Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated.[11] High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms.[1] Long-term high blood pressure, however, is a major risk factor for stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, and dementia.[2][3][4][12] Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.[13]
I'm 29 and I was diagnosed with hypertension about a month ago. I only started getting high blood pressure from my doctor's visits about a year ago, a year into taking over the responsibilities of my manager who left the company. I was prescribed a stress test at a cardiologist who cost $500 for his appointment (while being covered by my company's insurance).
My job is a lot like many of yours these days. Chronically understaffed, constantly dealing with other people in chronically understaffed offices, working around highly stressed out people who are expected to do more and more with less every year. As much stress is going around, barely anything is getting done. I'll get nasty emails and phonecalls expecting projects months earlier than our company could possibly provide, and then be informed months later that everything is pushing anyway (because everyone is understaffed).
And I see my death in all these other stressed out people, yelling, getting frustrated with people, taking on more and more as our blood vessels tighten. I'll take my blood pressure after a particularly rough day with my glitchy design software and my blood pressure will be elevated like 30 points to 145-150 and that's WITH medication.
And I'm really just trapped, because if I lose my job that's stress that could make my blood pressure worse, I might not be able to afford to see a cardiologist or medication. If I pick a new job and it's a worse environment that could worsen things. I'm becoming more and more risk averse because I try to be conservative and responsible, I try to make all my doctor's appointments and listen to them but they're understaffed too and holy fuck is it expensive having a disability in the US. I keep feeling like I need to take on more so I'm not underwater but if I do that I'm just going to blow my heart out even faster. So I just slow down my work to what my body and mind thinks is acceptable but then I get stress from being afraid I'll get found out that I'm not working as hard as I could if I was willing to work until I have a heart attack like my coworkers apparently seem to be completely fine with.
Anyway thanks for reading my lunacy.