0 Comments
These days, news stories about public shootings are extremely common. In 2017 alone, there have already been almost 12,000 gun related deaths and around 24,000 gun related injuries reported across the country, including 273 mass shootings.
The shock value of sensationalized news stories seems to decrease as the American population becomes more and more desensitized to the headlines that seem to flash by daily; possibly we are tired, maybe ignoring the stories allows us to feel safer. Despite a seemingly collective desensitization to sensationalist headlines, people are frequently met with an unsettling fear as they prepare to perform seemingly menial tasks. Before leaving their homes, people find themselves asking, “Is going to this concert a danger?”, “Is going to this movie dangerous?”, “Is going shopping today dangerous?”, “Is going to class dangerous?” While these simple tasks should not be any cause for concern, public places seem to feel less and less comfortable as they are buzzing with uncertainty and a general sense of anxiety. At this stage in your life, you’ve probably already heard that African Americans have a higher likelihood of having certain health conditions. One of the most prevalent of those being High blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health issues.
Some health conditions that are commonly associated with hypertension being stroke, dementia, heart disease, and kidney disease. We not only have a higher risk of developing it at a young age but we’re also more likely of contracting the aforementioned health conditions that are associated with it. Furthermore, It’s important to know that researchers still don’t know why African Americans are at a greater health risk, but they do believe that the higher chance of hypertension is caused by either genetic or environmental factors. For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on describing the high blood pressure risk factors and explaining what the numbers you receive from a blood pressure reading actually mean. Some of the most common risk factors include age, race, or ethnicity, being overweight, gender, inactivity, low potassium intake, high dietary salt, and a family history of high blood pressure. While high blood pressure is a health concern that mainly plagues the elderly it does occasionally begin at a young age. So it’s important to understand what your blood pressure readings mean early on in life. When you do a test you receive two numbers, one on top of the other. The number on the top is your systolic blood pressure, it refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries during contraction of your heart muscle. 119 or below is the normal systolic blood pressure, 120-139 is prehypertension, 140 and greater is hypertension in those younger than 60, and 150 is hypertension for those older than 60. The bottom number is called the diastolic pressure, it refers to your blood pressure when your heart muscle is between beats. 79 or below is normal diastolic blood pressure, 80-89 is prehypertension, 90 and greater is high blood pressure. If your results are consistently within the aforementioned unhealthy ranges you should try and make an appointment with your doctor in order to deal with hypertension before it becomes a serious issue. Link to learn more about High Blood Pressure: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/basics/definition/con-200195 80 Jordan Shamukiga Balancing school, a social life, clubs/organizations, and situations happening at home can be too much to bear. There’s only so much one can take, and being a student is already enough work. Even though this is definitely true, avoiding the issues that occur in your life, especially at home, will not help at all. Confronting the situation head-on can give you peace of mind and clarity. It's okay to not be okay. Venting and crying is definitely okay and often helps. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Don't feel as though you have to hide your feelings or don't have time to deal with them because the longer it gets put off, the longer it is going to bother and upset you. With this being said, the key to coping with the nonsense is to talk. There are a ton of resources on campus and multiple avenues of having a support system here. Talk to friends, a trusted professor, family members, and anyone else who you feel is a well trusted companion. You're not alone. Take a moment, sit back, and relax. Take each day at a time, and move at your own pace. You will get through it and conquer it all; it may not seem like it now but trust me when I say that time heals all wounds.
Jada Copeland |
Archives |