Two Medical Conditions Related To Unbalanced Diet

High blood pressure & Scurvy

High blood pressure

High blood pressureAround 35% of the people in England have high blood pressure but many people don’t know.

The only way of knowing there is a problem is to have your blood pressure measured. All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years. If you haven’t had yours measured, or you don’t know what your blood pressure reading is, ask your GP to check it for you

systolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart beats to pump blood out.

diastolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart rests in between beats, which reflects how strongly your arteries are resisting blood flow.

For most people, there may be no single cause for their high blood pressure. We do not know exactly what causes high blood pressure. We do know that your lifestyle can affect your risk of developing it. You are at a higher risk if:

• you eat too much salt;• you don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables;• you are not active enough;• you are overweight; or• you drink too much alcohol.

High blood pressure

Who is most at risk?Your chances of having high blood pressure increase as you get older. There is often no clear cause of high blood pressure but you are at increased risk if you:• are overweight• have a relative with high blood pressure• smoke• are of African or Caribbean descent• eat too much salt• don't eat enough fruit and vegetables• don't do enough exercise• drink too much coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)• drink too much alcohol • are aged over 65If you fall into any of the groups listed above, consider making changes to your lifestyle to lower your risk of high blood pressure. Also consider having your blood pressure checked more often, ideally about once a year.

Prevention

You can take steps to prevent high blood pressure by:• losing weight if you need to• reducing the amount of salt you eat• exercising regularly• eating a healthy diet• cutting back if you drink too much alcohol• stopping smoking• cutting down on caffeine

ScurvyVitamin C (also called ascorbic acid) is vital for the body, because it's needed to make collagen. Collagen is a type of protein found in many different types of tissue, such as skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage.Without vitamin C, collagen can't be replaced and the different types of tissue break down, leading to the symptoms of scurvy. These include:• muscle and joint pain• tiredness• the appearance of red dots on the skin• bleeding and swelling of the gums• Read more about the symptoms of scurvy.• Unlike some other types of vitamins, the human body is unable to make

vitamin C.• All of the vitamin C that the body needs has to come from your diet, so

the best way to prevent scurvy is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Who's affected by scurvy?

People tend to think that scurvy is a condition of the past, because our diet and standard of living has improved over the years.However, although rare, vitamin C deficiency can still be a problem for certain groups of people, including:• elderly people who are unable to maintain a healthy diet• people who smoke or have a dependency on alcohol or

drugs• people on a low income• Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may also be

at risk of getting scurvy if they will only eat certain foods that aren’t good sources of vitamin C.

Treating scurvy

A doctor will usually be able to diagnose scurvy by asking about your symptoms and diet. They may also carry out a blood test to measure the level of vitamin C in your blood.Treatment for scurvy is relatively straightforward. It involves taking vitamin C supplements and eating food that's high in vitamin C. This should quickly reverse the harmful symptoms of scurvy.The fact that a person has scurvy in the first place is usually a sign that they're vulnerable or living a chaotic lifestyle. Referral to a dietician, social worker or mental healthcare professional may be required to prevent further episodes of scurvy or other problems linked to malnutrition.

References

• http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Blood-pressure-%28high%29/Pages/Introduction.aspx

• http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Scurvy/Pages/Introduction.aspx