You’re Too Young to Have High Blood Pressure? Think Again

At 26, Ijeoma felt invincible. She was young, energetic, and chasing career success, so health was not exactly her top priority. She had to work long hours, meet endless deadlines, and survive Lagos traffic; enough stress to last a lifetime, but it was all part of the hustle, right?

Then, one afternoon, she felt lightheaded while getting ready for a meeting. She brushed it off as exhaustion and went on with her day. Weeks later, it happened again, this time with a splitting headache that would not go away. She stopped by a pharmacy for a BP check after her mother insisted. The pharmacist’s expression changed immediately.

“Madam, your blood pressure is 145/90 mmHg. That’s high!”

Shock. High blood pressure? At 26? It made no sense to her. In her mind, hypertension was an old people’s disease; something only her parents or grandparents needed to worry about. Except it was not. Ijeoma was now part of the growing number of young Nigerians developing high blood pressure, many without even realizing it.

Why Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) is Called the Silent Killer

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against your arteries as your heart pumps. It is supposed to be within a safe range, not too low, and not too high. But when the pressure rises above normal, your heart works harder than it should, putting stress on your arteries and increasing the risk of serious health complications.

The danger? Hypertension does not always show symptoms. It lurks silently, damaging the heart, brain, and kidneys without warning, until suddenly, something critical happens; stroke, kidney failure, heart disease. That’s why it is known as the silent killer.

Here is a simple breakdown of BP levels:
✔ Normal: Below 120/80 mmHg
⚠ Elevated: 120-129/80 mmHg (borderline, but risky if ignored)
❌ High: 130/80 mmHg and above (hypertension has begun!)

Many young people walk around with elevated or high blood pressure without realizing it, until one day when the consequences catch up to them.

Why Are Young Nigerians Developing High Blood Pressure So Early?

Decades ago, hypertension was rare among young people. But now, cases have skyrocketed, especially in Nigeria, where modern lifestyles have rewired the way we live, eat, and handle stress.

1. Our Diet is a Disaster

Think about what you eat daily. How much of it is natural, fresh, and balanced? Exactly. Most young Nigerians live on:

• Soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol
• Instant noodles, fried snacks, and processed foods
• Suya, shawarma, and heavily salted meals

All these are packed with sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats, which increase blood pressure over time. Worse, we eat late at night, skip meals, and survive on junk food because “who has time to cook?”

2. The Death of Physical Activity

Nowadays, there is a lot of sitting in traffic, sitting at work, and working from home, which has made movement optional. Unlike past generations, who walked everywhere, farmed, or played outside, our lives revolve around screens and desks.

Lack of physical activity means your heart is not getting enough exercise, making it more vulnerable to rising BP levels.

3. Hustle Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Deprivation

Nigeria is a stressful place, and young people feel it more than ever. The pressure to succeed, coupled with financial struggles, career pressure, academic demands, and the constant hustle, makes stress a daily battle.

Add lack of sleep, and it is even worse. Many of us barely get four to five hours of proper rest, drinking coffee or energy drinks to stay awake, unknowingly pushing BP levels higher.

4. Genetics + Ignoring Health Checks

If hypertension runs in your family, your risk is higher. But most people do not get checked because they assume they are fine, until one day they collapse, get rushed to the hospital, and hear the dreaded words, “You have high BP.”

Common Signs You Might Be Missing

Tunde, a 28-year-old tech entrepreneur, started feeling frequent headaches but ignored them. After all, working long hours and barely sleeping was normal, right? The headaches became more frequent, sometimes paired with dizziness and chest tightness.

He shrugged it off until one day, after pulling an all-nighter, his vision blurred, and he felt a strange weakness in his body.

By the time he got checked, his BP was 155/100 mmHg—dangerously high.

Like Tunde, many young Nigerians assume their symptoms are just stress or tiredness, when in reality, their BP levels are creeping higher. Some signs to watch for:

• Constant headaches, fatigue, and dizziness
• Blurred vision, shortness of breath, unexplained weakness
• Or absolutely no symptoms at all!

That last part is the scariest. You could feel perfectly fine, yet be on the edge of severe hypertension.

Why Early Detection Saves Lives

Health is not about age, it is about awareness. Young people delay BP checks because they assume “it won’t happen to me.” That is exactly the mindset that puts people at risk.

Funmi’s story is a perfect example. At 24, she was thriving in her new banking job but lived on fast food, caffeine, and minimal sleep. She believed BP issues were for people in their 40s, until one day, she collapsed at work.

The diagnosis? Severe hypertension.

If she had checked earlier, simple lifestyle changes would have helped. But waiting too long forced her to rely on medication for life.

BP checks take five minutes, cost little to nothing, and could save your life.

Managing High Blood Pressure Without Shame

A lot of young people think, “But I don’t look sick. Do I really need to worry?”

The truth? YES, YOU DO.

Hypertension does not care if you look healthy. Preventing it early is smarter than dealing with complications later. Simple lifestyle changes can make a huge difference:

• Reduce salt intake (cut down on processed foods and seasoning cubes)
• Drink more water (soft drinks won’t hydrate you!)
• Sleep better (your body needs recovery time)
• Walk more, move more (exercise doesn’t need a gym membership)
• Medication is not weakness (if prescribed, take it without shame)

Where to Get Checked and What to Ask

Want to check your BP today? Visit a pharmacy. It is quick, painless, and often free.

Mariam Grey Pharmacy offers fast BP tests. When you go, ask:

• “What does my BP level mean?”
• “How often should I check?”
• “What lifestyle changes can help me keep it normal?”

Conclusion

Young Nigerians are developing high blood pressure at alarming rates. The difference between living well and facing serious health problems later is simple: checking early and taking action NOW.

💡 Get your BP checked today, even if you feel fine.

👉 Talk to Nkechi, our pharmacy assistant on Mariam Grey Pharmacy or chat with a licensed pharmacist to check your blood pressure and learn how to protect your heart before it’s too late.