New Delhi. The problem of hypertension or high blood pressure is usually faced by the elderly, but in the modern lifestyle, hypertension is becoming common in children as well, which increases the risk of heart attack in them in the future. There can be many reasons for this such as age, weight, physical activity, diet, family history etc. Therefore, blood pressure should be checked regularly, but children are deprived of it, because due to lack of information, the problem of hypertension in children is not taken that seriously.

Hypertension in children is called pediatric hypertension. It is commonly found in children between 12 and 19 years of age. High blood pressure in children depends on the child's age, race, color, genes, appearance, body structure. It can also depend on the lifestyle, diet, family and social environment of the child. At the same time, the problem of high blood pressure is also common in children suffering from obesity. Blood pressure above 130/80 mm Hg in children falls in the category of high BP. There are two types of pediatric hypertension -

• Primary- Children born due to obesity, family history, genes, smoking during pregnancy have high blood pressure.
• Secondary- In this, the child's blood pressure remains high due to some disease such as sleep related problems, Cushing syndrome, kidney or hyperthyroidism or side effects of medicines.

Identify high BP in children from these signs-

• heart beating loudly
• feeling of tension in the chest
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision

How to prevent pediatric hypertension-

• Take care of your child's healthy diet and lifestyle
• Limit the amount of sodium in food. Do not give market chips, fast food, fried street food.
• Encourage the child to do exercise, yoga and meditation.
• Keep an eye on your weight. Manage your weight according to your age.