reallywierdwierdo asked:


My dad said that there is a Blood Pressure machine that you strap on when you are gonna go to sleep and it checks your blood pressure throughout the night so when you wake up you see all the readings.

Thank you.

Jose

Kathy Love asked:


What is High Blood Pressure?

According to statistics, one out of every three adult Americans have high blood pressure. Blood pressure is defined as the amount of force that the blood uses on the veins and arteries as it circulates through the body. A healthy person’s blood pressure should be around 120/80 mm Hg or even lower. Blood pressure that consistently measures 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high blood pressure.

If left uncontrolled, it may increase the risk of serious health problems including heart attack, kidney failure or stroke.

There are two types of high blood pressure: First, there is primary high blood pressure in which there is no known underlying cause and second, there is secondary high blood pressure which occurs as the result of a medical condition or as a side effect from medications.

What makes high blood pressure so dangerous is that most people do not experience any symptoms, even when blood pressure readings are dangerously high. This is why it is called the “silent killer.” However, some people may notice one or two of the following symptoms if their levels are consistently raised: headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, increased nosebleeds.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

For most people, the cause remains unknown, making primary blood pressure the more prevalent of the two. While it is not entirely known why primary high blood pressure occurs, research is ongoing and a number of factors have been implicated. Since high blood pressure often runs in families, a strong genetic component has been indicated.

Other risk factors for high blood pressure include smoking, alcoholism, high salt intake, being overweight, lack of exercise, and high levels of stress.

Some conditions known to cause secondary hypertension are: diabetic nephropathy, kidney disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, arteriosclerosis (a thickening, hardening and narrowing of the walls of the arteries), underlying heart conditions, sleep apnea, obesity, pregnancy (especially in cases of pre-eclampsia) and side-effects of certain medications or supplements.

Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure:

Garlic — Eating garlic is a very good way to lower high blood pressure. It has beneficial effects on the whole cardiovascular system. Clinical studies have shown that garlic decreases the systolic pressure by 20-30 mm Hg and the diastolic by 10-20 mm Hg. During one of these studies people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks. Their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced.

Coenzyme Q10 — CoQ10 has been proven to be effective in treating people with a common type of high blood pressure. A clinical trial was done where half the people were given 60 mg of CoQ10 twice daily for 12 weeks and the other half were given, of course, a placebo. The people taking CoQ10 had an 18-point reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Magnesium — It is well known that magnesium deficiency leads to high blood pressure. Because our modern diet lacks magnesium, most Americans are deficient in this mineral. Many studies have shown that it helps significantly to take magnesium daily for the treatment of high blood pressure. Magnesium can also be taken to prevent hypertension.

Lysine, Proline and Vitamin C — This is a protocol by Linus Pauling, a nobel prize winner, to cure plaque build up in the arteries and thus reduce high blood pressure. To find out more about this protocol go to the saveyourheart.com website.

Cinnamon — In recent studies it was shown that cinnamon helps lower high blood pressure as well as reducing serum cholesterol levels. Below is a list of other herbs that are used to lower blood pressure. Herbs can be taken in capsules, as tinctures, you can use them in cooking if appropriate, or your can use them as a tea.

* Hawthorn

* Gingko biloba

* Ginseng

* Gotu Kola

* Skullcap

* Ashwagandha

* Burdock

* Hawthorn

* Nutmeg

* Cardamom

* Kelp

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce High Blood Pressure:

You might want to get your own blood pressure machine and keep track of your blood pressure yourself. This way you can see what causes it to go up or to go down.

Do about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day such as walking. Don’t overdue it and exercise too much as it then becomes stressful to your body and may increase blood pressure.

Eat a lot of potassium rich foods such as vegetables and fruits.

Drink lots of water, between 8 to 15 glasses of water a day. Drinking lots of water mimics what the drugs your doctor prescribes are doing. It relaxes your body, including your arteries.

Learn to relax, slow down and manage your stress levels. Stress is a huge influencing factor in high blood pressure.



