The Facts Regarding High Blood Pressure

By John Faletti

Although high blood pressure is a very common issue in
society today, it is a very serious condition. This is
commonly called "hypertension". As the most common type of
cardiovascular disease, it is a day-to-day issue with many
people. If you or someone that you know is a sufferer of
this condition, it is time that you become familiar with the
facts regarding the disease.

Hypertension is typically defined as the elevated pressure
present on the artery walls of the blood stream. This
pressure, if it is higher than normal, is potentially a
serious medical issue. As a leading problem concerning
stroke and heart disease, it is the most common form of
cardiovascular disease in the world. Most heart attacks and
strokes are a direct result of high blood pressure.

There are two main categories under which sufferers of
hypertension fall under. The first is called "primary
hypertension". This is the appearance of elevated blood
pressure without a serious medical reason causing it. Most
people, as much as 95%, fall under this category. "Secondary
hypertension" is a more serious issue, as the hypertension
is caused by potentially serious issues with the kidneys,
heart, or endocrine system.

Adjusting your lifestyle is especially important for people
who are at a higher risk than others. The majority of risk
is genetic in nature. This means that people with a family
history of heart disease, diabetes, and obviously
hypertension, are considered high risk and should take
special care. Other significant factors are obesity, alcohol
and tobacco use, and a poor diet high in sodium and
saturated fat.

If you need to lower the blood pressure, there are many ways
of approaching this. In general, living a healthy lifestyle
is ideal. This includes a sensible diet that you stick to
and regular exercise. Leave foods that are high in saturated
fats and sodium behind. In their place add leafy vegetables
and fruit. Another important idea is regular exercise,
especially cardiovascular workouts.

It is ideal that you avoid drinking alcohol and smoking
tobacco products. Both of these activities directly raise
your blood pressure, putting you in danger every time you
indulge. They can have damaging effects on artery walls.
These are bad habits that make treating hypertension much
more difficult than it needs to be.

Stress also has a direct impact on the problem. Although you
probably won't be able to eliminate stress from your life
completely, you can take steps to reduce it. Anything that
helps you relax can be useful. When you begin to feel
stressed, take a moment and breathe deeply. Try and keep
positive thoughts. If possible, identify sources of stress
and put them out of your life completely. Learning how to
manage your time and setting realistic daily goals for
yourself will also help you deal with stress.

Although it is extremely common, do not overlook the
potential long-term effects of hypertension. Take the
appropriate steps to lower your blood pressure. This has the
potential to shorten your lifespan considerably. Make the
daily lifestyle changes that are necessary, and take steps
to reduce day-to-day stress, and you can begin living a
healthy life.

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Are You Having A Stroke? Watch For These Signs

By Barb Hicks

Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain has been halted
due to a clot or bleeding into the brain. Therefore, blood
is unable to reach all destinations of the brain, resulting
in a stroke. The person experiencing a stroke will begin to
exhibit signs and symptoms. Some signs come and go usually
within 5 minutes and leave no lasting effects. However,
symptoms lasting longer may indicate a major stroke is
occurring. Even if symptoms are short lived, it is
imperative to get medical help immediately. If not treated
as soon as possible, major brain damage and lifelong
disabilities could result.

What are the signs?

- Tingling sensation in the face or extremities - Paralysis
or weakness on one side - Difficulty speaking - Inability to
understand speech - Blindness - Dizziness - Pain -
Nausea/vomiting - Sudden intense headache

If you believe someone around you is experiencing these
symptoms call 011 and seek the help of medical professionals
immediately.

Risk Factors for Stroke:

- Age: At age 55 the risk of stroke doubles every ten years
after - Race - Gender: Typically, women are less likely to
experience a stroke than men - Previous stroke - Fractures
resulting in a fat embolism - Family History - Atrial
Fibrillation

Reducing your risks:

Take all medications prescribed by your physician. Monitor
blood pressure. Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Quit Smoking. Eat a healthy diet. Get plenty of exercise.

Physicians use a CT, MRI or Angiogram to determine the
location of a stroke, the amount of damage it caused as well
as what type of stroke was experienced.

Treatment involves clot busters, such as tPA that must be
given within hours of the onset of symptoms. Surgical
intervention is an option for ischemic and hemorrhagic
strokes.

Care after stroke:

Recovery after a stroke may take a few days to over a year
to complete. In many cases, occupational, physical and
speech therapy may be required.

Types of Medications:

Thrombolytics - Clot busters that loosen or break up blood
clots. The debris is cleaned up by phagocytic cells.
Antiplatelet - Prevents platelet s from sticking together,
thus preventing clot formation. Anticoagulants - Stops
clots from forming, particularly those with A-fib who are
prone to blood clots due to the rapid contractions of the
atria of the heart.

