If you think you may have low blood pressure read on to see some of the common effects of low blood pressure and determine whether or not you have them. These effects of low blood pressure are common and consistent, so you should some if not all of these symptoms if you truly do have low blood pressure.
Obvious Effects Of Low Blood Pressure
The first thing that is true sign that you are under the effects of low blood pressure is dizziness and lightheadedness when you stand up.While these conditions themselves are not a true indicator of your blood pressure situation, they can be key indicators and it must be paid important attention to. There are a wide variety of other things that can mask the effects of low blood pressure. It is important to look at all things before you determine whether you have low blood pressure or not.
That being said though, dizziness and lightheadedness are two true effects of low blood pressure. Most times people will say the sensation is similar to that of being on a rocking boat. In addition when a person stands up they may feel faint and even pass out. Sometimes this is accompanied with some more serious effects of low blood pressure. This can include a change in mental state with difficulty concentrating and confusion.This may or may not come with a sense of impending doom or very serious anxiety. Sometimes this will also have a high heart rate with low blood pressure.
You also may experience changes in your breathing pattern, normally the most common effect of low blood pressure being fast shallow breathing.This often happens during an episode when blood pressure is normally at its lowest. As this comes on you will also begin to feel nauseous and have cold clamming hands with very pale skin.
While each of these effects of low blood pressure by themselves does not necessarily warrant a trip to the doctor, when they are all seen together it would be a great idea to get checked out. These symptoms also overlap with those of a heart attack or stroke, so it is best to not take any chances and make sure that everything is OK.
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of some of the effects of low blood pressure and know what to do when you feel them come on. If you or anyone you know is showing signs of low blood pressure, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Few Common Effects Of Low Blood Pressure
Simple Steps For Low Blood Pressure Treatment
If you have been diagnosed by your doctor with low blood pressure, you should know that there are some low blood pressure treatments you can do at home for fairly cheap. The effects of low blood pressure can be dramatic, but these low blood pressure treatments should help to minimize them.
Steps To Minimize Your Low Blood Pressure Treatment
There are some simple things you can do to begin your low blood pressure treatment.The first is to increase the amount of salt that you are taking in.While eating too much salt is not recommended, a slight increase can be a good low blood pressure treatment. In addition to this you need to decrease the amount of caffeine you currently take in. It is important to do this because caffeine can dramatically reduce your blood pressure.
One of the best things you can do is drink lots of fresh water. Doctors recommend the best low blood pressure treatment includes at minimum 8 glasses per day. Sports drinks that are high in sodium and potassium are recommended, especially during exercise or in hot weather.This should be increased if you are in hot weather or at times when you are feeling sick.
Another thing that can cause problems is any medication you might be taking. Have you doctor review your current medications to determine if anything you are currently taking may be adversely affecting your blood pressure. You can also take things into your own hands directly with your low blood pressure treatment by changing or adding in a dedicated exercise routine to increase blood flow. The regular exercise will not only increase the blood flow, but the strength of your heart as well so that you can keep your pressure up. This increase of cardiovascular strength will help to even out your blood pressure.
In addition, you can look at low blood pressure treatment to try to treat the causes and symptoms. Before you stand up pump your feet and ankles a few times to get the blood flowing. After this, stand up slowly and try not to make and sudden movements. Also, avoid heavy lifting whenever possible. Do not stand up quickly and sleep with your head elevated at night to minimize the impact of your low blood pressure.
All of these things when combined should be a quite effective treatment for you low blood pressure.These things should have a drastic effect on your low blood pressure.
Some Possible Low Blood Pressure Causes
Low blood pressure is a very common condition, one that millions of people around the world are suffering from right now. If you are one of these many people, first and foremost you should be aware that there are various low blood pressure causes, any one or more of which could be responsible in your case.
It is very important, if you are suffering from low blood pressure, that you take the time to learn about these different low blood pressure causes, so you can better understand the condition but also so that you can find the root cause of your own low blood pressure and hopefully solve it as a result.
Causes
One of the more common low blood pressure causes is pregnancy. Low blood pressure during pregnancy is quite common, mainly because of the added weight that is being put on the body and so as a result the heart has to work harder. Because a woman’s circulatory system expands rapidly during pregnancy, blood pressure is likely to drop and so you should not be alarmed if this happens to you.
Another of the most common low blood pressure causes is medication. If you have just started taking any type of medication and are noticing that your blood pressure is lower than normal, this could be the cause. The majority of medications in fact cause blood pressure to drop, and so if your doctor is going to start putting you on any medication you will want to ask them about this and see what the possible side effects are.