Albert

rollotomasiii asked:


Is there a general rule for how antihistamines – as a class of molecules – affect blood pressure? Or is their no such generalization for either the affect they have on blood pressure or for all antihistamines in general, that is, maybe certain ones affect blood pressure differently. If their is such a rule, what is it and how does this occur, biochemically speaking?

Laurie

Richard Legg asked:


If you are looking for ways of how to lower high blood pressure perhaps we should first talk about what causes high blood pressure in the first place. Well the truth is that there are many different causes ranging from, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and hypertension. High blood pressure that is left untreated can lead to other more serious conditions, including stroke and heart attack. Having some knowledge of what causes high blood pressure will help you to avoid the risks.

By altering your diet and taking a pro-active approach to healthy eating, you can easily help to lower your blood pressure. One of the major causes of high blood pressure is cholesterol. People with high levels of cholesterol are almost certain to have higher blood pressure when compared to someone with a healthy diet. Cholesterol causes fatty deposits to coat the artery walls. Over time these fats form into a hard plaque that reduces the size of arteries and blood vessels making them smaller and smaller. There is still the same amount of blood trying to force it’s way through these vessels and this is what can lead to high blood pressure.

Another great way of how to lower high blood pressure is to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. We all like our sweets and desserts but here again simply by lowering your sugar intake can really help reduce high blood pressure. Your blood can thicken from too much glucose as a result of consuming high amounts of sugary foods. If your blood is thicker than it normally should be it is again harder to circulate and so causes high blood pressure.

By avoiding eating foods which can cause high blood pressure then you are taking steps to help reduce it naturally. These include nicotine which is in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Excessive alcohol consumption has also been proved to increase the risk, so by lowering your alcohol intake it will also help reduce high blood pressure, as will cutting down on the amount of caffeine in your diet.

It has to be said that exercise is possibly one of the best solutions, not just for blood pressure, but for overall health in general. However, be sure to always consult a medical professional before undertaking any new workouts. Weight lifting is something that should be avoided because this can be very stressful on the heart. Highly intensive cardiovascular workouts are also not good for people with high blood pressure as this type of workout greatly raises your blood pressure.

One of the best ways is through some gentle exercising. And consistent exercise will help you to lower cholesterol levels, lose weight and therefore ultimately affect blood pressure. Exercises such as pilates and yoga are all effective at lowering blood pressure naturally as well as being extremely beneficial to the health of your heart. Whenever exercising, take care to warm up and cool down before and after. This will prevent any dangerous spikes in pressure that could rapidly occur.

By using these simple tips on diet and exercise you will be well on your way to achieving a more normal range blood pressure level and also help reduce high blood pressure in the future.



Kristen

mikegr16 asked:


I have had problems with high blood pressure and want to find a place to get my blood pressure checked. Please help! Thank You!

Randy

loraleerees asked:


What happens inside your body if high blood pressure is not controlled?

You’ve probably heard that high blood pressure can contribute to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. You may understand the risk better if you can visualize what’s going on inside your body.

Simply put, when your blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder than normal, which puts both the heart and the arteries under a greater strain.

Your heart

If you work hard lifting weights, your arm muscles will enlarge. In the same way, when the heart has to work harder for an extended time, it tends to enlarge. When your blood pressure is too high, your heart has to work progressively harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues to meet their needs. The heart muscle stretches and thickens, and the heart stops functioning properly. A significantly enlarged heart has a hard time meeting the demands put on it and can fail.

Your arteries

Arteries are the vessels, which carry blood throughout your body. When your blood pressure is too high, the arteries become scarred, hardened and less elastic. This occurs to some degree in all of us as we age, but elevated blood pressure speeds this process, which is called ‘hardening of the arteries’ or atherosclerosis.

Hardened or narrowed arteries may be unable to supply the amount of blood the body’s organs need. If the organs don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients, they can’t function properly. There is also a risk that a blood clot may lodge in an artery narrowed by atherosclerosis, depriving part of the body of its normal blood supply.

