Thwaytoe Yawgar (Hypertension)

 

HYPERTENSION is called a silent killer by some physicians. Despite having only two words in the Myanmar Language, ‘Thwaytoe’ (hypertension) can carry a long list of diseases accompanying it. Therefore, hypertension is something that cannot be neglected. Hypertension is a highly common health problem, for it can cause heart disease and damage to the kidney, brain, eye, and other organs as well. This book provides health tips like the food to eat, healthy behaviours and medicines to take. As a writer of book review, I strongly recommend this book written by Dr Khin Maung Lwin (Fame).

In his foreword, Dr Khin Maung Lwin, the writer of this book, writes that the majority of the patients visiting his clinic are suffering from either diabetes or hypertension and that his treatment focuses more on healthy behaviour and lifestyle than on medicines. According to Dr Khin Maung Lwin, we need to avoid eating food that can cause hypertension. This book has mentioned the list of food in detail. Additionally, the writer has highlighted the decrease in the habit of smoking and the benefits of doing physical exercises.

What is more, the writer said that although there are a lot of different medicines for hypertension, their potency and effectiveness vary depending on the types of hypertension we are suffering from. In our country, there is an extensive section of people who would go to a roadside kiosk and buy some medicine recommended by the shopkeeper who is only a charlatan or does not have even the vaguest idea of medical knowledge. Matter-of-factly, no drug must be administered without a prescription by a physician. We must strictly abide by the doctor’s prescriptions; we cannot increase or decrease the dose prescribed by the doctor. And we cannot stop taking the medicine without the instruction of the physician.

As Dr Khin Maung Lwin also holds a doctorate in alternative medicine, he also advises his patients to take medicinal herbs and shrubs as supplements because indigenous medicines contribute dramatically towards reducing hypertension. The indigenous medication can not only mitigate hypertension but also prevent heart attack, paralysis, impaired eyesight and kidney failure, which accompany hypertension consequences.

In Chapter 1, the writer deals with systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, and if they exceed their upper limit and the lower limit, there arises a problem. This is why we should check our blood pressure daily with the use of a digital blood pressure cuff, which is an easy word for a sphygmomanometer, blood pressure monitor or blood pressure gauge. It is worth noting that hypertension cannot be cured completely, and we have to take medicines regularly till we breathe our last. This is a disease which requires us to visit the physician periodically. Only then will we be away from the danger of sudden death and paralysis, being able to lead a healthy and happy life.

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