If you have other diseases such as diabetes or high blood
pressure, it is very important to monitor and manage them
properly. Proper care will help ensure that the risk of a
stroke is lessened and a quality, productive life prevails.

Having an exercise regimen at least three days a week can
lower blood pressure. Blood pressure is the number one
factor in bringing on a stroke or hemorrhagic strokes.

A healthy diet containing fresh fruits, whole grains and
nuts, vegetables and lean meats is another great way to help
lessen the risks for stroke.

Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse and featured
health writer on Clivir.com. You can find here her lessons
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Early Warning Signs of Stroke.

High Blood Pressure - Does Race Play a Part?

There are many different things that can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure. If there is something in your life that makes it hard for your heart to work the way that it should, you are going to experience high blood pressure, even if you are doing some things in a healthy way. However, one of the things that has long been felt by many in the medical community to be a factor in high blood pressure is your race. It has long been thought that there are some genetic factors that make one race more apt to have high blood pressure than another. While this might be true, there are certain things that you should try and do for yourself no matter what race you are.

First of all, a big part of high blood pressure is the foods that we eat. If you come from a racial background that richly celebrates every occasion with meals that are high in fat and cholesterol, your entire family is going to see that they might have problems with high blood pressure. This might be something that is linked to race, because different races celebrate things in different ways, and the traditional cooking is much different from place to place, as well as from race to race. If you belong to a culture that has a tendency to eat foods often that are high in fat, you might want to consider changing the way that you cook on a day to day basis. If you still want to participate in your family functions and eat the foods that everyone else is eating, it is okay as long as this is only practiced in moderation. If you can cook for yourself every single day and eat foods that are low in fat and cholesterol, you are going to have a better chance of lowering your own high blood pressure. You can also encourage your family to use low fat substitutes when they are celebrating. Exercise plays a role as well.

Certain blood pressure conditions are prevalent with certain races. If you are black or Hispanic, make sure you keep your blood pressure in check A number of more serious health conditions can occur if high blood pressure is not addressed, so if you are at risk, monitor it carefully, eat well, and exercise often. By doing these things, you can prevent high blood pressure, no matter what race you may be.

Your Body's Many Cries For Water

By Nicos Stylianou

The other day I finished reading a fascinating book named
"Your Body's Many Cries For Water". What impressed me the
most from reading this book, is that the author establishes
a clear association between the benefits of drinking water
and our overall wellness.

In order to support his arguments about the importance of
drinking water, the author goes on to prove, by using
medical facts, that just by getting into the habit of
regularly drinking water can relieve us from a number of
ailments that we all experience from time to time. Below, I
mention some of these ailments.

Headaches and migraines

We all suffer from headaches, or even worse migraines now
and then. Some of us more and some others less severely.
What you might find interesting to find out, is that more
often than not, we should blame ourselves for not drinking
enough water.

You see, 75% of our brain consists of water and when it
senses that there is shortage of it, it generates histamines
which cause pain and fatigue. The intention is to make us
slow down our activities, so as to maintain the minimum
water quantity that will allow our brain to function
properly.

So, the next time you think that your head will explode from
a splitting headache, resist the temptation of taking an
aspirin and do this: Drink a full glass of fresh, pure water
and then sit back and unwind for half an hour. More often
than not, you will be amazed. Your headache will just go
away!

When our back hurts

According to statistics, one out of four adults experiences
at least once in his lifetime the pain and distress
associated with a sore back. As the author claims in his
book, another one of the benefits of drinking water is that
it helps mitigate our suffering.

Let me explain.

As you might probably know, our backbone is made up of a
number of discs. While externally these discs are made up of
a hard shell, internally they are filled with water. When
the level of water inside is adequate, then they provide
ample support to the disc, helping it cope with the pressure
exerted on them when we move our upper body.

When we move our body, then pressure is exerted and released
on the discs depending on the type of movement. This creates
a suction which allows fluids in the body to enter the disc,
thus keeping them properly hydrated.

The problem begins when we don't replenish our body's
natural stock of water by drinking enough quantities. When
the discs are shifting, then there is not enough water
around them to be sucked inside, as explained above. The
result is devastating: The internal fluids are gradually
depleted and so the outer shell of the discs is no longer
supported. Without this support, our poor discs are
helpless, as the whole weight of the body is shifted on
them! Pain and swelling ensues, putting us in distress and
agony.

When our blood pressure goes up

Water also plays a vital role in the biological process
associated with high blood pressure.

