Hypertension – Undetected and Deadly
Posted by in Uncategorized on November 29, 2011
Blood pressure is not a constant, there is always some variation depending on circumstances. Such things as exercise, driving through heavy traffic, caffeine and emotional strain can cause significant short term increases in blood pressure. Therefore blood pressure readings should be taken when in a relaxed state and if necessary a device can be worn which can measure blood pressure constantly during an extended period.
Once vascular changes have started to occur symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, palpitations, stroke, blindness from retinal damage, heart attacks edema and kidney failure can develop.
Diagnosis of Hypertension to ascertain the cause
Serial measurements of blood pressure over time, patient history, auscultation, opthalmoscopy, urinary analysis for protein levels blood tests for serum potassium, urea and creatinine together with ECG measurements Echocardiographs and X rays are all used to determine a cause.
Complications of high blood pressure
Heart failure, angina, heart attacks, stroke, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, kidney failure, hypertensive retinopathy, hypertensive encephalopathy and sudden death are all possible complications of severe untreated hypertension.
Treatment
The first step should always be to institute lifestyle changes; managing stress levels, losing weight, stopping smoking and drinking, dietary changes, reducing salt intake and increasing exercise are mandatory.
The ideal diet includes; poultry, fish, whole grains, nuts, low fat dairy foods, fruit and vegetables. Fast foods should be avoided as they commonly contain high levels of salt to enhance taste. Similarly sweets and sugared drinks should be avoided and red meats should be strictly limited.
If lifestyle modifications do not reduce the hypertension, drug treatment should be instituted according to the severity of the condition.
For stage 1 hypertension (140 – 159 systolic) or (90 to 99 diastolic) providing there is no evidence of major organ problems; diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin blockers can be used alone or in combination.
For stage 2 hypertension most patients receive combinations of drugs until the ideal medication levels are attained.
For hypertensive emergencies, injectabledrugs such as vasodilators or adrenergic inhibitors are administered or sometimes oral drugs are used to rapidly bring the pressure down by about 25% without causing renal, cardiac or cerebral problems.
Prognosis
If detected early the prognosis is very good providing treatment is commenced before complications develop.
Prevention
Ideally of course you should attempt to prevent hypertension in the first place.
Here are suggestions to ensure that you don’t become a statistic:
1. Maintain a normal weight
2. Reduce your salt intake to about 1.5g per day
3. Manage your stress levels
4. Stop smoking
5. Limit your alcohol intake
6. Increase your potassium levels – see your doctor first if you have heart or kidney disease
7. Exercise
8. Change to a healthy diet – limited red meat, low fat dairy food, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, limited sweets and fast foods.
Arginine, Is This Natural Viagra?
Posted by in Uncategorized on November 29, 2011
Recent studies have indicated that the dietary supplement L-Arginine works in your body to produce a compound, Nitric Oxide which is used by the male reproductive system to stimulate an erection. The compound, L-Arginine, is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in our muscle and cell tissue. Although our diets provide a fair amount of this amino acid, dietary supplementation has been shown to be effective in treating low levels of erectile dysfunction. Subsequently, Arginine seems to be the body’s natural Viagra.
The supplement itself seems to be effective, and vitamin companies are fighting to develop products to exploit its effectiveness. Many nutritional products that now boast treatment of erectile dysfunction contain high levels of Arginine with a myriad of other compounds.
So what does this mean? Is Arginine an effective alternative to Viagra? Well, the answer is yes and no. Unlike Viagra, Arginine supplementation will not bypass the normal stimulation mechanism and cause an immediate erection. You will still need the mental, visual, and physical stimuli to incite and erection. It will however aid in the ease of erection and has been shown to be effective in patients with mile erectile dysfunction. In addition, for those currently using Viagra, the addition of Arginine supplementation in the diet has shown to be beneficial in making the Viagra more effective. Subsequently, Arginine can be helpful even if you still need to rely on Viagra.
In summary, Arginine is a naturally occurring amino acid that we can take as a dietary supplement. The interaction of the compound in our body helps to create Nitric Oxide which is necessary in the development of a male erection. Although not a complete substitute for Viagra, the compound can help mild dysfunction and increase the performance of Viagra for those that must rely on the pharmaceutical.
Craze of Teenage Boys for Viagra
Posted by in Uncategorized on November 29, 2011
Viagra, the erectile dysfunction (ED) drug has become a craze for teenagers. Teenage boys regularly opt for ED drug for improvising their sexual performance and machismo. Most of the time, they get hold of the drug through online pharmacies without prescription. An increasing use of Viagra is noticed by teenagers at a party or local club.
It’s surprising that Viagra, the older man’s drug, has earned a place among hard-partying youth. It has gone recreational practically without anyone noticing. A huge number of younger men take it in the hopes of enhancing performance and endurance as far as sex is concerned. This growing trend in youth is becoming a cause of concern as it can cause severe damage to the health of its users.
The worst part about this current trend is that teenage boys and 20-something guys are taking Viagra with club drugs such as Ecstasy. Although Ecstasy can boost energy and provide the desired high, it lessens a male’s ability to have an erection alike alcohol which also does the same thing to a man’s sexual abilities. With the usage of Viagra for a drug cocktail restores virility because the prescription drug’s main biological action is to increase the nitric oxide production needed to encourage blood flow to the penis.
The result is that a lot of young guys-and more than a few in their 30s, 40s and beyond-are suddenly more able to have sex when it is least advisable. Viagra works for four to six hours, which only extends the time to make unwise late-night decision, such as not using a condom which can often lead to sexual infections such as HIV (AIDS) and genital herpes.
Another problem with Viagra use is that some men-usually older males-might unwittingly mix nitroglycerin heart medicine and the sexual function drug. This combination can create potential blood pressure irregularities. So it’s wiser to use the ED drug for treating ED only otherwise it can prove fatal for the health of its users.