1/30/09

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 be doing 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 one 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 not going to be 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 be getting 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.

1/28/09

What Are the Best High Blood Pressure Remedies?

If you've got hypertension, you need all the information you can get about how to lower your high blood pressure. Fortunately, there are many effective remedies for high blood pressure, both including and excluding drugs. This article will take a look at a few of the most popular remedies, but remember: high blood pressure is the number one predictor of heart attack and stroke, and it can also be a principal cause of kidney disease. In other words, anything you can do to lower your blood pressure is good, but if you have high blood pressure or suspect that you do, you must consult your doctor about the best course of treatment, and also regularly monitor your blood pressure to best insure continued health.

Blood Pressure and Weight

Probably the number one high blood pressure remedy is to establish and maintain a healthy weight for your age and body type. Why? Well, for starters, each pound of body weight you add also increases the length of your circulatory system by as much as 200 miles! That's a lot of extra capillaries for your heart to pump blood through. Reducing body weight can, over time and with exercise, allow your body to reabsorb much of that extra tissue, including the blood capillaries. If you have high blood pressure, reducing your weight to a healthy level—and keep it there—is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Blood Pressure And Diet

Eating a diet low in transfats and cholesterol will help keep your circulatory system a lot cleaner and lead to lowering your blood pressure. It will also decrease your chances of heart attack or other coronary diseases. Also, reducing your salt intake is an important remedy for high blood pressure. Increasing your potassium and calcium levels by eating foods like bananas and other fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables has been shown to be a positive impact your blood pressure. Garlic is another beneficial spice to add to your diet, and eating beans of all kinds gives your body additional fiber and non-fatty proteins.

Blood Pressure and Smoking

It should go without saying: if you smoke and you have high blood pressure, it's kind of like running around in a lightning storm while holding a golf club over your head. Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict; how can that possibly be good for you if you already have high blood pressure? Stop smoking, and the sooner the better! The beneficial effects for your system will begin almost immediately.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

What Are the Signs of High Blood Pressure?

The trouble with high blood pressure, or hypertension, is that often it has no symptoms. You could be feeling fine, and still have high blood pressure. The only way to be certain of accurately monitoring your blood pressure is by having it checked regularly, either at home or by a healthcare provider. By the way, a word of advice: avoid the "self-service" blood pressure machines often found in pharmacies and other public places; they can be very inaccurate. However, it is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly, and to apply high blood pressure remedies if your blood pressure is outside a normal range for your age, body type, and general physical condition.

The High Blood Pressure Symptoms

Because so many people with high blood pressure have few signs, and because high blood pressure can cause so many serious complications, ranging from heart attack to stroke to kidney disease, high blood pressure is sometimes called "the silent killer." However, hypertension sufferers sometimes exhibit headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, or nausea. The problem is, the signs of high blood pressure tend to be non-specific; they could be caused by several other conditions. By the time high blood pressure causes noticeable signs, organ or tissue damage has often anormally occurred. That is exactly why it is so important to have your blood pressure monitored regularly. Only by knowing your blood pressure can you take the necessary steps to reduce hypertension and prevent more serious, often irreversible health complications.

How Is Blood Pressure Measured?

The most accurate method for measuring blood pressure is by using a device called a sphygmomanometer. This is an inflatable cuff, attached to a scale measured by a column of mercury. The cuff is placed around your arm, usually about the same level as your heart, and inflated until the artery in your arm is squeezed shut. The observer then places a stethoscope over your arm below the cuff, over the artery, and begins to slowly relieves the pressure in the cuff. The column of mercury is observed, and the point at which the blood begins moving through the artery again is noted. This number is your systolic blood pressure. Pressure continues to be slowly relieved, until the observer can no longer hear the sound of the blood moving through the artery because of its return to full volume. This reading is your diastolic blood pressure. The most definitive sign of high blood pressure is a systolic reading at or above 140, and a diastolic reading at or above 90. If your blood pressure falls into this category, heed the signs. High blood pressure should be treated and carefully monitored to maintain good health.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

The Best High Blood Pressure Treatment: Lifestyle Changes

High blood pressure is an affliction that already affects millions of people around the world, and which many more are being diagnosed with every day. If you are one of the people out there who have to deal with high blood pressure, then you know firsthand just how difficult and frustrating it can be.

To ensure that you are in the best of health and that your high blood pressure is not going to get the better of you, there are a few steps that you will need to take in terms of treatment. Right at the very first signs of high blood pressure you should be doing something about it.

So what is the best high blood pressure treatment? Well it really all depends on your particular condition, how severe it is and what your doctor thinks is going to be best treatment for you. However, out of all the different high blood pressure treatment options today, the most successful of all has been lifestyle changes.

Change Your Life

The first thing that you should do if you want the best high blood pressure treatment is to make some serious changes in your life. Chances are that you are not eating properly, and you should be eating six smaller sized meals a day, full of protein and vitamins. You should be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables which are rich in antioxidants.

You should also increase the amount of fresh water that you are consuming on a daily basis. It is surprising how many people are not aware of the amount of water that should be drunk in a day. You should be drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day, and if you still feel thirsty then drink even more.

Exercise is also incredibly important, and will be a major part of your high blood pressure treatment. You should be getting lots of regular exercise, at least a half an hour for three days a week, and this is the bare minimum. Everyone thinks that their life is too busy for exercise, but you can fit in into your life no matter how busy you may be, as long as you are willing to work at it.

