by Tonya L. Breaux-Shropshire, Ph.D., MPH, RN –
How to survive and thrive with hypertension during this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? Besides social distancing that includes wearing a mask, staying home, and keep 3 arm’s length away from everyone and frequently washing your hands, do these other things to thrive.
It is now known that hypertension is a risk factor for COVID-19. On April 30, 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, spoke with David Rubenstein on Peer-to-Peer Conversations. He is the director of the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to Dr. Fauci, COVID-19 will likely return in the fall and winter, although it has not gone away.
During the conversation, Dr. Fauci told how the Flu affects the elderly, and people with chronic diseases more than people who are young and healthy. He cleared up the misconception that people who are elderly, African American, or who have a chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and some chronic lung diseases are at a higher risk of having a severe case of COVID-19.
Dr. Fauci said that these people are not at a higher risk of getting infected with COVID-19. However, once infected, they are at a higher risk of having a severe case or more harmful consequences. Yet, he said the pathogenic mechanism for this disparity is not fully understood. Still, the disparity in health is probably responsible in part for the more “deleterious consequences” in these populations.
Survive with Hypertension During COVID-19
In the video below, Dr. Gupta explains why hypertension is a risk factor for a more severe case of COVID-19. He talks about the results of the studies done in Italy and China. There, researchers found that 30-50% of patients with the most severe form of COVID had hypertension. The usual cause of death in patients with hypertension and COVID is not usually related to stroke or cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Gupta has an interesting and perhaps unconventional perspective of what determines a diagnosis of hypertension. He discussed the suspicion of classifying elevated blood pressure as hypertension without the association with end-organ or cardiovascular damage. Dr. Gupta says this risk of severe COVID-19 is for people experiencing the process of hypertension and not for people with the diagnosis or even elevated blood pressure.
Stress, Worry & COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 and quarantine will likely create or exacerbate many stressful situations causing you to feel out of control. The news and events surrounding this pandemic can lead to unnecessary worry. Meditation and engaging in enjoyable activities such as reading and watching movies could modify this thinking and thereby reduce stress.
The way you look at a situation can be the root cause of your stress and worry. For example, when situations such as this pandemic are viewed negatively, such perceptions can cause emotional distress and mood disturbance. However, there are some things you can do to minimize your stress and worry.
I’m not saying to deny the fact that we are living in uncertain times, and many are suffering losses and emotional strain as a result of this pandemic and being quarantined. Of course, it is appropriate to feel sad, anxious, angry, or depressed at times, but according to research, it is not healthy to be stuck among these moods.
Try Daily Guided Meditation to Reduce Anxiety and Stress
Luckily, we are living in a time where we can get help as quick as reaching in our pocket for or cell phone. That’s right; we have immediate access to a vast number of apps and health coaches that can help us get through times like these.
Headspace: Changing our Relationship with Thoughts and Feelings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK9vUtD3HgY
Andy Puddicombe, a mindful expert and co-founder of Headspace, advocates for everyday meditation in his TED Talk in 2013. He encourages us to do 10 minutes of daily meditation to manage our minds effectively.
Here is an example of the guided medication offered by headspace.
Andy says he created Headspace to give you a relaxed, focused mind. The Headspace app will guide you step-by-step with each session of how to meditate effectively. There is also Headspace for Kids.
Andy said that meditation offers the opportunity to pause for 10 minutes to get a different perspective and see that things are not always as they appear. He says, “We cannot change every little thing that happens to us in life, but we can change the way that we experience it” (Puddicombe, 2013).
What Andy said reminds me so much of the sincerity prayer that was written by Reinhold Niebuhr. This prayer is usually quoted as” God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
Testimonial for Meditation and Other Recomendations
Peter Allen Ph. D, with Allen Lab, says that Headspace is an excellent app to remind him to meditate daily, but it was too expensive in 2017 when he purchased the app program. Now, Headspace has more to offer, such as sleep stories and free programs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his video below, he recommends other meditation apps that are also useful, such as Brain.FM, Calm.com, and insighttimer.com. Calm seems to have a bit more than guided meditation, including, sleep stories and relaxing sounds.
The late Kobe Bryant gave his testimony of how much meditation helped him be successful. Kobe said he meditated 10-15 every day because it calms him the entire day. He also said that meditation helped him feel secure</strong>.
How to Thrive with Hypertension During COVID-19
Allergist and pulmonologist recommend breathing exercises for patients with chronic lung diseases to improve their lung health. Incentive spirometry, along with cough and deep breaths, is the breathing exercise that many doctors recommend after major surgery to prevent pneumonia.
Lung exercises to increase lung capacity for better lungs
Patrick McKeown, a breathing expert, recommends nose breathing for better health. Breathing through your nose can improve your sleep, lung function, and other health benefits. Read his book “The Oxygen Advantage” and follow his advice to benefit.
