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Written by James Ellison
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The heart is a tough operating mechanism which moves blood around the body through a very advanced system called arteries and capillaries; the blood is then carried back to the heart by means of veins. Blood pressure is the thrust of this blood in the body pushing up against the inside walls of the arteries as the heart is pumping.
As the heart compresses it will drive this blood into the arteries which makes an increase in pressure. This increase in pressure is noted as systolic pressure.
When the heart decompresses and fills with blood, the pressure in the arteries then declines which is noted as the diastolic pressure. When the blood pressure is evaluated in the arm, it is both of these pressures which are evaluated.
Blood pressure is always applied as a systolic and diastolic pressure number, and is an important measurement. The measurements are always written one preceding or before the other number, such as 120/80 and always stated in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
The systolic pressure is the 1st or top side number, and the diastolic pressure is the 2nd or lowermost number (for example, 120/80), so if your blood pressure is 120/80, it is translating to 120 over 80.
Blood pressure will have a wide range with a variety of people. For example, the top reading which is when the heart contracts (systolic) can change from 90 to 240 mmHg and the bottom pressure which is when the heart relaxes (diastolic) can often change from 40 to 160 mmHg.
Blood pressure can also vary significantly depending on what you are doing during the day. The lowest blood pressures usually happen when you are sleeping or if resting all the muscles. Standing for periods of time, or if you're performing any form of exercise, any anxiety and problems, or nerviness can also create increases in blood pressure.
That means in one day the blood pressure could change by up to a 30 to 40 mmHg systolic reading with like changes in the diastolic pressure. This is why it's so crucial to have the blood pressure taken under the same conditions each time.
For the bulk of the waking hours, the blood pressure remains about the same whether you are sitting or standing still, so ideally, the blood pressure should be 120/80 or lower when the body is rested.
If the blood pressure is steady and remains high at 140/90 or higher, this may indicate a disease called Hypertension which essentially means high blood pressure. When the blood pressure is high, the heart has to work more to get the blood through your arteries. These then take a beating from having the blood pressured into them, and the danger of a stroke, heart attack, or even kidney troubles then become that much of a greater risk.
High blood pressure is a serious disease because it has the heart working much harder. If the heart has to work harder for extended periods, it will become large. If the heart is slightly enlarged, it can and should still work alright, but if it becomes greatly enlarged it won't work alright. High blood pressure can also cause damage to the arteries which can lead to arterial disease.
The higher the blood pressure is the more risk you have of acquiring heart disease and stroke. This means somebody with a blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg is at greater risk than someone with a blood pressure of 120/70 mmHg. And is the reason it is so important for all to lead a wholesome lifestyle to make sure their blood pressure is as low and as healthy as it can be.
If you put up with Hypertension, it can be treated. Modest cases of Hypertension can usually be treated through lifestyle changes such as the diet, or increasing the workout levels. Some find dropping weight is all that is needed to lower their high blood pressure.
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Written by Dr Anne
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Breast cancer has earned the disrepute of becoming the second-most killing type of all cancers that are found in humans, having lost the race only to lung cancer. About one in every ten women has chances of developing breast cancer if precautions are not taken early on. Despite this alarming number of its victims, it is pathetic to know that there is an absolute lack of information on the disease. It is not that there is no written material available about the disease, but most women are too complacent regarding the problem. It is always the 'disease that affects the other woman so it doesn';t bother me'; until it is too late to remedy the situation.
Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of cells within the breast. These cells would aggregate like a lump, which would be called as the breast tumor. The tumor can be felt from the outside of the breast even when it is still harmless. At this harmless stage, it is called as a benign tumor. Benign tumors can be surgically operable. If that is done, the risk of the advancement of the breast cancer is very negligible. But if the tumor is allowed to go on, then it would continue to the malignant stage. During this stage the cancer would proliferate to such an extent within the surrounding tissues that it would be impossible to remove it completely. When the cancerous cells enter the bloodstream, there is no way out. The result is certain death.
Hence it is important to snuff out the breast cancer while it is still benign, and perhaps that is the only way to keep the cancer at bay once it occurs. But most women do not know that there are various ways to reduce the risk of contracting breast cancers. Since breast cancer can strike just about any woman, it is extremely necessary to pay attention to these methods that can help to prevent the disease. The following are the precautions that women must take to prevent the onset of breast cancer:-
(1) If you are overweight, then seriously work at reducing your weight. Science has proved a direct relation between obesity and breast cancer. At the same time, lean women have a significantly lesser chance of contracting the disease.
(2) Do not introduce any supplements in your body that could change the internal hormonal balance of the body. In women, the two main feminine character deciding hormones are progesterone and estrogen. These hormones maintain the proper balance of the female characteristics, including the shape and the function of the breasts. An alteration in this balance could bring on several female health related diseases, among which breast cancer is just one of them.
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Written by C R Ellsworth
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How long has it been since you could go out into the sun for a tan, or went out in short sleeves and tennis shorts?
The challenge and search for an ecxema remedy started on a long driving trip in the 90's. I was moving from Southern Florida to New Mexico for business purposes. It worked out that the vehicle transport went this way. I first drove the 2200+ miles in a company vehicle, then within a few weeks flew back to drive my personal vehicle to the new home. So almost 5000 miles driving in a fairly short period. I know Truckers do this all the time, but in the vehicles I had driven this wasn't done often. The challenge I speak of started as an innocuous dime sized spot on my butt. It didn't seem like much. Was that a wrong statement. While not a life threatening malady I was to find over time that it can be much more than an inconvenience.
The education was very slow because the spread of this 'skin problem' was extremely slow. It was probably 3 to 4 years before I noticed that I was adapting parts of my life and everyday actions to this 'challenge'. It had slowly shown it's effects on more and more of my body, sometimes in forms I didn't connect to those original 'dime size' spots. I often had to wear leather work gloves and long sleeves to keep the sun off of affected areas. This was necessary if steroids were used topically where the sun would hit. The gloves clashed with my suit. Long sleeves with a suit are OK. Summer in the High Desert will usually make you wish for short sleeves.
At some point outbreaks would find me in bandages on my arms and/or legs. Thankfully I had very little facial effects, I can imagine how this would have been an extremely different situation. Even in my position it was having consequences in my work. My customers were understanding, but what was the impression on a new person to bandages and such? I can only guess.
This went on for years, actually 10 or more.
Various Doctors treated these 'symptoms'. Some even treated this with antibiotics because the inflammation could get so red that in looked like a bacterial infection, at times even with drainage. The skin on healing could be so thin and fragile it was like a babies skin. More than once the new skin split open on my hands from just making a fist. Even when a Doctor would treat this as more than a collection of symptoms the results were nowhere near a return to the symptom free past.
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