Tag: Chronic Health Condition

How Does Exercise Help Your Blood Pressure?

Do you want to take control of your blood pressure? If so, exercise may be the key for you to do just that. Many people may not realize exercise can help you control your blood pressure. Fortunately, it is all rather simple.

As you probably know, you are more prone to high blood pressure as you age. Unfortunately, we all age and this cannot be helped. But controlling your blood pressure can be helped.

By exercising you can prevent risks of high blood pressure which can cause stroke and kidney disease. If you already have high blood pressure, exercising can help you get it under control.

As you exercise your heart gets stronger. When your heart is stronger it can pump more blood more easily causing less pressure on your arteries. While exercise may not work for everyone you can easily lower your blood pressure by around ten millimeters.

Even if you do not have high blood pressure, you can take these precautions to prevent from getting it. Along with controlling your blood pressure you can lose weight or maintain your desired weight which also affects your blood pressure.

Overweight people are prone to having high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke or kidney or heart diseases. If this is you, get moving and start exercising! This doesn’t mean you have to overdo yourself, take it slow at first and work your way up. You will start feeling better as you continue a regular routine.

It is suggested to do at least thirty minutes of exercise a day if possible. Thirty minutes can be hard to do for some people, mainly because they can’t find the time. If this is the case, you can do short bursts of exercise. You could exercise for ten minutes at a time throughout the day. At the end of the day you’ve done thirty minutes.

Like with starting any exercise routine, you will want to talk with your doctor first. There are certain things you will have to have your doctor’s okay for. If you are a man over forty or a woman over fifty it might be better to talk with your doctor first.

Smoking increases blood pressure as well as makes it hard for some people to exercise. Being overweight has an effect on everything and you definitely want to consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Having a chronic health condition or high cholesterol and even high blood pressure can put you at risk when exercising. Be sure to talk to your doctor first. If you do not visit the doctor regularly, do so now. It is better to know exactly what health you are in before doing any strenuous activity or even exercising.

Always warm up before starting an exercise routine. Begin slowly so you can slowly build the intensity. Be sure to continuously breathe throughout your routine. Holding your breath can cause your blood pressure to increase and the key of exercising to help control or lower your blood pressure.

If you experience any discomforts or pain while exercising notify your doctor immediately. It is better to take full precaution even if it ends up being something little. Once you start your exercise program, you want to track your progress.

A great way to do this is if you can’t see your doctor regularly; purchase a home blood pressure monitoring device. You want to check your pressure before you begin and when you are finished. You want to make sure it’s working and how much it’s working.

By exercising you are lowering your chances of getting high blood pressure and if you already have it, you are helping to control it. This means you are lessening your risks of strokes or heart diseases. It is never too late to start, no matter your age, gender, or ethnicity. Talk with your doctor today about an exercise program that is right for you. Your body will thank you in the end.

Pillows and Positional Therapy as Immediate Remedy for Acid Reflux

Pillows and Positional Therapy as Immediate Remedy for Acid Reflux

When we eat, the contents in the stomach normally proceed into the intestines with the aid of digestive muscle contractions. However, for those who have acid reflux disease, the digestive contents travel back into the esophagus. And since the digestive materials contain acids, a patient suffers from inflammation in the throat which may be associated with pains in the abdomen and breastbone. Other symptoms include dyspepsia, vomiting, regurgitation, and respiratory-related indicators.

Acid reflux is a chronic health condition. Once it has started to transmit in the body, it will continue to inhabit indefinitely. Although treatments are available, symptoms usually tend to be applied repeatedly. And this means that treatments also need to be employed recurrently.

The act of stomach liquids backing up into the esophagus is actually normal. It also happens to those without acid reflux disease. In the case of acid reflux patients, however, the stomach contents have more acid than the normal and that the acid tends to stay in the esophagus in a longer period of time.

The human body, of course, has its own mechanisms to lessen the harmful effects brought about by the refluxed acids. An example of such is the salivary glands found in the mouth. These glands produce saliva, a liquid which contains bicarbonate. When we swallow, the saliva containing bicarbonates passes through the esophagus.