There is also the possibility of endocrine problems, and an underactive thyroid or overactive thyroid can cause low blood pressure. In addition, there are a numerous types of other conditions including adrenal insufficiency and low blood sugar which can trigger low blood pressure. Especially if you have a preexisting condition such as diabetes, you are going to want to keep an eye on it and be prepared for something like low blood pressure which is more common with these sorts of conditions.
Treatment
So once you are a bit more aware of the different low blood pressure causes, you are going to want to find out what you can do in terms of low blood pressure treatment. The treatment here will depend on the cause and type of hypotension that the person is suffering from and how severe the signs and symptoms seem to be.
You will need to work with your doctor on this, as depending on particular factors they will determine which treatment is going to be right.
You Might Have Low Blood Pressure?
Considering that there are already millions of people around the world who are suffering from low blood pressure, it only makes sense that this would be a condition you would want to watch out for, especially if you have any of the associated risk factors. For instance if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you are going to want to watch out for the signs and symptoms of low blood pressure because it is a common affliction among pregnant women.
The Details
There are a few things in particular that are important to learn about when it comes to the low blood pressure condition. Do you even know what low blood pressure is, because it is quite a complex condition?
Also referred to as hypotension, this is a condition in which the blood pressure of a person is so low it causes symptoms or signs due to a low flow of blood. When the flow of blood is too low it can become very dangerous, which is why anyone who has low blood pressure needs to keep in close contact with their doctor and make sure that their condition is always properly managed and under control.
Treatment
Treatment is the first step after you have been diagnosed with this condition. Fortunately there are quite a few options available to people who have a lower than normal blood pressure. The first thing that your doctor will probably recommend is that you start taking medication for your blood pressure, to regulate it and get it well under control.
Especially if you are pregnant or nursing or have a preexisting health condition it is going to be very important to get your blood pressure at a normal level. At least you can be rest assured knowing that this condition is better than high blood pressure which can be deadly.
Your doctor will also tell you that you need to make certain lifestyle changes. For instance if you smoke or drink regularly, you are going to need to stop this because this can have a huge effect on your blood pressure. As well you should be eating healthily, particularly lots of leafy green vegetables.
You also need to be fresh drinking water, at least six to eight glasses of water each day to stay hydrated.
As you can see, you can deal with low blood pressure and even hopefully avoid it altogether, as long as you are educated and informed and watch out for the related signs and symptoms of the condition.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Try And Mantain A Normal Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the force of the blood circulated by the heart on the arteries, veins and all other blood vessels. There are 2 distinct types of blood pressure: systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure is exerted when the heart muscles contract. Diastolic blood pressure is measured between heart beats. The blood pressure measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using a device called a sphygmomanometer.
Up until a few years ago normal blood pressure was considered to be a systolic measurement of around 120 and a diastolic reading of approximately 80. However, after extensive scientific research the American Heart Foundation asserted that normal blood pressure is a measurement of less than 120/80. Now a normal blood pressure range is considered to be anywhere between 90/60 and 120/80, it is not a static number. Indeed various factors can impact an individual's blood pressure measurement.
Age Is A Factor
Age tends to have an impact on the blood pressure measurement of all individuals. For example, a very young child should have a lower measurement than an adult. Generally the older a person is the higher their blood pressure measurement is likely to be. However, the obesity problem here in the United States means that now several youngsters have a blood pressure measurement that is higher than it should be given their age. Furthermore age is no excuse for allowing your blood pressure to creep up. Normal blood pressure for an older person may be higher, but individuals from this age group are at a much higher risk of the cardiovascular problems associated with hypertension.
Different Times Of Day
There is no set measurement that is considered to be normal blood pressure because it can vary by forty points or more depending on what a person is doing at the time. If a person is feeling stressed or engaging in a physical activity their measurement will be higher, but they still have normal blood pressure. If a person is sleeping or very relaxed their blood pressure should be a lot lower and if it isn't then there may be a problem.
When To Seek Treatment
If your blood pressure is consistently between these levels 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is termed prehypertension. This means that you should take certain precautions to avoid developing hypertension. Make sure you eat a good healthy diet that does not contain too much sugar, saturated fat or salt. Limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption and don't use nicotine products. Start exercising regularly and make sure you are getting the right vitamins and minerals to lower the blood pressure.
If your have more than one consecutive test that shows a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher then this means that you've got hypertension. If you have hypertension you are at greater risk than people with normal blood pressure of serious potentially fatal health complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure or renal failure You need to amend your lifestyle and your health care provider may prescribe certain medications to correct the problem.