According to medical experts, hypertension very often
happens when our body detects blood volume loss. Since our
blood is more than 83% water, then the most common cause of
blood volume loss is dehydration.

Our body's internal mechanisms have the ability to monitor
the level of our blood volume. When there is an alert that
this volume has fallen below acceptable limits, then our
body switches into an emergency mode, directing supply of
blood only to vital organs switching everything else off.
This redistribution of the circulatory system more often
than not leads to high blood pressure.

In summary, the examples I gave you above are just a few of
the many health benefits of drinking water, for you and your
family as well.

However, I should stress the following: Not all water that
we get at our homes is created equal. Its quality varies
greatly, depending on a lot of factors such as where it
originates (could be ground water or surface water), the
kind of treatment it undergoes, etc. The subject of water
quality is a very diverse one and is surely beyond the scope
of this article. My personal opinion is that it is
definitely worth it to spend some time investigating the
issue and decide on taking action to ensure that the water
at your home is the purest it can be.

Nicos Stylianou is a firm believer that drinking
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healthy, pure water is one of the cornerstones of a balanced
diet. Visit his (http://www.your-nutrition-guide.com/)
nutrition guide website now to find out what he recommends.

Natural Ways To Reduce Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood
vessel walls as it circulates through the body. When the
heart pumps more blood and if the arteries are narrow, the
higher the pressure. Narrow arteries also make the heart
work harder. Daily life events, such as exercise, stress or
emotions can cause the pressure to rise temporarily. This is
normal. But chronic high blood pressure must be treated.

Some of the symptoms of high blood pressure or hypertension
are headaches, nose bleeding and sweating. Hypertension is
sometimes also said to be the "silent-killer". In some
cases, it's symptom free until you have a heart attack or
stroke.

Blood Pressure numbers:

Systolic and Diastolic are the two measurements used in
blood pressure. For example, 120/80. Systolic, 120 from the
example, is the measurement of the blood pressure during the
heart beat. Diastolic, 80 from the example, is the blood
pressure level when the heart is at rest in between heart
beats. It is said to be in normal range when the measurement
is 120/80.

Diet and life style changes:

Consuming a diet rich in plant foods is one of the best ways
to reduce blood pressure. Plant foods are generally richer
in blood pressure-lowering potassium than animal products.
Also, they are not loaded with sodium, as many packaged
foods are. Salt (sodium chloride) plays a major role in
hypertension. People who consume less salt have little
problem with hypertension.

One teaspoon of salt contains 2,325 mg of sodium. In order
to lower the blood pressure its suggested to take 1,500 to
2,000 mg daily. But remember to consult with your own doctor
for individual intake levels. Some of the main source of
excess sodium in your system comes from packaged and
processed foods.

Some of the foods that are low in fats and high in
potassium, calcium and magnesium, which help lower the blood
pressure, are as follows: Whole grains, fish, nuts and
poultry. Celery, onions and garlic also can help reducing
blood pressure.

Is There A Link Between Coffee And High Blood Pressure?

It's no surprise to my friends and family that I pride
myself on living a healthy lifestyle. This is why, I
suppose only half-joking, that they refer to my Grande
coffee from Starbucks as my "vice."

A friend recently told me to "watch out," while at Starbucks
the other day as I drank my coffee because her doctor told
her that coffee can contribute to high blood pressure, or
hypertension.

Watch out? My friend was telling me this quite literally,
as she was exhaling cigarette smoke. Did her doctor mention
that this behavior is far more a contributor to high
blood pressure?

Did the doctor actually state that more than anything, my
friend's overindulgence in food, smoking and sometimes
alcohol largely caused her hypertension but she only heard
"coffee?" Hard to know but I was curious, why did the
doctor even list coffee as a contributor?

To date, there is no definitive evidence that coffee leads
to the development of high blood pressure.

Some studies have shown that drinking coffee does raise
one's blood pressure slightly, but only temporarily. In
fact, these same studies have shown that over time, this
slight increase in blood pressure is reduced.

Researchers are starting to notice that the reason coffee is
so often associated with the actual contributors to
hypertension (cigarettes, and obesity) is because many
people tend to combine drinking coffee with these bad
behaviors.

Does this mean that coffee causes hypertention? No - it is
not coffee's fault that some people cannot drink a cup of
coffee without partnering it with cigarettes and/or over
eating.

While I'm always excited to read about amazing results from
people who've given up coffee and reduced their blood
pressure, I'm even more interested in knowing what other bad
behaviors where dropped when these people gave up coffee.

I believe moderation truly is the key as far as coffee (and
well, everything) is concerned. I like my coffee and will
continue to drink my occasional cup until proven otherwise.