Archive for the 'Hypertension' Category

High Blood Pressure and Exercise

Friday, August 20th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Oftentimes we are concerned with the feasibility of exercising when suffering from an ailment. For patients of high blood pressure (hypertension) this is of even greater concern, with questions surrounding their body’s ability to endure the rigors of this increased activity and the wisdom of subjecting it to this additional pressure. This need not be of concern. In fact if you’re suffering from high blood pressure, moderate to medium exercise can be one of the most effective ways of controlling it. Consider that the heart is a muscle and similar to all other muscles, it maintains or increases strength with regular activity and loses its elasticity with inactivity and age. Exercise not only improves your cardiovascular system but can help in lowering your cholesterol and maintaining a healthy body weight, both of which are contributors to hypertension.

Although it is unclear as to exactly how exercise contributes to a lowering of high blood pressure, one of the prevailing theories is that exercise (aerobic) reduces insulin and insulin resistance, two of the factors associated with the development of hypertension. It’s also undeniable that regular physical activity strengthens the heart, the stronger the heart the lower the amount of effort needed to pump blood thus decreasing the strain on your arteries and lowering your blood pressure. Research has continuously shown that cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent among those individuals who are least fit, with hypertension being 30% to 50% more likely to occur.

Exercise programs are slotted into two distinct categories: Aerobic and Anaerobic. Aerobic exercise strengthens and enlarges the heart muscle along with the muscles of the respiratory system. The end result being that your cardiovascular system is strengthened, while your stamina and overall strength is increased. The decrease in your heart rate will, by extension lead to a decrease in your blood pressure over time. Anaerobic exercise on the other hand is useful in building: strength, muscle mass and speed, while also increasing the metabolic rate and is deemed to be more beneficial to athletes.

All physical activity which increases your heart and breathing rate can be considered aerobic, including such everyday activities as: bicycling, walking, dancing, climbing the stairs, mowing the lawn, raking leaves etc. More formal and structured forms of exercise include: basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis and racquetball among others. These types of activities are suggested for persons who would be more comfortable in participating in team activities or who may benefit from the support and encouragement of others. Yoga, Tai Chi chuan or any other form of martial arts could also be beneficial. For the patients of high blood pressure (hypertension) it’s important to remember that the aim is to participate in moderate forms of exercise. Moderate implies that you must exert yourself a little without getting too out of breath.

Your choice of exercise should be one which you like to do and can be incorporated into your daily routine without too much difficulty. Doing so would insure its longevity. Varying your exercise regimen will also help in breaking the monotony and encourage you to continue. An adequate exercise regimen should consist of at least thirty (30) minutes of exercise three to five times a week, at least every other day. An alternative method as suggested by the Surgeon General is that “all adults should accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, if not all days of the week. The key words are “accumulate” and “moderate-intensity.” Accumulate means that you can do 10-15 minutes at a time and repeat that a couple of times throughout the day; for example, 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes around dinner. Moderate intensity is equivalent to feeling “warm and slightly out of breath” when you do it.”

The natural aging process increases the chances of getting high blood pressure but participating in some form of exercise can reduce this risk. A single workout may reduce your blood pressure for the whole day and exercising regularly, consistently keeps the pressure down. It’s a personal choice as to what type of exercise one should follow but whatever type you choose you should first consult your doctor and get his/her recommendations, particularly if you are taking medication for high blood pressure. Self monitoring (heart rate monitor) during exercise is also advised. If there’s discomfort in the chest, jaw or arm or you experience dizziness or severe shortage of breath, stop all exercises immediately and notify your doctor, if these symptoms persist call 911.

Foods For High Blood Pressure

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Foods for High Blood Pressure are commonly found in your kitchen. Hypertension is an illness that needs full attention. High blood pressure is caused by abnormal blood circulation that can block your arteries resulting to heart attack or stroke. Most people who are suffering from hypertension are not aware of its consequences and how to treat them. So if your blood pressure reached more than 140/90, then start paying full attention to this article. Hypertension can take your life instantly if you don’t follow a healthy diet.