In addition to the lung exercises in the video above, stay hydrated and active.
Are You Dehydrated?
How would you know if you are hydrated? Mike Caviston, a Navy Seal, says to get liquids in your body all day long, regularly. In his BUDS training video on YouTube, he says that if you are not waking up during the night to urinate, then you probably are dehydrated.
Dr. Greger recommends a different approach to determine your hydration status in his video below. Take his hydration test to see if you are hydrated.
Click here to purchase a water filter to save your bottled water for after quarantine.
Physical Exercise
Of course, you should ask your doctor before you start any exercise program. The next set of videos will show you how to get your workout in during quarantine. The American Heart Asociation recommends that adults get a minimal of 150 minutes of “heart-pumping” exercise a week to have good health.
Track Your Steps & Exercise Minutes For Free
Track all your exercise minutes for free without an iPhone, Apple Watch, or Fitbit device. Use your smartphone to track your exercise minutes, steps, flights climbed, and other activity information. Go to the Health icon on your smartphone to see a summary of your minutes, steps, and other activity information for today, the past seven days, the past 30 days, and for the past 12 months.
Although I have the Health icon set up on my phone, I have an apple watch and a Fitbit to track my steps, activity, and sleep. These two devices are just my personal preference, but the Apple Watch and Fitbit are a bit pricey and I received them as gifts. However, if I didn’t have both of those devices, I would consistently use my iPhone Health icon, which does the same thing.
How to Get Your Upper Body Workout Done During Quarantine
How to Get Your Lower Body Workout Done During Quarantine
How to Get Your 10 Thousand Steps Done During Quarantine
Listen to Your Favorite Music for Free
Dr. Greger reports research regarding listening to music and reducing stress, anxiety, and blood pressure. Base on research, thirty minutes of classical music reduces stress hormones, and classical music reduces anxiety. He gives more information about other types of music in his video below.
You can get free music from many different online sites. I found Pandora and Amazon Prime to be the best for free music. Pandora also has a subscription package if you don’t like commercials and are willing to pay for it. Besides one subscription being commercial-free, both of the Pandora subscriptions are the same.
Stream Free & Legal Movies
YouTube Movies, Horror movies at Tubi TV, or the Yidio free app that will show you where the free movies are spread across the web.Go to https://www.yidio.com but opt out of all the paid options, and it will take you to the watch free section.
Top Funny Movies
For Your Children, Young adults & Adults
Make sure you talk to your children about COVID-19. It is vital to help your children cope with their stress, fears, and worries about COVID-19. Dr. David Bronstein, a Kaiser Permanente pediatrician, gives some simple tips to help.
LeVar Burton Reads Podcast
More than likely, you are familiar with LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow. I grew up watching Mr.Rodgers’ Neighborhood and Reading Rainbow. Both programs are still excellent for our kids today despite the availability of other new children’s programs.
LeVar will host three “LeVar Burton Reads” each week on Twitter @levarburton. The children’s reading session is held on Mondays (3 pm PT). Teens can watch on Wednesdays at 3 pm (PT) for their session, and Fridays at 6 pm are the adults’ reading sessions.
Conclusion
So, how do you survive and thrive with hypertension during COVID-19? The ability to cope effectively during these crazy times requires stress management and physical preparation using several strategies. Combining physical exercise, meditation, social, and spiritual responses to stress can result in the ability to get along, survive, and thrive with hypertension during COVID-19. Research has shown that if you do all four activities, you can challenge and change your perceptions, decrease stress reactivity, improve self-management skills, and reduce the harmful consequences of stress and worry.
Resources
American Heart Association. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
American Lung Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/wellness/breathing-exercises
Caviston, M. Navy SEAL BUD/s Training | Hydration. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn-Y64eMHQI
Greger, M. (2015). Nutritional Facts. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-RsRCzDwD4
Katsura, M., Kuriyama, A., Takeshima, T., Fukuhara, S., & Furukawa, T. A.(2015). Preoperative inspiratory muscle training for postoperative pulmonary complications in adults undergoing cardiac and major abdominal surgery. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26436600
LeVar Burton at TWITTER. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/levarburton?lang=en
Stuart, G. W. (2009). Cognitive and behavior change interventions. In (G. W. Stuart & M. T. Laraia (EDs.), Principles and practice of psychiatric nursing (9th ed., pp.559-570). St. Louis: Mosby.
WIM HOF Method of Breathing. Retrieved from https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-exercises
Wang, Y., Liu, X., Jia, Y., & Xie, J. (2019). Impact of breathing exercises in subjects with lung cancer undergoing surgical resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30357997
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