Dear Counsellor:

I have recently been diagnosed with hypertension and was placed on medication. I was diagnosed in a routine medical screening. I don't have symptoms and I am wondering why I have to take medication.

- Joyce

Dear Joyce:

Many people who have hypertension wonder why they have to take medication. Hypertension is the silent killer. Many people discover their hypertension when they have a stroke or a heart attack.

Consider yourself lucky to have been picked up before developing those lethal side effects. Many people have the complications and then discover they have had high blood pressure for some time.

Hypertension can also cause renal failure, blindness and blood-vessel problems in the lower limbs. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus usually accompany each other. In the early stages of diabetes mellitus, there are no symptoms if the blood glucose is well controlled.

I would advise people to have their blood pressure checked frequently, even during youth. The tests for hypertension and diabetes mellitus are cheap and available.

The major problem encountered in managing the condition is lack of compliance with medication and office visits. People tend to go into denial and refuse to deal with their health problem. Some persons get complacent with managing their hypertension because they don't have symptoms. However, chronic hypertension causes damage to the organs of the body.

Lifestyle changes, stress management and anger management are important. Exercise and a low-salt diet are also key. Take your medication as prescribed and stick to your doctor's visits. You may be symptom-free now but when the complications start, it will be downhill from there.

Make learning meaningful

Dear Counsellor:

My son is not doing well in high school. He is easily distracted and cannot concentrate or focus. I think he is demotivated and lacks interest.

- Marjorie

Dear Marjorie:

Many adolescents suffer burnout because of schoolwork. Children are expected to cover large volumes of information and, after a while, some just give up. We are in a very competitive world where having a doctorate is the 'in' thing. Many children lack focus because they don't set goals. They will do well in subjects they like but do poorly in the others.

One of the keys to teaching students is to motivate them. Students need to see the connection between their educational pursuits and life in society.

It may be helpful to take your son to work or encourage the principal to send the students on trips to companies. These trips will expose the students to work life in the community.

Students should be taught how to motivate themselves and how to persevere with their schoolwork. Students have strengths so you need to build on these. Many times in life we do things that are supposed to be good for us out of sheer ritual and commitment.

Many students work hard for praise and recognition while others work for inner satisfaction. Some work to please their parents, mentors or teachers. Try to identify what your son is working towards and use that to motivate him.

It's important to speak with the principal and teachers about your son. Get an educational assessment to identify his academic strengths and weaknesses. Set a study schedule and help him to follow it. He will need study tips and examination techniques. He may need a tutor for his weak subjects.

Be aware that classrooms are small and students are noisy, talkative and disruptive. This can interfere with a student's academic performance.

Email questions about personal and family problems to Dr Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson at yvonniebd@ hotmail.com or call her at 978-8602.