Tag Archives: high blood pressure

Finding A Remedy For High Blood Pressure

0
Posted by just better on January 14, 2009 – 10:25 am
Filed under Articles

Even if high blood pressure is a chronic disease, there is still no cure for it. Fortunately, we can control it with the help of various drugs or by improving our ways of life. Of course, it is better to prevent than to cure, therefore living an organized and healthy life can keep away the hypertension from us for as long as we continue living that way.

High blood pressure is the most important cause of heart diseases, of strokes, kidney failures and heart attacks- you can say that it is the most feared serial killer of our times. This means that having a high blood pressure is having a high risk of developing heart diseases or kidney ones. It is more dangerous because it has not any alarming symptom or signs. You can find whether you have or not a high blood pressure by controlling its value regularly.

If the blood pressure is too high, do not worry; there are ways to lower it down. But what happens when the blood pressure rises? The blood is taken by the heart and sent to the tissues of the body through arteries, and the pressure of the blood means the force used in pushing the blood in the arteries walls. The blood pressure is a maximum one when the heart contracts and pumps the blood.

Certain activities make the blood pressure rise or lower. For example, if are running to catch a bus, the blood pressure will rise. When you sleep it lowers. These are normal variations of the blood pressure. Some persons have a high blood pressure. The blood of these persons pushes the walls of the arteries with a force higher than the normal. If they will not take the right treatment for it, they can encounter a series of health problems like the arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, the heart becomes larger due to the supplementary effort, kidney problems.

The persons who have a high blood pressure, no matter the race, the gender or the age can prevent the high blood pressure if they will follow few simple rules:

-Maintain an optimal weight, and try to lose the weight excess;
-Try to have moderate physical activities;
-Choose the food with low content of salt and sodium;
-You can drink alcohol, but in moderate quantities.

All of those rules must be followed during the medicated treatment too, but it would be better to use them as prevention methods. Another important measure regarding your health is to quit smoking; even if smoking is not directly related to the high blood pressure, it can increase the risk of having a heart attack or a cerebral vascular attack.

One last piece of advice for controlling the high blood pressure would be to increase the number of physical activities. Regular exercises will diminish the risk of having a heart disease, will reduce the level of cholesterol from your blood and increase the level of good cholesterol, and consequently, lower the high blood pressure. Use every day activities to help your body fight back the high blood pressure: use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk when you are going to work, don’t take the car, dance in clubs or enjoy gardening. You can make your life more pleasant and you can lower the high blood pressure until the scientist will find the cure for it.

Do you have a high blood pressure reading? Visit the High Blood Pressure Medication Site which provides comprehensive help and advice on all Blood Pressure issues. Clive thoroughly recommends this site so check it out today here: - http://www.highbloodpressuremedicationsite.com.

More articles at articles database

Tags: ,

High Blood Pressure A Sign Of The Modern Age

0
Posted by just better on January 13, 2009 – 10:25 am
Filed under Articles

Throughout a large part of the last century the lifestyle of our parents and grandparents was very different to that which we enjoy today. Much of the convenience of modern living was yet to be seen as part and parcel of our normal daily lives and a substantial proportion of the population was engaged in far higher levels of physical work than we see today. The daily diet to support this activity was also very different.

Today, even those of us who are engaged in what we still term as physical work find that much, if not all, of the hard work is now undertaken by machinery. Burning 3,000 or 4,000 calories a day at work is a thing of the past and we are much more likely to find ourselves getting through as little as 1,500 or 2,000 calories in the average day.

At the same time our diet has also changed markedly and, for many, the days of home cooked meals of meat, potatoes and vegetables are a distant memory, replaced now by a wide range of packaged and processed convenience foods and a huge variety of tempting fast food takeaway meals.

It comes as no surprise therefore that we are becoming a society of increasingly overweight individuals and that, alongside this, high blood pressure (or hypertension) has become a major health problem. Some estimates place the number of people suffering from high blood pressure at 600 million worldwide with as many as 1 in 3 of all adults in the US suffering from hypertension. One major problem presented by high blood pressure is the fact that it often shows little or no symptoms, and so about a third of those with the condition don’t even know they have it.

High blood pressure is a serious problem which, if left untreated can lead to a heart attack, heart failure or a stroke. In addition, hypertension can cause kidney problems and, in some instances, even result in blindness.

Fortunately, high blood pressure is both very simple to detect and can be treated and controlled with medication and, more importantly, with some simple changes to your lifestyle.

The first port of call should be your doctor, who can check your blood pressure for you in a matter of seconds. As an alternative, you can even check your own blood pressure and a variety of easy to use and relatively inexpensive monitors can be purchased for use at home. For many people today this represents an excellent investment, allowing them to keep a regular check on their blood pressure without having to keep popping along to their local surgery.