Although normal blood pressure at the lower end of the scale is desirable, having measurements that are too low is not good. If your systolic measurement is less than 90 and your diastolic measurement is lower than 60 you would have hypotension. Severe hypotension can lead to organ damage or failure and requires immediate medical treatment.
For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.
Why It Is Important To Have A Blood Pressure Check
When medical professionals refer to blood pressure they are describing the force applied by the stream of blood within the body on the walls of the blood vessels. A cuff and measuring gauge are generally used to determine an individual's blood pressure. Measurements are taken in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Two separate measurements are always taken. Systolic blood pressure is the force on the walls of the blood vessels while the heart is contracting. Diastolic blood pressure is the force on the blood vessels while the heart is at rest.
Every individual's blood pressure tends to vary greatly and can actually change from one heart beat to the next. In order to determine a person's average blood pressure it is necessary to take more than one measurement at various times of day over a period of time.
If a person maintains normal blood pressure he or she is less likely to develop cardiovascular problems or other health complications. Blood pressure that is abnormally high or low can lead to potentially fatal problems. Therefore it is very important to make sure that your health care provider checks your blood pressure regularly.
Healthy Levels
Healthy blood pressure has a systolic measurement of between 90 and 119. It has a diastolic measurement of 60-79. People with low average measurements are less prone to the health complications associated with hypertension and hypotension. Children have lower blood pressure than adults. Generally the older you are the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.
Prehypertension
If more than one test indicates that you have a blood pressure reading of between 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is known as prehypertension. This means that you are at risk of developing hypertension. If you have prehypertension you should make certain lifestyle amendments in the interest of maintaining your health. For instance you should get down to a healthy weight, exercise more and avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats and sodium wherever possible.
Hypertension
There are two stages of hypertension or high blood pressure. Stage one hypertension is a measurement between 140/90 and 159/99. There are various prescription medications that can be taken to correct the problem of stage one hypertension and the same lifestyle amendments that are used to treat prehypertension are necessary. People with hypertension are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney failure and eye problems.
Stage two hypertension is a measurement of 160/100 or more. People who have elevated hypertension are at particularly high risk of the aforementioned health problems. They require rapid and aggressive medical treatment if they are to avoid having a massive heart attack or stroke.
Hypotension
Hypotension is used to describe low blood pressure. A low measurement varies from person to person. In other words, a person with a diastolic pressure of 60 may experience no adverse effects while the next individual may start to react badly if theirs reaches as low as 70. A severe case of hypotension is dangerous because it means that the oxygen and vital nutrients in the bloodstream are not reaching vital organs. This can cause organ damage or failure. In the most extreme cases it can cause coma or death.
Hypotension has numerous potential causes including pregnancy, certain medications, blood loss, inadequate nutrition, dehydration and septicemia. You can reduce your risk of developing hypotension by eating a healthy diet with sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water.
For more information please visit my Dangerous Blood Pressure Website.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Why It Is Important To Find Your High Blood Pressure Cause
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, there is going to be no more important step than taking the time to find out the high blood pressure cause in your case.
Why so, you ask? Well for one, if you are able to work with your doctor and figure out what the high blood pressure cause is, then you will be able to deal with your problem right at the source and hopefully eliminate the problem altogether.
Some Possible Causes
To help you out here, you will want to learn about what the possibilities are for your high blood pressure cause. One very common high blood pressure cause is pregnancy. High blood pressure is quite common during pregnancy so you should not freak out, but it can become very dangerous and so you need to be very aware of this so that neither you nor your baby will be at risk.
There are actually a few different types of high blood pressure that a person can suffer from during pregnancy. There is chronic hypertension for one, and if high blood pressure develops before 20 weeks of pregnancy or it continues on and lasts for 12 weeks after delivery, then your doctor will classify it as being chronic hypertension.
This is the most dangerous type of high blood pressure during pregnancy, and one that doctors watch out for. There is also the gestational hypertension condition, which you are considered to have if dangerous high blood pressure develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Treatment
Once you have figured out the exact high blood pressure cause in your case, you can begin working on the high blood pressure treatment. Your doctor may recommend that you start on medication, at least until your condition is more under control.
Further on this matter your doctor will most likely perform some blood and urine tests on you, in hopes of dealing with the situation more thoroughly. No doctor wants you to have to rely on medication for the rest of your life to keep your condition under control, and so they will suggest that you try other things as well.