Bicarbonates have the ability to neutralize acids, which may have remained after an earlier regurgitation. Also, studies have shown that most cases of reflux happen during daytime. At this time, individuals are usually on an upright position. With the aid of gravity, reflux is minimized because the stomach contents are held back down. Moreover, when awake, individuals recurrently swallow. And this practice maximizes the benefits that saliva does in reducing the level of acids in the throat.

The mentioned natural ways of the body to protect itself are important in the maintenance of the esophagus. But saliva, swallowing, and gravity can only work when a person is in an upright position. During night time, when individuals are asleep, gravity cannot help much. Also, the saliva secretion is trimmed down and swallowing does not take place. It is for these reasons why acid reflux which comes about at night becomes more severe sore in the esophagus because the acids stay longer and therefore do more damage to it.

Acid reflux can be more susceptible to the pregnant and obese. The increased levels of hormones during pregnancy and high levels of fats in the body can induce acid reflux because of the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that prevents the stomach contents from moving back to the esophagus, is reduced. As such, it will be easier for the partially digested contents to come back because less force is holding them back down. In addition, for the pregnant women, the pressure in the abdomen rises due to the developing fetus in the womb.

There are ways to help the body minimize the occurrences of reflux. One of the easiest to implement is positional therapy. This is done by elevating the head and the torso when in a sleeping position. Pillows, which are readily available, can be positioned to raise the torso at about six to eight inches. This position can provide maximum effectiveness in holding back reflux. Surveys have shown that the use of increased recommended elevation results to greater efficiency.

Asthma Remedies

Before you decide to use any asthma remedies at home, you need to know more about this serious health condition. Did you know that asthma can cause death? Yes, and thats very true; this is the reason why asthma requires immediate treatment to prevent the condition from getting worse. If you think youre at risk of developing the disease, read on.

Asthma attacks occur when there is inflammation of the air passage or bronchial tubes. Asthma is considered as a chronic health condition but even if you have it, you can effectively manage and control it with the help of your doctor. Since the airways are affected, you will experience difficult in breathing. The attacks can be mild or severe but one things for sure, the condition can be deadly when left untreated. In the US, over 20 million people are suffering from asthma.

Asthma is called by different names like reactive airway disease, asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and wheezy bronchitis but they all mean one thing. Most of the attacks are triggered by inhaled substances such as animal dander, dust, feather, and pollen. Irritants can also trigger the attacks such as cigarette smoke, odors, gases, and dirt. If you had respiratory infections like bronchitis, sore throats, flu, and colds, you are also at risk. Other factors like emotional stress (excitement and fear), carrying heavy objects, or running (strenuous physical activities), weather conditions (sudden change in temperature or weather) and certain medications (e.g. aspirin) can trigger the attacks as well. Proper management of the disease is required because asthma has no cure. These are the symptoms that you should look out for chest tightness, breath shortness, wheezing, and cough; if you have these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately. Once youre exposed to the asthma triggers, the bronchial tubes become swollen and inflamed.

You cant really tell when the attacks might happen so you need to identify the possible triggers. With the doctors help, you can stay away from the triggers. Individuals who are already diagnosed with asthma often exhibit the symptoms several times in a week especially they engaged in strenuous activities. Heres good news you can control the attacks by using medications prescribed by the doctor. These are the best remedies that you can use:

1. Make a mixture out of Tbsp cinnamon powder and 1 Tbsp honey. Take the mixture before sleeping.

2. If your asthma is still in its early stage, boil c of milk and 10 garlic cloves and drink before bedtime. This is great for asthma patients suffering from severe attacks.

3. Figs help in draining your phlegm. Wash 3-4 figs and drench them in 1 c of water. You can eat the figs when your stomach is empty or you can also drink the soaked water.

4. Soak 1 tsp of Fenugeek seeds in 1 c of water overnight; drink this solution at night, preferably before bedtime.

5. Mince garlic cloves in a hot ginger tea. Give this to the asthma patient 2x a day.

6. Boil ajwain and breathe-in the steam. Add honey and drink it 2x or 3x a day.

7. Make a mixture of 1 gm ginger powder, 1 gm black pepper, and 1 tsp of honey molasses.

Use the remedies mentioned above for treating asthma attacks. The ingredients needed are mostly found in your kitchen so you wont have any problem in preparing them.