If your blood pressure starts to creep up above the generally accepted normal level, then start by looking at your lifestyle and try making a few simple adjustments in the first instance.

If you’re overweight then try losing a few pounds. If you’re eating a lot of canned and processed foods then try cutting down on these and add fruit, vegetables, whole grain foods and fish to your diet. If you enjoy alcohol, then try cutting down to just the occasional drink once or twice a week. If you smoke, then try giving up altogether.

More often than not these, and similar, lifestyle changes will be all that is needed to bring your blood pressure back down to normal levels. If this doesn’t do the trick, however, then call in and have a chat with your doctor who will probably prescribe a course of medication to run alongside your change in lifestyle.

Many thousands of people die needlessly every year as a result of high blood pressure. Detection and cure of this growing problem has, however, never been easier so, if you’re at all concerned, have your blood pressure checked today and don’t add to this growing statistic.

William Hazelhurst. Drop by MonitorYourBloodPressure.info for more information on blood pressure and, in particular on lowering blood pressure naturally.

More articles at database for articles

Tags: , , ,

Your Medication May Be Causing Malnutrition

0
Posted by just better on January 10, 2009 – 10:25 am
Filed under Articles

In todays society, prescription medications are very commonly used to treat disease, but what most doctors dont realize is that many of these drugs can cause deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients required for normal body functions. Some of these functions include energy production, protection against free radicals, and repairing and replacing worn out cells of the heart, lungs, skin, bone, etc. Initially these deficiencies equate to generalized symptoms such as fatigue, dry scaly skin, weight gain, depression, difficulty sleeping, muscle stiffness, joint aches and pains, and poor memory. Over longer periods, these nutrient deficiencies can lead to a faster progression toward chronic degenerative diseases like cancer, dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cataracts, etc.

How come my doctor has never mentioned this to me before? Simple, your doctor was most likely not trained in nutrition. Yes, you read correctly. Most medical schools do not even offer classes in nutrition, so if you doctor wanted to receive training in this area, he/she would have to seek it out elsewhere. Currently, there is a grass roots effort in place to teach physicians about medication induced nutritional deficiencies, but until this information becomes part of the medical curriculum, you should take measures on your own to ensure that your nutritional status remains intact when you are taking a medication with known nutrient depleting side effects.

CATCH 22 In order to prevent heart disease doctors prescribe preventative medicines to lower cholesterol (statins), lower blood pressure (diuretics), thin the blood (aspirin), and reduce inflammation (NSAIDS). Collectively, these medicines can lead to deficiencies of coenzyme Q10, vitamin B1, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B-12, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, and beta carotene. Why is this harmful?

Example 1: Medications which lower cholesterol are given to reduce the risks for heart disease, but they can also cause a deficiency of CoQ10 inside the body. A deficiency of CoQ10 is linked to congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. Thus taking the medication over long periods of time may actually increase the risk for heart disease.

Example 2: Medications which lower blood pressure can induce deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Research now shows that a deficiency in these minerals can cause high blood pressure. Additionally, many blood pressure medications also deplete CoQ10.

Example 3: Taking aspirin thins the blood, but this may also cause deficiencies in folic acid and vitamin C. Folic acid deficiency causes elevations of a harmful chemical in your blood called homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine is an independent risk factor for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers disease, and osteoporosis. Vitamin C deficiency reduces the bodys overall antioxidant status. Poor antioxidant function is associated with every known chronic degenerative disease.

Common Sense Applies: Although many of the above medications have been shown to give benefit when treating common conditions, they have also been shown in studies to reduce certain nutrient levels. Because we know that long term nutrient deficiencies can and do play a major role in the development of chronic degenerative disease, it only makes sense to take a common sense approach and address these nutrient deficiencies before they become a serious medical problem. Ask your doctor to monitor your nutrient levels with the appropriate lab work (Spectra Cell labs has a very comprehensive test to monitor nutrient deficiencies). Find out which nutrients your medication may be depleting and address them with proper supplementation. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

To learn more about medications and the nutrients they deplete visit: www.essential-nutrients.net

Dr. Peter Osborne, D.C., D.A.C.B.N. is the clinical director of Town Center Wellness in Sugar Land, TX. His practice focuses on integrative holistic care to include chiropractic, decompression, lifestyle coaching, as well as treating complex medical problems by identifying and correcting nutritional deficiencies through the use of specialized laboratory testing. He is a professor of nutrition for Houston Community Colleges nursing programs. He has designed several formulations for different supplement companies including The Ath-Elite Protocol, a product customized for professional athletes. He is a member of the ACA Council on Nutrition, the American Association for Health Freedom, a Diplomate with the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, and a co-founder of Nutra/MD, a supplement company with products designed to diminish the side effects of commonly prescribed medications. He has recently been elected to the Examining Committee for the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. He can be reached at 281-240-2229 or on the web at http://www.essental-nutrients.net

More articles at articles database

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Why Does Our Body Need Zinc?