Most doctors prescribe drugs that can be purchased online or your local drug stores to treat hypertension. But most people suffering from hypertension gave up on the idea of taking hypertension medicines due to lack of budget. There is no better way to treat hypertension but in a safe and natural way.

You may be surprise that you may already have the remedies or foods for hypertension. There is no need to worry about spending good amount of money for medicines.

Garlic
As surprising at it may sound, a common ingredient that we normally store in our kitchen and mix with our foods can actually treat high blood pressure. Garlic contains adenosine which helps relax our muscles. Both cooked and raw garlic benefits to this disorder. But raw garlic is more effective and works quicker compared to the cooked ones. It is also beneficial to those with weight problems for garlic have substances that helps reduces our cholesterol levels. To be able to take advantage of its benefit, take two tablespoons of garlic juice every day. Don’t worry about its smell; drinking garlic juice does not result to body odor.

Fruits and vegetables
Fresh Fruits and veggies also have properties that are helpful to people with abnormal blood pressure. According to researches, dieters who are following a vegetarian lifestyle have lower blood pressure. A fruit that contains vitamin C, potassium and fiber helps treat hypertension. One effective food for hypertension is by eating papaya with an empty stomach two hours before breakfast or any sold foods.

Potassium
Scientific studies have proven that people suffering with hypertension are the ones who are lacking in potassium. Potassium foods can help lower blood pressure. Foods that are rich in potassium are watermelons, tomatoes, oranges, spinach, milk, almonds, soya beans and banana. Sufficient intakes of potassium promote good blood flow.

Calcium
Researchers believe that another cause of hypertension is lacking of calcium. Calcium foods can be found in leafy veggies, spinach, Milk, etc.

Fish
Fish oils help maintain blood pressure. Regular consumption of fish will surely lessen your regular dose of medicines.

Exercises to Help Control Hypertension

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure as it is also known is a condition that raises the pressure of the blood in the arteries. It is a condition that many people have. It is also been given the name as the silent killer as many people who have the condition are not even aware that they have it.

The affect that hypertension has on the body can be compared to a garden hose. For example, if you turn on the water and then squeeze the hose this will have the affect of causing the water to build up and create pressure. Hypertension can have the same affect on our arteries. If the condition is not identified and treated it can lead to a host of health complications.

There are many direct and indirect factors that lead to people getting hypertension. These include heredity factors where the condition runs in the family. Other causes can be linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight, eating an unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking too much alcohol and not taking enough physical exercise. There can also be underlying health conditions such as constricting arteries or kidney disease.
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One way you can reduce the risk or control the condition is make positive changes to your lifestyle. These can include eating a healthier diet, cutting out smoking and drinking alcohol within the recommended levels. However, your emotional and mental state can also have a direct affect on the heart and conditions such as hypertension can have a serious impact. As part of a healthy lifestyle you can consider introducing exercises that help calm and relax your physical and emotional state. Two exercises that can help you with this are as follows:

Yoga:

Yoga involves many exercises that include stretching, breathing and meditation. Through these many exercises and poses you will help improve the bodies mobility and flexibility. Certain poses help to strengthen your muscles and back. The deep breathing helps to improve your cardiovascular health as well as calming and relaxing the mind. There are many forms of yoga. It is recommended that people at risk or who already have hyper tension avoid the more rigorous types of yoga and opt for the more relaxed ones.

Tai Chi:

This is a well known Chinese exercise that involves slow movement of the body in co-ordination with controlled breathing. It can help improve your flexibility and strength especially for the elderly. However, all ages groups can benefit from Tai chi. It has also meditative qualities that help relax and calm the body and mind.

If you have a medical condition always consult with your doctor first to ensure you are fit enough.

