Health by dratiffarid

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease but what about low blood pressure? Do they pose any threat too?

A blood pressure below 90/60 mm Hg is considered as low blood pressure.

Your blood pressure varies throughout the day. The lowest blood pressure occurs when you are asleep and it increases while exercising or standing up. The variation may be as much as 30-40 mm Hg.

If you think you have a low blood pressure, the first thing you must do is check your blood pressure in standing position. If when you stand there is a large fall in blood pressure and you feel dizzy, you should seek medical advice. But if the upper limit of your blood pressure is above 80 mm Hg with no drop when you stand up, there is nothing to worry. In fact, it’s good. Research has shown that people with low blood pressures (excluding any disease) live longer than those with a higher blood pressure.

Common symptoms of low blood pressure are tiredness, weakness, blurred vision, fainting, dizziness, confusion and thirst.

Tips:

1) Always keep yourself hydrated. More fluid increases your blood volume and it helps prevent dehydration.

2) Some drugs like anti-depressants are known to cause a decreased blood pressure as a side-effect. So, if you are on any medication, it’s best that you consult your doctor.

3) Research has shown that using more salt helps increase your blood pressure. But this should be taken only after consulting your doctor as exess salt can lead to heart failure.

4) A healthy diet is always good. Adding soy sauce to your diet increases the sodium intake which will increase your blood pressure. Drink a lot of soup.

5) Using elastic stockings may help reduce the pooling of blood in your legs.

6) Take it easy! When you stand up from sitting position, breathe deeply for a few minutes.

7) When you stand and feel dizzy, cross your thighs in a scissors fashion and lean forward as much as possible. This increases the blood flow to your heart.

Good to know:

During pregnancy, blood pressure normally decreases due to changes in the blood. This is more common in first 6 months. Lying on your left side (with face turning towards the left side) will help increase circulation.

Cholesterol is a type of fat. It is attained from food that you eat. Besides, your liver is responsible for making cholesterol.

If cholesterol level exceeds the normal limit in your body, it gets deposited in your arteries. This is called hardening of arteries (or atherosclerosis).

Just imagine a pipe in the kitchen sink. With an increase in grease in the pipe, it eventually gets blocked. It’s the same case with cholesterol. It narrows your arteries and decreases blood flow through them. There is decreased blood supply to vital organs like brain, kidney and ofcourse, your heart.

There is an on-going controversy regarding the effect of cholesterol on the heart. Some people are in favor of it and some people are against it. It is important to know that cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, but not the only one!

A blood test will reveal your cholesterol levels.

Normal value is <200 mg/dL.

200-239 mg/dL is considered borderline-high.

Any value equal to or more than 240 mg/dL is considered high.

Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This compound is called a lipoprotein.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the “bad” cholesterol. Why is it bad? Because it has more fat, less protein.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the “good” cholesterol. Why is it good? Because it has more protein, less fat.

Higher levels of HDL protect you from a heart disease.

Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood which increases your risk of a heart attack.

So, the next time you get a blood test done, make sure you look at these values and see if they are in the normal range or higher (All lab reports mention the reference range for that particular area).

Here’s a video which shows the food items that lower “bad” cholesterol.
If you can’t view it, please follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5J4LOfNKKo

Do you lie too often? Do you feel bad after lying? Or do you just forget about it and move on? Whatever it may be, the saying “Honesty is the best policy” stands good.

Being dishonest affects your health in the present and for the long-term.

Do you find it hard to tell others “NO”? For many of us, the biggest stress factor in life is attempting to please everyone. With tight schedules, we run short of time. We try to please everyone around us and end up having less time for ourselves.

Stress is directly linked to the development of cancer. Besides, it is a known risk factor for diabetes and other heart conditions like hypertension, stroke, heart attack etc.

Remember to save time for yourself. Say NO politely when you are burdened.

You can decrease stress by practicising breathing exercises, talking to others about how you feel or even writing.

Always be honest when you convey your feelings. Never hold your feeling inside. Just bring it out (in a polite way). If you don’t, it will add-up to the stress and one day, it will all just come out.

May you live long and always be happy!

Fever is the body’s way of letting us know that something is wrong. Our normal body temperature ranges between 98 - 99 °F (around 37°C).

Fever can occur due to bacterial or viral infections. Bacteria usually release toxins in the blood which results in an increase in temperature.

Our body responds by activating the immune system. It’s a known fact that when we sweat, we are expelling toxins from our body. 

Medical attention is necessary if fever is very high i.e. 3-4 degrees higher than normal temperature. Besides infections, other diseases like lymphomas, leukemias and brain disorders cause fever too.

Children and elderly people are more susceptible to fever as their immunity is low.

Antibiotics work only against bacterial infections. If antibiotics are prescribed for viral infections, it is mainly to avoid any secondary bacterial infection (as your immunity is low).

How will you know if it’s a viral or bacterial infection? Obviously a blood test will confirm it. But clinically, if fever is associated with a sore throat, it is usually a viral infection. There are exceptions but it works most of the time.

Supportive treatment:

#1 Wear loose clothes. It will help in circulation.

#2 The room should be kept cool.

#3 Analgesics like ibuprofen or paracetamol.

#4 Tepid sponging i.e. placing a cloth soaked in cold water on the forehead also helps.

#5 Drink a lot of water.

#6 Eat good nutritious food. Never skip a meal.

Vitamin B and C tablets strenthen our immunity.

Further Reading:

YOU can prevent antibiotic resistance

Sleep hygiene is the way you prepare yourself for bed. Good hygiene gives your body the best ability to sleep well at night which avoids potential sleep disorders.

This article highlights important home remedies for improving your sleep hygiene.

#1 Always use your bedroom for sleeping. Avoid sleeping on the couch in the hall.

#2 Your bed should be soft and comfortable.

#3 Your bedroom should be quiet. If you stay near the airport or near the highway (with heavy traffic), use ear plugs.

#4 Your bedroom should be dark. Computers and televisions should be switched off before you go to sleep.

#5 Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking for at least 3-4 hours before you sleep. These are brain stimulants.

#6 Drink milk or eat cereal if you aren’t sleepy. They contain tryptophan which make you sleepy.

#7 Some people benefit from reading a story book or newspaper.

#8 Establish a sleep ritual. Sleep and wake up at a particular time everyday. You will be fresh and energetic in the morning.

#9 Avoid oversleeping.

#10 Taking several naps in the day is not good. If you feel like taking a nap, try going to bed earlier at night.

#11 Whenever you feel tired, go to bed. Don’t push yourself too much.

#12 Avoid an “all-nighter” to study or work.

#13 Never have a heated argument just before you go to sleep.

#14 If you are stressed out, work on ways to reduce it.

#15 Exercise to improve your general health.

#16 Acid reflux can develop if you sleep frequently on a full stomach. Avoid a heavy meal.

Do you have any other tips that you follow? Please share them in the ‘Comments’ section below.

Further Reading

Lifestyle Modification for acid reflux