Heart
October 8th, 2006 at 06:13am
Under Fitness+ General Health+ Healthy Lifestyle+ Heart
High blood pressure, also known as ‘hypertension’, is a very common problem for Americans. Because having a high blood pressure greatly increases your chances of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, its important to take what steps you can to lower your blood pressure.
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Doctors and health professionals agree that exercising and keeping an active life style is a great place to start to lower blood pressure. Even 30 minutes of walking a day has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Probably the greatest single reason why Americans suffer from high blood pressure more than most other countries is our overall sedentary lifestyle.
Also, maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to lower blood pressure. This issue goes hand in hand with exercise. Ideally, by boosting your workout you’ll also be helping yourself get to and maintain a healthy body weight. Be careful what steps you take to lose weight however! Excessive exercise can put your heart at risk, and the use of diet pills often raise blood pressure levels significantly. If you already have heart disease or dangerously high blood pressure, make sure you exercise lightly and avoid diet pills. Getting a lower blood pressure is important, but not worth having a heart attack over!
Another key change you should make right of the bat to help get to a lower blood pressure is greatly reducing the amount of salt in your diet. The sodium from salt is well known for causing an increase in your blood pressure. Products high in sodium should generally be avoided.
Lowering the amount of alcohol you drink, and quitting smoking completely will also do wonders to lower blood pressure. Smoking can wreak havoc to your blood pressure, causing it to spike erratically, and even moderate amounts of alcohol consumption can elevate blood pressure throughout the day. Though small amounts of alcohol may help raising your good cholesterol levels (effectively lowering your bad cholesterol), it’s a sort of double edged sword because it comes at the risk of higher blood pressure.
The most important step you should take to achieve a lower blood pressure is see a doctor. Your doctor will probably tell you to do everything discussed here, but will also help you to determine if you need to be on a medication designed to lower blood pressure. There are a number of such medications available today, and if your hypertension is excessive your doctor will probably start you off on one.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
October 8th, 2006 at 05:48am
Under Heart
A blood pressure monitor is a good thing to have on hand, especially if you know that you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a family history of heart disease. Because blood pressure is an excellent indication of how your heart is performing, and how much stress it might be under, your blood pressure is a vital piece of information in determining your overall health. Indeed, along with your heart rate, your blood pressure numbers are often referred to as your ‘vitals’. One of the first things most doctors or nurses will do when they see you in a treatment environment is to measure your vitals with a blood pressure monitor.
I worked at a residential drug and alcohol treatment center for over a year, and during my time there I became very familiar with the use of blood pressure monitors. The old school and more traditional blood pressure monitors that you usually see your doctor use are called sphygmomanometers. This is the typical cuff thing that they Velcro onto your arm, and then pump up by hand. It has a pressure gauge attached, and requires careful watching to accurately determine your blood pressure. These traditional blood pressure monitors are usually used in conjunction with a stethoscope to give a reading of your heart rate as well. That means taking vitals the old school way is a very active process and requires some amount of training.
Fortunately, there are newer and easier to use blood pressure monitors available today. Today you can purchase electronic sphygmomanometers that are programmed to basically do everything for you. All you need to learn how to do is properly attach the cuff to the subject’s arm, which is easier than tying your shoes. Then with the push of a button, the blood pressure machine does the rest. It even records your heart rate, and displays it along with your blood pressure in a little LCD display. All you have to do is wait for it to finish.
Needless to say, these automatic blood pressure monitors made my life a lot easier when I was working at the treatment center. Anyone that works in a medical environment that doesn’t have the training nurses and doctors have gotten in the use of a regular sphygmomanometer will certainly appreciate having an automatic blood pressure monitor on hand.
Since my time at the treatment center, I have purchased my own electronic blood pressure monitor. It’s a nice tool to have on hand to accurately gauge any stress your heart may be under if you think you may be having heart trouble.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:38am
Under General Health+ Heart
There has been a lot of talk lately about blood pressure.
Blood pressure is the force of movement of blood throughout the arterial and vascular circulatory systems.
Oxygenated blood sent rushing into the arteries after the left ventricle in the heart contracts. The blood vessels accommodate blood flow to maintain normal blood pressure values. When the vessels become narrow, the amount of blood flow is restricted causing a rise in blood pressure.
