The recent sudden death of one of the best Journalists, John Olasunkanmi Oba, the sudden death of Essien Etop Andrew, a Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) deputy controller in charge of finance, administration, and technical services, the untimely death of Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner,  Mr. Waheed Ayilara, the death of Legendary Nigerian singer and actress, Onyeka Onwenu after slumping at the birthday party. Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah; and thousands of unreported untimely and sudden deaths have once again raised the issue of regular health screening by Nigerians.

The grim reality in Nigeria is that many people are still slumping and dying without warning, their lives abruptly cut short by a silent killer they may not even know they have.

THE GLEAMER NEWS looks at the causes and many factors contributing to this numberless untimely death 

While death is an inevitable part of life, the sudden and medically- related nature of these deaths raises pressing questions about the prevalence of undiagnosed and poorly managed hypertension in the country.

Recent studies reveal that hypertension is becoming increasingly common in younger populations, and the role of lifestyle factors in the rising cases.

Many Nigerians are today worried about many things. The challenging economy is pushing many to the brink. Now that schools are preparing to resume, many parents are already bothered about school fees and other needs of their children. This is expected, but people must go soft on thinking and ruminating over the problems. Worry and anxiety will only aggravate the situation. We must devise some means to deal with what we cannot change.

According to many medical experts, several predisposing illnesses such as high blood pressure, stress, high blood levels of cholesterol, and high blood sugar may precipitate a sudden death. 

In a country where many citizens resort to self-medication to bypass the cost of seeing a medical doctor or a pharmacist, abuse of medications can result in dangerous drug interactions with lethal consequences, particularly among those who have pre-existing medical problems. 

Many people who are obese or suffering from ill-managed diabetes can easily fall victim to heart disease and unexpected death.

Heart disease, as experts have pointed out, is the most common cause of an unexpected sudden death in all age groups. It is more prevalent in adults in their 30s and 40s and affects men twice as it does women. Some of the diseases are discovered and treated while the person is alive while, among many others, they may go unnoticed until tragedy occurs. It could also occur because of a wrong diagnosis. 

Incidentally, many of these ailments come without warning signs. In the case of sudden cardiac arrest for instance, over half of the victims die without symptoms. When there are signs, they come in the form of a “racing heartbeat or they may feel dizzy, alerting them that a potentially dangerous heart problem has started.” Other symptoms listed include headache, chest discomfort, breathing problems, blurring vision, and convulsion.

As for  Adeola Ajibare, a cardiologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos College of Medicine in one of his appeals said “Hypertension has become an epidemic in our society and there is a need to nip it in the bud.

Ajibare stressed the importance of both medical check-ups and lifestyle changes to combat hypertension.

“Exercise, reducing salt intake, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are crucial. Weight loss can also significantly lower blood pressure. For those diagnosed with hypertension, consistent medication use is essential to prevent complications.”

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