Hypertension – The Silent Killer

Sunday, May 9th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Everyone talks about hypertension. Many individuals, groups, communities, health Organizations and other bodies have shown concern and even written about Hypertension. Statistics shows that approximately 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure and this number is expected to increase to 1.56 billion people by the year 2025. That translates to about 1 out of every 4 Adults being afflicted with hypertension. In fact in the United States, recent estimates show that nearly one in three U.S Adults has high blood pressure and because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don’t know they have it. Unfortunately, many may have it for years without even knowing. With this alarming statistics, you will not hesitate to agree with me that there is a call for concern for individuals and groups to treat this case with all seriousness.
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Hypertension simply means high blood pressure and in Medical terms a blood pressure of 140/90 is considered hypertension; where 140 is the systolic measurement and 90 represents its diastolic measurement. A person with hypertension has no explicit symptoms and that is why more than 30% of Individuals do not eve know they have it, which makes it even more dangerous and considered a Silent Killer. Nevertheless, extremely high blood pressure may lead to some symptoms such as Fatigue, dizziness, confusion (sometimes), Nausea, severe headaches, problems with vision, breathing disorders, irregular heartbeat. And in very severe cases, you can find blood in Urine after Laboratory analysis.

Causes
The causes of hypertension could be classified into:

1. Primary causes. These are the major risk factors of hypertension in which, even the secondary causes emerge from. These are,
• Fast paced lifestyle leading to Unhealthy diets.
• Lack of exercise
• Tobacco smoking
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
Alcohol consumption
• Stress

Under this category, we could have a physiological risk factor or cause of hypertension which is Age. An ageing Individual has more risk of getting hypertension than a younger one.

2. Secondary causes. These are causes due to the primary causes, most of which results from Tobaccos smoking and unhealthy diets. They include:
• Coronary heart diseases
• Stroke
• Atherosclerosis
• Arteriosclerosis
• Cancer
• Pneumonia
• Diabetes
• Renal failure
• Tumors
• Birth control pills
• High salt intake
• Injury/trauma
• Adrenal and thyroid problems
• Insufficient calcium potassium and magnesium consumption
• Vitamin D deficiency.
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Due to its asymptomatic nature, hypertension cannot be clearly diagnosed unless if severe. Hence, a constant check of blood pressure should be done on a regular basis. Also, the more an individual is aging, the more the frequency of checking. The Sphygmomanometer is used to check for blood pressure. You need not wait until it gets to 140/90 before you conclude you have hypertension. Blood pressure between 120/80 to 139/89 is called pre-hypertension (to indicate an increased risk of hypertension) and if you begin to discover such range in values reoccurring, then you will have to see a Doctor.

Treatment
Basically, drugs are used as well as a gradual change in Lifestyle. The major drugs used for the treatment of hypertension are as follows:
• Diuretics (furosemid, dichlothiazid, spironolacton).
• Inhibitors of Angiotensin converting Enzyme (captopril, enalapril, ramipril).
• Antagonists of angiotensin II receptors. For example Losartan.
• B-adrenoblockers (anaprilin, atenolol, thymolol).
• A-adrenoblockers (Labetolol, Carvedilol).
• A-, B-adrenorblockers (prasosine, terasosine).
• Calcium ions antagonists (niphedipine, amlodipine, Verapamil).
• Agonists of A2-adrenoreceptors of central action (clopheline, methyldopa).
• Sympatholytics (reserpin, Octadin).
• Direct vasodilators (molsidomin, hydralasin).
• Imidasolines (moxonidine, rilmenidine).
• Serotonin receptors blockers, for example Ketanserin.
• Monateril (calcium antagonists, A2-adrenoblockers).

So much drugs for hypertension huh! Do not worry about which drugs to use and how to use them. Leave that to the Doctor.

Prevention and conclusion
It is appalling to know that almost 90% of the causes of hypertension are due to our life style. This simply means, the power to reduce the occurrence of hypertension lies in our hands. Is there any need to list the ways of prevention? Glance through the already aforementioned causes once more and then deduce their direct opposites-and that would be the preventive methods of hypertension. Maintain a healthy Life to not just live or exist but to live well.

How to Control Hypertension

Thursday, April 29th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

There’s one good saying “Health is Wealth”, well said. Good health in other words is energy, happiness and all of these bring serenity in our life.

Combating with the situations which come in our way and still maintaining health is not an easy task. But nothing is impossible, impossible is the word that itself says “I’m possible”. After all we are human, we have feelings and emotions like happiness, sadness, anger and so on. Everyday we go through these emotions and sometimes we stress ourselves when limit is crossed.