0
Posted by just better on December 18, 2008 – 10:25 am
Filed under Articles

Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell in your body. It stimulates the activity of over 100 enzymes. Zinc is one of few minerals that a significant number of people are slightly deficient. Zinc deficiency is particularly common in infants, adolescents, the elderly and women. Certain drugs and nutrients can inhibit the absorption of, or increase the excretion of Zinc.

Zinc plays an important role in wound healing, brain function, growth and development. Zinc also plays an important role in our immune system. In fact, even moderate deficiencies of Zinc can have an adverse effect on your immune system. Because zinc plays a role in the development and activation of T-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps fight infection a severe deficiency of zinc will depress the immune system and leave you at higher risk of infection.

There could be a variety of reasons why someone could be deficient in zinc. Your diet may not include enough foods that provide a good level of zinc. Food sources high in zinc include oysters, herring, beef, lamb, liver, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, bran and cheese. Another cause of zinc deficiency is caffeine, as it impacts your bodys ability to absorb and utilize zinc properly.

An often overlooked cause of zinc deficiency is the medications you take. Both prescription and over the counter medicines impact the absorption, distribution, or excretion of many different essential nutrients. Some of the drugs that have an impact on zinc include ace inhibitors, which are used for high blood pressure, such as Altace, Accupril, Lisnopril, or Lotrel. Other drugs that are used for high blood pressure such as diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide can have a negative impact on your bodys zinc status. Hormone replacement therapy has also shown to have an adverse effect on your zinc levels as well as simple over the counter products like antacids.

Since your prescription medicine for your blood pressure is a critical part of your overall cardiovascular health, you should never consider discontinuing any of your prescription medications without first consulting your physician. An easier solution is to find a good pharmaceutical grade zinc supplement to be sure your body doesnt suffer the consequences of zinc deficiency due to your medication choices. Since the average patient is on 3 different blood pressure medications, you should be aware of the nutritional impact any of them could be having on your body. It is important to select a supplement that would replenish your body of all essential nutrients and may even provide extra nutrients that have been shown to benefit cardiovascular health in patients that have high blood pressure.

http://www.essential-nutrients.net/

To learn more about supplements available to help prevent the vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient depletion caused by many of the prescription or over the counter drugs you take: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/CategoryID/11/products.asp

More articles at articles database

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

What Are Triglycerides? Don’t Let Them Stop Your Heart

0
Posted by just better on December 6, 2008 – 9:23 pm
Filed under Articles

In your body there are different types of fat. One of these types is Triglycerides. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body. They are also found in your blood.

When we eat, our bodies burns the calories we need as energy required to perform any activity. Normally, we eat much more calories than what we burn. These extra calories we didnt burn during the day are turned into Triglycerides and stored to be used later, being stored as fat in our bodies. It doesnt matter what kind of food we eat carbohydrate, protein or fat. If we eat more calories than we burn we develop Triglycerides, and if that excess of calories is elevated, the level of Triglycerides might be high as well.

Triglycerides are important for a good health, in normal amounts of course. The reason is that they are a major source of energy. But when our level of Triglycerides is high, it increases the risk of heart disease.

The excess of Triglycerides in blood (called hypertriglyceridemia) is linked to cases of coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, pancreatitis and stroke.

One of the reasons for a high level of Triglycerides is an unattended diabetes; and as other health conditions like cholesterol, our level of Triglycerides can be detected with a plasma test (blood test). Normal Triglycerides levels need to be below 150, being a measure of 200 considered high.

How To Reduce Triglyceride Levels

Some easy ways to lower the level of Triglycerides in or body are a good cardiovascular exercise routine and a diet with moderated carbohydrate intake which include essential fatty acids. The reduction of alcohol intake helps a lot, and the use of fish oil and niacin have reported good results in reducing levels of Triglycerides too.

The point is that lowering our level of Triglycerides is not that difficult. One of the easiest ways, as we see before, is to start burning more calories than we eat; or eating less calories than we could burn during the day. There are many publications with useful techniques that show you many ways to do it. Simply start eating healthier foods and start an easy and moderated cardiovascular exercise routine. You’ll realized that exercising a bit is not that difficult. You’ll start feeling better and look better which will be a motivation to keep doing it until you get to a point where if you miss one day of exercise you’ll feel that something is missing. Just do it! You’ve got nothing to lose and a new life to gain.

======================================================

Victor C. thought his heart was pumping excessively because he was deeply in love with his girlfriend but, when one day he almost fainted, he knew that his problem was not love but a high blood pressure.

He started to look for all the information he could about blood pressure. Read more about the information he’s put together by visiting: http://www.nobloodpressure.com/avoid-high-cholesterol.php

How To Avoid High Cholesterol

More articles at articles database

Tags: , , , , , , , ,