Total Health for You

Sunday, 8 June 2008

High Blood Pressure and Stress - Are They Related?

One main question that is asked regarding high blood pressure is if stress plays a big factor. Researchers have a hard time answering this question, but through research of my own, I hope to get you some facts about high blood pressure and stress.

First of all, stress is not a good thing to have when dealing with high blood pressure. It is known to release mass amounts of hormones that increase your heart rate making your blood pressure go higher.

That fact alone tells you that stress is not a good thing to have if you suffer from high bp. You need to look at your daily schedule and take all of the things out that are causing you to get stressed out.

But, does stress make someone develop high bp? That is what puzzles a lot of medical researchers. They are pretty unclear of a set answer. Personally, I don't think that it alone will make you have constant high blood pressure. I think that you need a combination of other problems to have constant high bp.

So, let's talk a little more. Let's say that you have high bp already and you have been stressing all day over a public speech that you have to give at the end of the day. You can find that your blood pressure is going to be even higher all day that day.

The same is true if you do not suffer. If you are stressing all day long, you will have a higher blood pressure throughout that day, and some researchers believe that if this happens often enough, stress could set on high blood pressure all of the time requiring either medication or other form of treatment.

It can be a real tricky topic to discuss when we are talking about it's relationship to blood pressure. If you have had it for a while now you need to start now and get rid of the anxiety that is in your life day to day. Anxiety is a bad thing since it makes you produce more hormones that are responsible for increasing your heart rate. It is your enemy if you suffer from high blood pressure.

As far as treatment, you will most likely be prescribed medications to keep your bp normalized. This can be alpha blocker, beta blockers, etc.

The bad thing, however, is that these medications have nasty side effects that take a toll on your body and could cause you to get even more stressed out. The good thing is that there are other treatments available that are proven to get rid of high blood pressure and stress!

Did you know that most people who suffer from high blood pressure and stress do not even know they have treatment options available, and don't know what they are doing that could be triggering their high blood pressure?

Don't be left in the dark. Find out how you can get rid of high blood pressure and stress for good!

High Blood Pressure and Stress - More Information Here!

Hypertension Warning Signs

Hypertension is a condition that's pretty hard to detect. But there are some hypertension warning signs that you should be aware of in able for you to take appropriate action, while it is still early.

Hypertension warning signs are very important, since they usually show up when your condition is already close to being very serious. So once you see the signs, you shouldn't ignore them. Take them seriously, and consult your physician as soon as possible.

If you come from a family that has prevalent history of hypertension, then you must take it as a sign that you are at much higher risks in developing the condition yourself. Persistent headaches are another too. Most people ignore headaches and usually mistake it for simple stress or fatigue, but this should not be the case. Because, a headache wouldn't occur if nothing is wrong with your body.

Another one of the hypertension warning signs includes heart palpitations. The higher your blood pressure is, the more your heart beats faster. Your heart rate is actually doubled than your normal rate. If this happens, you can experience palpitations, which just worsen your condition, since it could lead to even more blood flow.

Change in your sight can also be one of the signs. Since there is more blood flow in your head region, the small vessels in your eyes have a hard time accommodating the extra blood. This then causes your eyes to have white spots and other problems.

If you want more and detailed data on hypertension warning signs, there are a lot of ebooks that you can download that can help you out on pinpointing the signs. Remember, it's better to act now rather than wait for other consequences

Charlene J. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting and other health related stuffs. Click on the link to learn more about Hypertension Warning Signs...

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease - What Can We Do About It?

High cholesterol level is not a major cause of coronary heart disease

Contrary to the major opinion that high cholesterol is the major cause coronary heart disease, there are many research result that will lead us to have another opinion. Coronary heart disease is caused mainly by atherosclerosis. Some of us think that high cholesterol level will lead to building blockage in the blood vessel. Many people had a low cholesterol level (may be because of the cholesterol lowering drugs) but still got the coronary heart disease. On the other side, there are many people had a high cholesterol level, but they do not get the disease.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting arterial blood vessels. It is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or "furring" of the arteries. It is caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries, known as coronary heart disease.

Atherosclerosis is a condition where the walls of the arteries are damaged and narrowed by deposits of plaque (cholesterol and other fatty substances, calcium, fibrin, and cellular wastes), eventually blocking off the flow of blood. Plaque deposits can result in bleeding (hemorrhage) or formation of a blood clot (thrombus). When hemorrhage or thrombus blocks the flow of blood through the entire artery, a heart attack or a stroke occurs. High cholesterol levels - particularly the cholesterol carried by low-density lipoprotein ("LDL", a protein found in blood) - are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. But LDL by itself is not dangerous, read the fact about oxidized LDL in this article.

Lipoprotein (a) is still a mystery

Studies have identified Lipoprotein (a) as a putative risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases as coronary heart disease and stroke. Lipoprotein (a) concentrations vary over one thousand fold between individuals, from <> 200 mg/dL. This range of concentrations is observed in all populations studied so far. The mean and median concentrations between different world populations show distinct particularities, the main being the two- to threefold higher Lipoprotein (a) plasma concentration of populations of African descent compared to Asian, Oceanic, or European populations.

High Lipoprotein (a) in blood is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and stroke. Lipoprotein (a) concentrations may be affected by disease states, but are only slightly affected by diet, exercise, and other environmental factors. Commonly prescribed high cholesterol-reducing drugs have little or no effect on Lipoprotein (a) concentration. Niacin (nicotinic acid) and aspirin are two relatively safe, easily available, and inexpensive drugs known to significantly reduce the levels of Lipoprotein (a) in some individuals with high Lipoprotein (a); they should be used under the supervision of a qualified physician.

High Lipoprotein (a) predicts risk of early atherosclerosis similar to high LDL, but in advanced atherosclerosis, Lipoprotein (a) is an independent risk factor not dependent on LDL. High Cholesterol level do not have correlation with Lipoprotein (a) level.

Oxidized LDL

Normal LDL in plasma is not oxidized. Oxidation of LDL is believed to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Macrophage cells preferentially take up oxidized LDL, become loaded with lipids, and convert into foam cells. Foam cells accumulate in fatty streaks, early signs of atherosclerosis and leading to heart disease. Humans produce autoantibody against oxidized LDL, and the levels of such autoantibody are higher in patients with atherosclerosis. The identification of LDL oxidation as a key event in atherosclerosis suggests that it may be possible to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis by antioxidant supplementation. Vitamin E is the major naturally occurring antioxidant in human lipoproteins

Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves. As a result, antioxidants are often reducing agents such as thiols or polyphenols.

Although oxidation reactions are crucial for life, they can also be damaging; hence, plants and animals maintain complex systems of multiple types of antioxidants, such as glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E as well as enzymes. Low levels of antioxidants, or inhibition of the antioxidant enzymes, causes oxidative stress and may damage or kill cells.

Summary

Atherosclerosis can lead to coronary heart disease. Lipoprotein (a) is an independent risk factor of coronary heart disease. Oxidation of LDL is believed to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. We can prevent the oxidation of LDL by taking antioxidant.

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