Firstly, what exactly is hypertension?

Hypertension is the medical term for the condition colloquially known as “high blood pressure”. Blood pressure refers to the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessels and is comprised of two components – systolic and diastolic pressures.

Untreated hypertension can precipitate other serious health complications such as heart disease (atherosclerosis), heart attack and stroke. It is also a risk factor for kidney disease.

What causes hypertension?

Hypertension affects one in seven adult Australians and becomes more common as we age, due to our arteries becoming less elastic and more rigid.

Hypertension can be particularly dangerous, because there are often no obvious symptoms of the condition, and often won’t be diagnosed until you have a regular check up with your doctor.

An unhealthy lifestyle can cause hypertension, as well as genetic factors. Lifestyle issues such as obesity, being sedentary, heavy drinking and a diet high in salt can play a part. The effects of hypertension on the arteries are worsened by diabetes, cigarette smoking, a high saturated fat (usually animal fats) diet and elevated blood cholesterol.

It should be noted that some drugs can cause elevated blood pressure – common culprits include the oral combined contraceptive pill, nonsteroidal anti inflammatories and some cough medicines.

Hypertension and travel insurance…

Having hypertension should not stop Australians from having a great holiday, particularly as insure4less specialises in providing affordable travel insurance for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.

For your own peace of mind, you can relax in the knowledge that you have the protection of one of the world’s largest insurers and medical emergency teams to support you whilst overseas if you suddenly suffer from a hypertensive related illness. These include heart attacks and strokes. We ask you to declare your hypertension when completing your online travel insurance (normally there is no extra to pay) and then when you receive your policy via email it will confirm in writing exactly what your cover is. You can then simply travel and relax.

Here’s just a few hypertension travel tips…

• When flying, pack all hypertension related medication into your carry on luggage. Add a little extra to cover any delays. Ensure your medications are clearly labelled with the drug name and your prescribing doctor
• Select healthy options with less salt when eating out and drink plenty of water
• Don’t forget to exercise on the plane and do plenty of walking after you have arrived

Get a quote now!

Using the quote form on the insure4less home page.