Stress is definitely a cause of hypertension. Every one of us reacts differently to stress. Some of us smoke, take drink, cry, eat too much or less, etc. Because of stress, adrenaline hormone is released which cause vasoconstriction.

What actually is stress?

It’s a strain which we take upon us due to the external or internal factors like:

  • No money, no job. Today’s big problem
  • Job dissatisfaction,
  • Spoilt relationship with superior.
  • Not able to meet the time line.
  • Social stress, pressure of society,
  • Unmarried peoples get loneliness.
  • Poverty.

Stress can be relieved by stress management. Everybody is blessed with some or the other skills, some people are good in painting, some are good in singing, dancing and some good in their colonial hand. Try the things which makes you feel relax.
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Other options are also there like:

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Sports
  • Listening to music
  • Reading

Everybody starting from children to old age population is fond of eating. How many of us can control over eating habits? Hardly any. We like French fries, pizzas, canned food but guess the content of sodium! Our daily requirement of sodium is 1500mg, less than a teaspoon. But two slices of pizza exceed our daily requirement. What happens next? Sodium imbalance, kidney failure, water retention, weight gain, edema, loss of potassium which all are reasons for hypertension.

We can overcome all of these especially by changing our lifestyle. Hypertension can be controlled by DASH (Dietary approaches to stop hypertension) plan and regular regime of workout and control over diet. Eating food containing high potassium like nuts, legumes and lowering sodium intake by avoiding especially canned or preserved food items.

Whenever we are happy we celebrate with a Champagne, which is a must. Social drinking doesn’t impact on our body much. But addiction of alcohol drinking which goes hand in hand with smoking too, does impact. Not much is known about direct relationship between alcohol addiction and hypertension. But studies show that after alcohol consumption it sets on sympathetic activity and vasoconstriction related hormones are released and thus becomes a cause of hypertension.

Alcohol consumption coupled with other disorders like obesity could synergistically affect blood pressure.

Only way to overcome alcohol related hypertension is to quit dependency on alcohol and smoking. Hard to do but not impossible. Engage yourself with family members or some kind of sports or support group which does not remind of drinking and smoking.

These were the ways which we implement in our lives and get rid of hypertension. But to bring down the blood pressure quickly antihypertensive medicines are available.

Some of them are as stated:

  • Diuretics such as bumetanide, epitizide
  • Vasodilators such as sodium nitroprusside
  • Antagonist of adrenaline receptor like timolol, terazosin

Again there is a saying that ignorance is bliss, but in body science ignorance can be life threatening.

High Blood Pressure – What is It?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

We all have heard about it, but do many of us really know what HBP really is. Quite simply, blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of our arteries. The actual pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury and is recorded as two numbers which are systolic pressure-one’s actual heart beats-over diastolic pressure-or when the heart relaxes between beats.

Actually, BP rises and falls over the day, and it becomes a concern if it stays elevated over time, which becomes high blood pressure. This can become very dangerous in that it causes the heart to work too hard and the force of the blood flow against the arteries not only may harm the arteries but also the heart, kidneys, the brain, and even one’s sight.
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Unfortunately, once high blood pressure occurs, it most likely will last a lifetime, and if not controlled can lead to heart and kidney disease, stroke, and possibly blindness. What one needs to follow up on is that normal BP is less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).The more one’s BP rises above this normal measurement, the greater is the health risk.

One can control their BP with the following steps:

1) Watch your weight.
2) Practice to be fairly active physically 4-5 days of the week.
3) Eat healthy and watch your salt intake.
4) If you use alcohol, drink in moderation.

If you are under a doctor’s care for lowering blood pressure make sure you do not stop taking your medication. Living with high blood pressure means adjusting your daily lifestyle choices in order to reduce the probability of heart disease or stroke.