Blood pressure readings are measured by two different values, the systolic and diastolic pressures. After the heart contracts, it has forced blood into the arteries at its greatest strength. This is the systolic pressure. As the pressure in the arteries relaxes, the pressure decreases. This is called the resting, or diastolic pressure. When represented in written form, such as 120/80, the top number is the systolic reading, and the lower number is the diastolic. This blood pressure reading, 120/80, is the average measurement of a wide range of readings, representing normal blood pressure values. The value that concerns most is the diastolic reading. When it is consistently higher than 80, hypertension is present. Pressure fluctuates naturally throughout the day with activity, rest, excitement, emotions, stress, etc., this is normal and does not necessarily indicate that anything is wrong.
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When blood pressure readings are consistently 140/90 or higher, even at periods of rest, hypertension is present. Readings over 160/95 are of concern, because this is considered the danger zone. Hypertension is called the silent killer because it has no symptoms until the pressure is extremely high. According to the American Heart Association, 68 million Americans have one or more forms of heart or blood vessel disease. There is no cure for hypertension; it must be medically managed with prescribed antihypertensive agents, combined with diet and exercise.
There are quite a few factors that contribute to altering normal blood pressure values creating hypertension. As we age, the arteries are not as elastic and restrict blood flow, also known as “hardening of the arteries” or arteriosclerosis. Other factors are family history of hypertension and heart disease, use of oral contraceptives, alcohol, illegal substances, weight gain, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, stress-related issues, and a high fat, high sodium diet. This list of course, is not all inclusive.
Have no fear; it is possible to maintain normal blood pressure values if you have hypertension. Regular visits with your physician are of great importance, as well as complying with prescribed medication regimens, regular aerobic exercise, and maintaining a healthier diet. By engaging in regular physical activity, we feel better, because our bodies are more efficient. Aerobic activities such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing, will not only allow you to be more fit physically, mentally, and spiritually, but your blood pressure will be lower as well. Diets low in sodium and high amounts of fat also work to lower blood pressure. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are very plentiful and have a variety of uses, providing you with a smorgasbord of healthy food choices-so enjoy!
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:32am
Under General Health+ Heart+ Treatment
Having a high blood pressure is kind of scary.
There are so many conditions and diseases you are at a higher risk of developing with a high blood pressure, and they’re all serious.
Looking into some blood pressure remedies is a good idea even if you only have a moderately high blood pressure.
Fortunately, there are a lot of effective blood pressure remedies out there, so you don’t have to look far. There are a lot of things you can do with very little physical effort.
Click here to see the best guide I have found on natural blood pressure remedies
Cutting down your sodium intake could help lower your blood pressure considerably. Quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol and caffeine intake will help even more. Smoking is especially horrible for blood pressure, and if you do in fact smoke kicking your habit will probably be the best blood pressure remedy you’ll ever try. Moderate to heavy drinking can also lead to an overall higher blood pressure, and caffeine and other stimulants are definite culprits as well.
Another good blood pressure remedy is to look into the stress and pressure you have in your life. You may not be able to avoid stressful situations, but you can change the way you react to them. Getting worked up, worried, and anxious is not good for you, and furthermore it doesn’t do any good either. Anxiety is a major cause for high blood pressure for people. Just the knowledge of having a high blood pressure can produce a lot of anxiety for people, which then in turn makes your blood pressure worse! Some effective, safe, and healthy blood pressure remedies are therefore focused on reducing anxiety; meditation, prayer, relaxation techniques, cutting out stimulant use, music, therapy, and frequent exercise are all examples of ways to reduce anxiety.
That last example, exercise, is probably the single best thing you can do for yourself. Not only does frequent exercise reduce anxiety, but it strengthens your heart which in turn will work wonders in lowering blood pressure. Some of the best blood pressure remedies are therefore different exercises you can do to stay active. Play a sport, go for a walk everyday, anything at all!
Keeping a healthy weight is also a good blood pressure remedy. Obesity in itself can cause a high blood pressure, even if you are doing everything else right, because your heart has to work harder to get your blood where it needs to go. Healthy diets therefore may also be good blood pressure remedies.
Of course, your doctor knows the best blood pressure remedies as well, and it’s never a bad idea to talk to him or her about it. If you have especially high blood pressure you may need a medication in addition to everything else.
Click here to see the best guide I have found on natural blood pressure remedies
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