Eating the right foods for instance is a very important step. You should be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain breads and cereals. Drinking water is also important, and you should be drinking six to eight glasses of water each day.
Normal Blood Pressure Range Explained
Blood pressure is the force applied to the walls of the blood vessels, arteries and veins when the heart pumps blood around the body. Blood pressure, which is counted in millimeters of mercury, has two separate readings. The systolic reading measures the blood pressure when the heart is beating or contracting. The diastolic reading is the measure of pressure between contractions, and is always a lower figure.
In the past a normal blood pressure range was considered less than 130/85 and more than 90/60, but the parameters have changed in the past few years. Now a consistent reading of 120/80 or more is considered a sign of prehypertension, a warning to change your habits and lower your blood pressure. The new normal blood pressure range is between 90/60 and 119/79.
Lower Readings
A blood pressure measurement of 90/60 is considered borderline low. A reading of 60/40 is too low and medical treatment is required to correct it. If a person's blood pressure measures as little as 50/33 they are in danger of permanent damage to the internal organs because oxygen and nutrients cannot get to them. Extremely low blood pressure or hypotension can cause coma or death. Very young children and athletes generally have measurements at the lower end of the normal blood pressure range.
Higher Readings
If your blood pressure readings are consistently between 120/80 and 140/90 you do not have hypertension, but you could be headed in that direction if you do not change your ways. A reading of 120/80 is now at the top of the normal blood pressure range. A normal blood pressure reading should ideally be less than 120/80 so if yours is higher you should do more exercise eat less junk food and cut down on salt, sugar, alcohol, nicotine and saturated fat.
If your blood pressure reading is between 140/90 and 160/100 you have stage 1 hypertension. You should try to amend your lifestyle and if that isn't enough to get you down to a normal blood pressure range then perhaps you should ask your doctor about prescription medication.
If your blood pressure exceeds 160/100 you definitely require medication to correct the problem because you are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, aneurysm or renal failure. Bear in mind that severe hypertension puts excessive tension on the heart and can cause the blood vessels in major organs to burst open. Severe hypertension can and does kill people every day.
Regular Testing
Regular blood pressure testing is very important for several reasons. First, one test is never enough to determine if your measurements are within the normal blood pressure range. Everybody's blood pressure changes quite radically according to how relaxed they feel and what they happen to be doing. Several tests are needed to determine a person's average blood pressure.
Furthermore, it is only through regular testing that you can determine whether your blood pressure is lower or higher than it should be. Therefore you should get regular tests from your health care provider. Alternatively you could purchase a home monitor so that you can test to see if your measurements are within the normal blood pressure range as and when you wish to.
For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
How is your heart health doing?
Just a short time ago, heart disease was this country`s biggest killer. Now, it shares the limelight with obesity. However, that changes very little, as obesity often lead to heart disease, which just makes the argument cyclical.
If you’ve lived life to the fullest – which sometimes or oftentimes means you’ve indulged in a lifestyle that’s not very heart friendly - it may be high time for you to take a long hard look at yourself, especially if you’re getting on in years. It may now be time to look at the South Beach Heart Program. These are some things you can do right away to get your heart on a healthy path.
A Strategy of Prevention
Since heart attacks are preventable, you would be wise to change your ifestyle immediately. How do you do this? By avoiding activities that increase your risk of heart attack of course.
Quit Smoking – Tobacco smoke contains around 4,800 chemicals, most of which can damage your heart and blood vessels on their own. These elements working together, are crippling your heart and arteries. Nicotine also makes your heart work harder by constricting blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. You have to compete smoking completely, because even light smkoers are at significant risk. Quit and you decrease your risk factor significantly.
Drink Moderately – If you drink, drink moderately. Overindulgence with alcohol leads to high blood pressure not to mention being dangerous to your liver. If you must, red wine is a much better choice as drinking it in moderation can help with blood flow. Of course, this need to be in moderate levels.
Eat a heart-healthy diet- The eat whatever you like diet you were on during your younger years probably didn’t do so much good for your heart but if you can start healthy eating now, it will still be beneficial for you. Try and eat a diet rich is fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid high fat dairy products and fatty meats.
Engage in Physical Activity
Now that you’ve eliminated activities that are bad for your heart, it’s now time to engage inactivities that are good for it. To make is simple and direct you need to exercise regularly.
Regular exercise whether sports or working out in the gym or your own home helps prevent heart disease by increasing blood flow to your heart, strengthening it in the process. Exercise also lowers your bad cholesterol levels. Regular physical activities also help you manage stress, which is also a prime cause of heart disease.