High Blood Pressure Statistics

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

This article is part of a series, which provides a comprehensive overview of high blood pressure (hypertension) and the serious health risks it presents. If you could eliminate hypertension from your life, would you? Now you can discover THE major high blood pressure cause – a toxin that’s been hidden for more than 50 years. By eliminating it, you can control your hypertension without using prescription drugs. Best of all, you’ll live a healthier, longer life. The American Heart Association states that high blood pressure causes more than 54,000 deaths each year in the U.S. and the World Health Organization estimates the number of deaths worldwide to be more than 7 million.

10 shocking statistics:

According to the American Heart Association, in 2006, hypertension killed 56,561 Americans. Here are more shocking statistics:

  • 74.5 million Americans age 20 and older have hypertension
  • For 90-95 percent of hypertension patients, the cause of the disease is unknown
  • Of those with hypertension, only 77.6 percent of Americans are aware of it
  • Only 67.9 percent of those are being treated for it
  • Only 44.1 percent have it under control
  • 55.9 percent do not have it controlled
  • Between 1996 and 2006 the death rate increased 19.5 percent, and the number of deaths rose by 48.1 percent
  • 2006 death rates per 100,000 Americans: 15.6 for white males, 51.1 for black males, 14.3 for white females and 37.7 for black females
  • 90% of middle-aged Americans will develop hypertension during their lifetime
  • Pregnancy induced hypertension is responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths annually

There were 44.8 million physician office visits in the US for high blood pressure in 2006. The estimated direct and indirect costs will be more than $73 million in 2009. In 2005, hypertension was listed as the primary cause of 57,356 American deaths. But there’s more to that story. For approximately 319,000 American deaths in 2005, hypertension was listed as a primary or contributing cause.

Eliminating high blood pressure is possible with lifestyle changes

There’s no question – high blood pressure is a deadly disease. And in 90-95 percent of the cases, the cause is unknown. However, for many years, some in the medical community have known that one toxin is a major cause of high blood pressure. It contributes to additional health problems as well, and is found in many common food items.

If you suffer from hypertension, making a few lifestyle changes and avoiding this toxin can save your life. These changes are easier and healthier than using a costly high blood pressure treatment that neither eliminates the disease nor the cause. Hypertension can be prevented. If you already have high blood pressure, it can be eliminated. Avoiding the deadly toxin is a great first step toward a healthier, longer life.

Pulmonary Hypertension Prognosis

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure in the lungs increases. This disease affects the lungs and be quite dangerous. When the blood pressure in the arteries or veins of the lungs is increased the person experiencing it can suffer a lot of damage. Pulmonary hypertension can be divided into primary pulmonary hypertension and secondary pulmonary hypertension. Primary pulmonary hypertension usually has an unknown cause but is attributed sometimes to genetic factors, an auto immune disease or the use of certain substances. The abuse of several drugs has been linked with the development of this condition. This type of hypertension is very dangerous and mostly affects women younger than 40 years.

Secondary pulmonary hypertension is the type of hypertension that has a known cause such as bronchitis, emphysema and pulmonary embolism. The condition will cause an increased blood flow in the pulmonary artery. This can constrict the blood vessels that lead to the heart which can produce a heart attack. Some symptoms related to this condition are fatigue, chest pain and cough. Another symptom that a person might experience is inflammation of the legs.

The prognosis for pulmonary hypertension is usually poor. This life threatening disease has no known cure yet but there are several treatments available to extend the life expectancy of the patients. One of the treatments is the lung and heart transplant. This is necessary as transplanting the lung alone is not enough to compensate for the damage. The use of anticoagulants is very helpful too for the victims of pulmonary high blood pressure. Anticoagulants prevent the formation of blood clots, helping to ease the strain on the cardiovascular system. Other medications commonly use to treat this disease is the calcium channel blockers and vasodilators. Calcium channel blockers assist in opening the vascular smooth muscles in the lungs. The vasodilators trigger a reaction in the cells to expand the blood vessels and in consequence lower the blood pressure.
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Some exercise can also be done in order to improve the life of the patient. Exercising should only be done in a moderate amount and with the approval of the doctor. The early detection of the disease is critical in order ensure a greater life expectancy for the victim. Treatment for the condition can help in adding a couple of years to the life of the patient. Living a healthy life style, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly can help in preventing difficult diseases.