If the arteries that supply blood to the heart become clogged, blood flow to parts of the heart is slowed. When one vessel is completely closed off, blood ceases to flow to part of the heart, and portions of the heart muscle are damaged. This is a heart attack.

Narrowing of the arteries may also cause chest pain, called angina pectoris. Narrowing of the arteries in the legs causes cramping and pain because the tissues are not getting enough oxygen.





Your brain

Stroke may be caused by the progressive narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain. When blood flow becomes inadequate, brain cells are robbed of oxygen, and they die. Narrowing of the vessels also leads to a situation where a blood clot cannot move through the arteries; it blocks the flow of blood and deprives the tissue beyond of oxygen. About 80% of strokes are caused by the blockage of an artery in the neck or brain.

People who suffer a stroke often are left with paralysis on one side of the body and loss of speech.

A stroke is an emergency just as is a heart attack. Its symptoms are:

Weakness, numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg – particularly on one side of the body

Difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements

Blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes

Sudden, unexplainable and intense headache

Dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination, especially when combined with another symptom

Sudden nausea, fever and vomiting – distinguished from a viral illness by the speed of onset (minutes or hours vs. several days)

Brief loss of consciousness or period of decreased consciousness (fainting, confusion, convulsions or coma).



Your kidneys

High blood pressure can cause narrowing of the arteries in the kidneys – just as in other parts of your body – which can lead to kidney failure.

The primary function of the kidneys is to filter toxic chemicals from your blood. This process is accomplished in specialized structures inside the kidneys. The blood pressure of the vessels inside these filtering structures is critical for their proper functioning.

When the arteries are narrowed and thickened by high blood pressure, blood flow to the filtering structures is reduced, and they cease to function properly. The amount of fluid that the kidneys can filter is reduced, leading to kidney failure. Toxic materials build up in the body. People with kidney failure need to undergo dialysis – use of a machine as an artificial kidney – and may ultimately need a kidney transplant.

The kidney has its own feedback mechanism to maintain optimum blood pressure to assure its proper functioning. When this internal mechanism senses that blood pressure is too low, it tries to compensate by raising blood pressure, which begins a deadly spiral of higher and higher pressure.

Your eyes

As in other parts of your body, the blood vessels inside your eyes may also narrow and harden due to uncontrolled high blood pressure. This can cause clot formation and bleeding inside the eye, which leads to vision impairment and even blindness.

If you are really and truly ready to live without

Hypertension, go to http://www.ALISTROL.com

You want to feel better and live a happy and healthy life.

We want that for you, too.

Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make you aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. For more information on ALISTROL, please click here http://www.ALISTROL.com

ALISTROL HEALTH

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Bellingham, Washington 98226

U.S.A.



Lucille

Juliet Cohen asked:


High blood pressure or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it’s present with other risk factors. High blood pressure can occur in children or adults, but it’s more common among people over age 35. It’s particularly prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. It may run in families, but many people with a strong family history of high blood pressure never have it. High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. Affecting approximately one in four adults in the United States, hypertension is clearly a major public health problem.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer. High blood pressure typically develops without signs or symptoms. and it affects nearly everyone eventually. There are two levels of high blood pressure: stage 1 and stage 2. It is less common in younger adults. Most cases are mildly high (up to 160/100 mmHg). However, at least 1 in 20 adults have blood pressure of 160/100 mmHg or above. High blood pressure is more common in people with diabetes. About 3 in 10 people with Type 1 diabetes and more than half of people with Type 2 diabetes eventually develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a ‘risk factor’ for developing a cardiovascular disease , and kidney damage, sometime in the future. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems with such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. Some people can prevent or control high blood pressure by changing to healthier habits.

Calcium channel blockers may work better for blacks than do ACE inhibitors or beta blockers alone. Some medicines lower blood pressure by removing extra fluid and salt from your body. Others affect blood pressure by slowing down the heartbeat or by relaxing and widening blood vessels. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. They work by helping your kidneys flush excess water and salt from your body. Beta blockers help your heart beat slower and with less force. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down.