Exercising is also key to maintaining a healthy weight. It is natural that as we age, our metabolism slows down that is why when we were young, we could seemingly eat as much as we want and yet stay fit. Being overweight adds to your heart disease risk factor. Its critical to get your weight lower to a level that is healthy.
Make Check-ups Part of Your Retirement
Another strategy that people ignore is making check-ups part of their lifestyle. Some people ignore this, believing that their healthy lifestyle and regular exercise is enough. Sometimes it is, but sometimes its not. Some seniors could look into optional medications. Its easy to miss something in your health without regular doctor appointments. Regular checkups will also let you know your actual cholesterol levels so you will know what type of foods to eat and what to avoid, and also what foods you can indulge on.
Following these strategies can help you live a longer, healthier life, but only if you do them all together, not just piecemeal. And the earlier you start, the better.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
LEARN THE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE
WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
High blood pressure will lead to many diseases, like diabetes and certain kidney diseases. A normal blood pressure will be reading 120/80, and the high blood pressure will have a reading as high as 140/90 or even higher… When arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body with a high pressure than normal, it is in a condition refer to “High blood pressure” or “Hypertension”. This should be taken seriously or it may lead to stroke and heart related diseases.
WHAT CAUSES HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Remember that the basic cause of high blood pressure is a stressful and sedentary lifestyle, family history, obesity, lack of regular exercise, and unhealthy eating habits.
THE RISK AND SIGN
- Unfortunately the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure stay unnoticed in most cases. However certain experiences like shortness of breath, headache, blurred vision and dizziness may indicate a rise in blood pressure. Some symptoms of anxiety shared the same with high blodd pressure.
- Some other risk factors for high blood pressure leading to hypertension are excessive intake of sodium in diet, aging, diabetes, certain kidney diseases and atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arteries).
- High blood pressure are common in pregnancy, the mother should always be relax all the time.
- High BP can also give rise to severe complications like stroke and heart attack (because of weakened blood vessels, causing aneurysm). Hypertension may also lead to loss of vision and disturbed metabolic syndrome.
- High blood pressure may also affect the kidneys by narrowing and weakening blood vessels in the kidneys.
INTRODUCTION TO RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
Health professionals, doctors and psychotherapists are skilled at and do teach relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure, but there are many things that you can do on your own to check your blood pressure from rising. Relaxation techniques are meant to increase awareness of your body and refocusing your attention towards a calming thought.
Effective relaxation techniques that reduce blood pressure:
- Ocean, Wind and Stream Sound with Music
- Proper exercise
- Tai Chi
- Relaxation Hypnosis
- Tuina
- Meditation
Let’s look at some of the less common but very effective relaxation methods, use and practice these methods regularly to increase the effect. Although these techniques are not as common, but they are very useful against high blood pressure with more practice.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This is a form of relaxation technique where you need to slowly focus on getting each muscle group focused and then relaxed. Start by tensing and then relaxing the muscles in your toes and slowly work upwards to your neck and head. Use a minimum of least five seconds to tense your muscles, and then relax for 30 seconds, before you repeat the entire set. This exercise is very helpful in making you aware of physical sensations by learning to realize the difference between muscle tension and relaxation.
Visual Relaxation- This amazing relaxation technique to reduce blood pressure teaches you to visualize mental images of a peaceful and calm situation or place. Try to exercise as many of your senses as you can- sounds, sights, textures and smells. The best way to do this would be to sit at a quiet and calm place, wearing loose cotton clothing. You should be able to close your eyes and focus on the peaceful visions for optimum effect.
Autogenic Relax Technique. Autogenic relaxation is a way of combining yoga and meditation with progressive relaxation techniques. Practitioner will sit on a meditation posture and start to relax the body part by part from toe to head or head to toe. Before starting, the practitioner will imagine the relaxing and clam environment, using all sense to create a picture, smell, sound and any kind of relaxation elements. Next, the practitioner will use hypnotic self help wording, such as “feeling the arms relax and warm”, read it repeating in the mind and activate the sense and feelings of relax and warm to the arm. Do the same to each part of the body, and repeat them until you feel extreme relaxing.
CONCLUSION
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage the arteries. It can give rise to complications such as stroke and heart attack. Practicing relaxation techniques to reduce blood pressure help you to maintain mental, physical, and emotional health. If your blood pressure are cause by pressure and anxiety, feel free to visit our website: Complementary Natural Herbal Treatment for Anxiety and stress.