Is Your Blood Under Pressure?

[Guest guest]

Is Your Blood Under Pressure?"What do you suggest taking or doing for low blood pressure (and also high blood pressure)? "Low blood pressure -- hypotension --is an unusual complaint. In general it is not a health risk; in fact people with low blood pressure are likely to live longer with much lower risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease than people with high blood pressure. In Germany, however, doctors recognize a condition called circulatory asthenia (weakness) that is unknown here, and a number of German pharmaceutical products are available to raise blood pressure in this ailment.People with low pressure may experience lightheadedness and dizziness if they stand up suddenly. The best way to prevent those symptoms is to change position slowly. Recently, doctors have linked chronic fatigue in some people to neurally mediated hypotension, in which blood pressure plummets after standing too long, exercising or spending time in a warm environment. In these people, the brain responds to a temporary dip in blood pressure by decreasing it even more, causing lightheadedness, confusion and dizziness. In one study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, 75 percent of 23 chronic fatigue patients who were given a high-salt diet and blood pressure medication reported some improvement. A similar condition also can affect elderly people, who may faint after meals when the blood rushes to their stomach. It's called post-meal low blood pressure, and, though this may seem contradictory, it affects people with hypertension. This is because high blood pressure prevents the heart from pumping faster and the blood vessels from tightening during a temporary drop in blood volume. If this is your problem, drink at least six glasses of fluids a day to increase blood volume, and try walking a bit after meals to get your heart pumping. Low blood pressure has been linked to increased mortality among the elderly, but researchers think it's not the pressure that's the problem. Instead, it's the heart disease that should be treated. High blood pressure and low blood pressure are linked by a malfunction in the body's ability to pump blood to the spots that most need it, while also keeping necessary pressure in other parts. High blood pressure may be the body's reaction to perceived danger; sympathetic nervous system activity constricts peripheral arteries in order to maintain circulation to the brain. As a short-term response to actual danger, this pattern is not harmful, but if the sympathetic nerves and the arteries they control never relax, damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys can result, and heart attacks and strokes are likely. Dietary modification is an effective way to manage high blood pressure, which is by far the more common direction of the imbalance. A recent study at six major medical centers found that a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables helped people lower their blood pressure most. People in the study ate 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which helped increase their intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which counteract the blood-pressure-elevating effect of sodium. It's also important to exercise regularly and to begin practicing relaxation techniques. Help your body let go of the fear and stress that activates the sympathetic nervous system. Get within five pounds of your ideal weight and decrease your intake of salt. It also helps to discontinue coffee and tobacco, and any other stimulant drugs. Finally, take supplements of both calcium and magnesium each day, as well as vitamin C. The biggest contributor to high blood pressure may be stress. Work on giving your body a chance to take it easy. The complete "Whole Body" Health line consists of the "AIM GARDEN TRIO" Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen "Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future" http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html