to-date information about its causes and its treatments.

A few simple alterations to your lifestyle can prevent high blood pressure. Hypertension is a chronic disease. You may lower your blood pressure in the short term, but the goal is long-term control to prevent other medical consequences.

The first part of this course begins by introducing the subject of hypertension by defining high blood pressure and its consequences. Then shows how to measure blood pressure correctly. Then explains those two numbers you get after measuring your blood pressure. Then examines the risk factors that increase the chances of developing hypertension. Also, provides proven methods to prevent hypertension and examines treatment options in special populations. Finally, discusses the people that are at risk of developing hypertension.

The second part provides simple ways to prevent or reduce high blood pressure and keep it normal. Also shows how to incorporate pressure-lowering practices into everyday life. Then investigates the myths surrounding hypertension and discusses the realities of high blood pressure to avoid errors in treatment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• What is hypertension?
• The cardiovascular system
• How to measure your pressure and understand the measurement?
• The risk factors for high blood pressure
• The consequences of hypertension
• How to lower high blood pressure?
• How to protect children, pregnant women, and the elderly from hypertension?
• How to detect high blood pressure?
• How to take your blood pressure correctly and avoid an inaccurate reading?
• What are those two numbers the doctor gives after measuring blood pressure?
• What qualifies as “high blood pressure”?
• The consequences of lowering blood pressure too much
• The medications that may cause too-low blood pressure
• The medical conditions that can cause too-low blood pressure
• The white coat effect
• How to take your blood pressure at home?
• How to get the right assessment of your blood pressure?
• How to determine whether you’re at risk?
• The contribution of genes to blood pressure
• How to prevent high blood pressure with lifestyle changes?
• The importance of reducing tension and controlling your weight
• The insulin resistance syndrome
• The importance of making sure you have hypertension before treatment
• How to determine if you have secondary high blood pressure?
• How to adopt the DASH diet?
• The importance of reducing salt in your diet
• Why you should give up tobacco and excess alcohol?
• How to enhance your treatment with mind-body techniques?
• How to avoid drugs that raise blood pressure?
• How hypertension is not an inevitable result of aging?
• Debunking the myth that treatment is worse than the disease
• Why you must not restrict your life because you have hypertension?
• Debunking the myth that hypertension treatment is only for a high diastolic blood pressure
• How hypertension does not mean pills for the rest of your life?
• Debunking the myth that you can give up treatment after a heart or brain attack
• Why you cannot avoid exercise because of high blood pressure?
• Debunking the myth that if you feel fine, you can skip your blood pressure medications
• Debunking the myth that hypertension can’t be controlled
• Debunking the myth that treatment is limited to nervous, anxious people
• Debunking the myth that the elderly doesn’t need to be treated
• Debunking the myth that hypertension is less dangerous in women

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.