People in their 20s are considered to be in the prime of their lives. After all, this is the age when they can explore options and make life-changing decisions without being too worried about age and time. I was supposed to be one of them. However, having hypertension changed all of that. Here's a list of the things I now also have to consider as a hypertensive in my 20s.

1. Maintenance medicine
 

Where do you think would an employed mid-20-year-old allot most of his salary? You’d probably expect the basic needs and their hobbies, right? Well, yes, but add in maintenance medicine once hypertension kicks in. After all, not taking maintenance medicines will cause future health problems, leading to bigger expenses. This is where I challenge myself to be better in handling my finances.

 
2. Exercise is more important than ever
 

I've always known that exercise is important. But it's just hard to put it at the top of my priority list. After I discovered that I have hypertension, I took the effort to be less sedentary because exercise is now a decisive tool in making my situation better.

 

3. Minding your food

 

Imagine you’re in a buffet and you see all the food that you can eat. You dance around the buffet table with the bliss of consuming this plethora of food choices. Then you remember that you are hypertensive – so you end up going back to the salad bar, not because you like it but because you need to look after your own health. If you're hypertensive, this hard compromise is bound to happen because your body will be the one to take the blow if you eat irresponsibly.

 

4. Knowing the chain of sicknesses hypertension brings
 

The scariest part of being hypertensive is knowing the other possible illnesses that you can catch when it gets complicated. You suddenly think of gout, diabetes, and illnesses that you think you'd only get in your late 40s. It scares me knowing that I may get these illnesses during the height of my youth. And this is where I get the motivation to be mindful of everything I take in.

 

By adapting sustained healthy lifestyle changes, it’s possible to live happy and normal even after the diagnosis of hypertension. This is something that can be managed. I think the important lesson I learned is to think about where my habits and actions will take me in the future.

Brighter Life Team Brighter Life Team

Brighter Life Team

The Brighter Life Team is Sun Life's very own writing team. Sharing their own experiences, goals, and ideas, the Brighter Life Team is ready to make your day brighter.