Q: I am a 56-year-old male and have had high blood pressure for
several years. I have heard that you can reduce your blood pressure
with just a diet. Do you think this is possible? The only medication I
take now is a diuretic.
A: Dr. William Vollmer from the Center for Health Research in Portland,
Oregon, has recently done a study where he found that those people who
followed the DASH diet and also reduced their salt intake could lower
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their blood pressure significantly. The Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension diet is low fat with high levels of fruit and vegetables.
The trial participants had untreated blood pressure readings of 120 to
159 milligrams for the systolic or upper reading, and 80 to 95 for the
diastolic or lower level. You would most likely fall into this range if
your doctor is treating you with a diuretic alone.
When Vollmer analyzed all the groups, he found that all patients on the
DASH diet had significant drops in blood pressure. So did patients who
just reduced their salt intake without following the diet.
However, he found that following the diet and reducing salt intake at
the same time was even better than either method alone. The greatest
reductions in blood pressure were seen in patients over the age of 45
and in women.
I suggest that you give it a try, but visit your doctor or clinic nurse
for regular blood pressure checks until you are sure it is working.
Please note that people with higher blood pressure levels than those
mentioned should not go off their medications. That could be dangerous.
Cataracts and surgery
Q: The optometrist tells me that I have the beginnings of a cataract in
one eye. Do I need surgery? I can see fine. I would not have known
about this other than by having a routine eye examination.
A: A cataract is cloudiness in the lens of the eye, causing it to
become opaque so that light has difficulty getting through to the
retina, which is the light sensitive area at the back .
The commonest cause is the aging process. Sometimes too much exposure
to ultraviolet light can be a contributing factor. Penetrating eye
injuries have been known to cause cataracts in some cases. Other
causes are chronic illnesses and treatment with drugs such as steroids.
The Snellen test for vision is still one of the best measures of
eyesight and visual acuity. That is the one where you read the letters
starting with the big ones at the top of the chart. Something as simple
as giving you a stronger pair of glasses may be all that is required
for some time.
Eventually the condition will progress and you may need surgery, but
you can slow the process by using sunglasses that cut down on
ultraviolet light when you are outdoors.
The main complaint of patients with cataracts is a disabling glare.
This could cause problems with driving, especially at night. You may
find you need brighter lights for reading.
Another common complaint is double vision in one eye. There could even
be multiple images and the colours may be changed in some way. If these
symptoms start to interfere with your work or the quality of your life,
it is time to think about surgery.