High Blood Pressure Treatment Tips

1. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. They work by helping your kidneys flush excess water and salt from your body.

2. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow.

3. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II.

4. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels.

5. Alpha-beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels the same way alpha blockers do, but they also slow the heartbeat, as beta blockers do.

6. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses from the brain.

7. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down.

8. Alpha-beta blockers- reducing nerve impulses to blood vessels, alpha-beta blockers slow the heartbeat to reduce the amount of blood.



Lydia

Lelia J asked:


I am 74 years old, mildly overweight, don’t smoke or drink, eat extremely healthfully, get sufficient restful sleep, take no medications, am always busy reading, studying, etc. I know I have the “white coat syndrome” because my blood pressure goes over 180/95+ in the doctor’s office, so I got a portable blood pressure machine that has a wrist cuff and take my pressure eight or ten times a day. It can be anywhere from 185/95 to 132/75 and is never ever constant. I have tried breathing exercises which seem helpful. I do not want to take any medicines. I tried going off caffeine and salt for a couple of weeks, but that doesn’t matter—still fluctuates wildly. I would otherwise consider myself in very good health.

Steven

Mandy43110 asked:


I had a health screening last friday and because I have a big upper arm the nurse used a large cuff and my BP was scarily high (140/104). Today I got it measured at a blood pressure kiosk with a “normal” sized cuff and it was better (123/84).

I know both readings are high but I’m trying to track it to help decided if I want to take medication or not. I’m already trying to lose weight which I know will bring it down.

Mildred

mike legg asked:


One of the things that can be very frustrating when it comes to doing a home blood pressure test is the way that it can vary greatly, not only from day to day but from hour to hour. Blood pressure in a way can be compared to breathing- it can vary a great deal depending on just what you are doing at that particular time, and that is why it is so important to keep an accurate blood pressure log.

Lower or higher blood pressure readings can also occur due to the position of your body, your hormone level, and your overall health at the time. However you can still efficiently monitor your blood pressure with a home blood pressure test, if you remember that a slight variance in the results is possible.

`White coat` is a term often used when speaking about high blood pressure and its variances. To understand this form of high blood pressure, you must first understand your own body. White coat syndrome specifically occurs to blood pressure levels that spike only when you visit a doctor’s office or have your blood pressure measured by a medical professional.

Although this is a real phenomenon, white coat blood pressure may not simply be a case of nerves. Instead you could be inaccurately measuring your blood pressure when doing a home blood pressure test. Even if white coat syndrome actually is occurring, it is still important to look at the overall trends in your blood pressure and to keep an accurate blood pressure log.

Spikes in blood pressure due to this condition may be nothing to worry about, but if they are exceedingly high you should be concerned. This condition can be fatal for someone who already has high blood pressure. Before you dismiss doctor’s office spikes, understand your own body and how it works. You may need treatment even if your blood pressure has previously seemed normal.

Blood pressure may also change for a number of other reasons as well. Firstly a home blood pressure test may not be as accurate as some of the tests used in a hospital or at your doctors. Inaccuracies occur frequently, and the packaging should be able to tell you just how accurate the tests are. Even if they are not 100% perfect a home blood pressure test is still important, as is keeping a blood pressure log, just as long as you remember that small changes from day to day are ok.

Try to monitor your blood pressure at the same times every day, if possible when you are doing the same type of activity, and keep a good blood pressure log. A good time is in the morning before you begin your day, but do not forget that many types of medication can affect your blood pressure reading so try to take it before you take any prescription pills or drugs.

Exercise greatly affects blood pressure so don’t forget that if you have been doing anything that gets you puffing or breathing heavily then your blood pressure reading will be different then if you have been sitting still or resting. Remember that 30 or even 40 mm Hg differences during a day are not uncommon. Any more than this and you should think about a trip to your doctor for a more accurate test.

Blood pressure can be very difficult to regulate but by doing a home blood pressure test on a regular basis and keeping an accurate blood pressure log, then this will help you in understanding the overall health of your body.



Cindy