This is by far the best high blood pressure treatment that you can try, and best of all you can – and should – stay on it for the rest of your life.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

Some Tips On How To Deal With High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a very common condition, one that can be manageable as long as you are educated and aware of what is involved here and what steps need to be taken in terms of treatment. First thing is first however, and that is to find out more about high blood pressure and what this condition is all about.

What it is

When blood pushes against the artery wall harder than normal, this is when high blood pressure develops. This condition can range from being mild where it would not be necessarily causing any problems to being so severe that it is life threatening. About one in three adults is suffering from high blood pressure right now, and more are getting diagnosed with it all the time.

How to Deal With it

Before you even get diagnosed with high blood pressure or get put on a high blood pressure diet, it is important that you keep an eye on your blood pressure numbers. You should start off treating your blood pressure problem by making some lifestyle changes, including to your diet and exercise regime.

You need to be eating all the right foods, including leafy green vegetables and ripe fruits. You also want to be eating enough whole grain breads and cereals, and drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Six to eight glasses a day is usually enough, but if you are exercising more than normal or you find that you are feeling extra thirsty, drink even more.

It will also be important that you are aware of the possible factors that could be contributing to your blood pressure problem. If you can find out the main cause of your problem, you may be able to deal with it with at the source and get rid of the problem.

There are various different factors that could be causing your blood pressure to be high, but most likely it will be age, diet, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, or sleep apnea, just to name a few. You will want to get your doctor to test you for any of these things and also do a general physical on you, just to make sure that you are in good health.

You can deal with high blood pressure and you do not have to let it control your life, as long as you take the necessary steps in terms of treatment and always keep yourself as healthy as possible.

For more information please visit my Dangerous High Blood Pressure Website.

1/26/09

Why Losing Weight is Good

There is a great benefit acquired from losing weight. Though losing weight is not easy, the long term effects brought by it would probably be of help to anyone considering to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds.

The following are a few of the remarkable advantages from losing those excess weight.

Weight loss prevents high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke

That is a three in one benefit from losing weight. It is a fact that heart disease and stroke are one of the primary reasons for disability and death in both men and women in the US. People who are overweight have a higher risk to have high levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).

Angina, one type of heart disease, could cause chest pains as well as a decrease in the oxygen pumped to the heart.

Sudden death also occurs from heart disease and stroke, and usually this strikes with very little warning, signs and symptoms.

It is a fact that by decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent, this could positively decrease the chances of you having or developing heart disease or a stroke. Plus, how your heart functions would also improve as well as your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count will decrease.

Weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes

Diabetes puts in jeopardy one’s life as well as how one leads his or her life because of the complications that result from having it. Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight. To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and losing weight could help in controlling your blood sugar levels as well as the medication you may be currently taking. Increase your physical activity. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as lose those unnecessary pounds.

Weight loss helps reduce your risk for cancer

Being overweight is linked with a number of kinds of cancer. Specially for women, the common types of cancer that is associated with being overweight include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, breast, and colon. This is not meant to scare you, this is only to keep you informed. Men are at risk too from developing cancer if they are overweight. These include cancer of the colon, prostate and rectum. Extra weight, a diet high in fat and cholesterol should as much as possible be avoided.

Weight loss reduces sleep apnea

Or it could eliminate it all together. Sleep apnea is a condition wherein one could temporarily stop breathing for a brief period and then would continue to snore heavily. Sleep apnea could cause drowsiness or sleepiness during the day and – because of being overweight – could result in heart failure. Shedding those excess pounds could help in eliminating this problem.

Weight loss reduces the pain of osteoarthritis

When one weighs heavily, the joints of his or her knees, hips and lower back would have to exert double – if not triple – effort to carry him or her through out his / her waking, walking and moving life. This could cause tension and stress on these joints. Weight loss decreases the load these joints carry thus decreasing – if not eliminating – the pain of one who has osteoarthritis.

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1/25/09

Rediscovering The Immense Benefits Of Meditation

As the pace of life gets faster and we find ourselves leading ever busier lives so we tend to overlook both our physical and mental health so that we are all now suffering from varying degrees of stress. It is not surprising therefore that we are turning increasingly to time honored practice of meditation.

Because of its proven record of effectiveness, meditation today is being carried out not merely to calm the mind and reduce stress levels but also to deal with a widening range of physical complaints.

Indeed there are numerous physical benefits to be derived from meditation which slows the heart rate and therefore the strain on the heart, lowers levels of the 'stress' hormone cortisol and other chemicals in the body that are linked to stress and reduces the number of free radicals in the body so further helping to lower blood pressure. Meditation also improves the oxygen flow through the lungs to assist breathing and can even increasing levels of DHEA to help slow aging.

As far as its psychological benefits, meditation reduces irritability and anxiety and increases your memory and therefore your ability to learn. Accordingly, it also produces a positive outlook on life giving you a feeling of youthfulness and rejuvenation.

Some of the other noteworthy benefits to be derived from meditation exercises include:

* Producing a total relaxation of not merely the mind and body but also of your psyche.

* Assisting with the healing of a number of illnesses for which there is an association between the physical condition and the emotional state of the patient.

* Creating an opening of the door into the 'inner self' Which allows for the release of our innate creativity.

* Producing an enhancement to our innate self-confidence leading to a stronger and more dominant sense of will power.

* Generating an increase in energy levels which make it easier to face the strains of daily life.

* Generating a greater ability to deal with a variety of addictions and vices ranging from alcohol and tobacco to tranquilizers and narcotics.

And so the list goes on.

However, like anything else meditation can be a powerful force for good if it is used properly but it is also problematic when it is not used properly. The key therefore is to understand precisely what guided meditation can do and to learn the art of meditation before adding daily meditation into your normal pattern of life.