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By Matabo Letsoalo
 In a bid to create awareness and educate health care workers and patients about hypertension, Carletonville Hospital in the West Rand joined the world in commemorating the World Hypertension Day recently.
 On the day, health screenings for glucose, blood pressure, eye-sight tests and testing and counselling for HIV were offered to patients and staff.
 It was established during the awareness campaign that many people do not often check their blood pressure except when they are in a health facility because of a particular illness.
 According to one of the senior doctors at the hospital, Dr Sibusiso Gumede, all adults below the age of 40 should at least check their blood pressure once every two years and those over 40 years should do so once a year. He indicated that many people die of hypertension because often, patients are not screened for hypertension.
 Dr Gumede said there were various causes of high blood pressure or hypertension such as obesity, lack of exercise and many more.
 "Stress on its own can lead to hypertension, but when it's coupled with both excessive drinking and smoking it can be dangerous for a person's health. Every time one smokes, the heart has to work harder and this may result in serious damage of the blood vessels," said the Hospital's Dietician, Talia Schaap .
"When you are used to excessive training, do it even if you are older because if you stop or slow down, the heart as well will slow down in pumping blood and you will develop a problem. Walking is highly recommended as a better way of exercising." 
 The heart is designed to pump blood to a particular size of the body, once one grow big muscles, they will make it hard for the heart to supply sufficient blood and oxygen to entire body", added Dr Gumede.