Hypertension or increased blood pressure is one of the modern lifestyle diseases. The changing lifestyles including altered dietary habits and lack of physical activity are the main reasons for the high incidence of hypertension. With this, it brings a host of complications including other chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney failure, risks of stroke and heart attacks.

Alternative medicine proposes quite a number of remedies in addition to just increased physical activity. Read on to know more about how you can eat healthier and control your blood pressure.

Eat walnuts: As most books and media depict, heart disease is directly related to physical reaction towards stress. Regular eating of walnuts helps control this response, thereby controlling blood pressure. It is also a great source of antioxidants and fibre, which adds to its heart-healthy features.

Load up on minerals: Eating a diet rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium is extremely beneficial for the heart. Sweet potatoes, bananas, dry fruits, dairy products, etc., have shown to reduce blood pressure extremely well in various experiments.

Avoid salt: While the natural sea salt is almost out of use, most of us have switched to the processed variety, which is devoid of all minerals. This is one of the major contributors for increased blood pressure. Studies have shown that reducing salt intake helps in a big way in controlling blood pressure. Most of us are also used to adding extra salt so the food tastes better. This should be avoided. With increased consumption of processed food items, everything from bread to cookies to cheese has salt, which also should be reduced, and if possible, avoided.

Have a colourful meal: Load up your plate with peppers, berries, dry fruits, and organic fruits and vegetables. Pomegranate juice is believed to control angiotensin, converting enzyme, which is responsible for controlling hypertension. They are also rich in antioxidants and help control blood pressure by reducing inflammation.

Know your cholesterol: While cholesterol is generally used with a negative connotation, it is not always true. There is good and bad cholesterol and the bad one should be avoided. Watch out for labels, and ensure you are eating less of the bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is required for the production of hormones and proper functioning of the body.

Watch your medicines: While it is easy to just pop an ibuprofen when there is a headache or a back ache, it is advisable to watch out. These are best avoided in the long run, as they can induce hypertension and induce heart disease.

In addition, meditation, relaxation, green tea, dark chocolate, red wine, music, and quitting smoking are also shown to be helpful in controlling blood pressure.

Successful Tips To Control Blood Pressure

Egg yolk and cholesterol - is there a link?

Although egg is considered one of the most nutritious foods, people with high cholesterol avoid its consumption as they believe that eggs may increase cholesterol and risk heart diseases.

Is there a link between egg yolk and cholesterol?

Egg yolk is rich in dietary cholesterol. One large egg contains 185 milligrams of cholesterol. People with normal cholesterol levels require about 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol and people with high cholesterol need 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol from food.

Dietary cholesterol has the minimum impact on blood cholesterol as compared to saturated and trans fats which contain bad cholesterol. Hence dietary cholesterol present in egg yolk has minimal or no effects on increasing your cholesterol levels.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on'consult.

Egg Yolk and Cholesterol - Is There Really a Link?

The heart muscle is the central pumping machine that ensures that blood flow throughout the body is maintained and all other organs have a regular supply. One of the conditions that can cause this organ to malfunction is cardiomyopathy, wherein the heart is unable to pump the blood to all parts of the body. This condition can even lead to heart failure and is something that needs to be addressed and diagnosed quickly.

Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy
Early stages of cardiomyopathy may be difficult to detect externally, although it may be slowly reducing your heart s capacity. Symptoms that start showing in later stages may include:

Constant fatigue, even without physical activity
Fluid may build up and thus cause bloating within the body
Persistent coughing while lying down
You may have irregular heartbeats that may sometimes be quite rapid
Due to the lack of blood supply, you may feel lightheaded, dizzy and might even cause you to faint
Even the slightest of exertions will cause breathlessness and exhaustion and you may even feel this symptom while at rest
Intermittent chest pain
Causes of Cardiomyopathy
Causes of this condition may vary from patient to patient, although certain common factors include:

Genetic reasons where one or both parents are susceptible to this condition
Metabolic problems such as obesity, diabetes or thyroid problems
Substance abuse such as anabolic steroids, amphetamines cocaine or even the consumption of excessive alcohol
High blood pressure for prolonged periods
Nutritional deficiencies
Side effects of drug treatments such as the use of certain chemicals in chemotherapy
Types of Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy has multiple types; depending on what causes them and also certain specific symptoms. These are:

Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Unclassified cardiomyopathies
Treatment for cardiomyopathy
The treatment of these various forms of cardiomyopathy will vary depending on the type and also the stage and condition of the heart. Some of these treatments include:

Medications
Lifestyle changes
Surgeries such as Septal myectomy, Septal ablation and Radiofrequency ablation
Implantable devices such as Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or ICD
Ventricular assist devices
Heart transplant in the worst case scenarios

Cardiomyopathy -  Decoding the Types + Treatment

Cardiac or Heart Arrhythmia is a condition which results in disruption of heart s normal rhythm. Due to this, the heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or have an irregular rhythm. Though most of the arrhythmias are not harmful but at times they can have serious consequences, which might turn to be fatal. Differences in heart beats can lead to the restriction of blood, that gets pumped around the body, hence causing damage to the brain, heart and other organs of an individual.

Now we would take into account the causes behind the occurrence of this heart condition.

Causes

Interruption to the electrical impulses in any form that lets the heart to contract can result in arrhythmia. A person with a healthy heart should have a heart rate of anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute while the body is at rest.

There are a number of factors which can cause the heart to work inefficiently, which include:

Alcohol Consumption: If you are used to drinking alcohol varying from light to moderate, the chance of irregular heartbeat increases. A recent study has shown that with every drink consumed per day, the risk of atrial fibrillation increased by 8 percent. Men and women both are at equal risk for irregular heartbeat. Irregular heartbeat is caused because drinking leads to damage of the cells, which in turn leads to causing damage in small areas of fibrous tissue within the heart.

Anxiety: Arrhythmia from anxiety is when the heart feels like something happened due to which it tries to overcompensate and beat quickly. This leads to heart skipping a beat, getting squeezed or undergoing heartbeats at a rapid pace.

Excessive Cosumption of Coffee: Caffeine is a stimulant and tends to speed up heart rate, so consuming too much coffee can lead to the problem of arrhythmia.

Deficiency of Magnesium and Potassium: Magnesium and Potassium deficiencies in one s body can cause Arrhythmia. The deficiencies can be caused due to less intake of citrus fruits and vegetables like potatoes, kiwi, papaya etc.

Symptoms

Arrhythmia can produce a broad range of symptoms which affect the proper functioning of heart. Some of the most serious symptoms are:

Fatigue: If you feel that you are getting fatigued quite easily, then it s a clear symptom of arrhythmia.

Dizziness: A sense of dizziness creeps in when you are having the problem of irregular heartbeat.

Lightheadedness: Feeling light on the head is another symptom of Cardiac Arrhythmia, as there is fluctuation in the amount of blood that reaches the brain through the heart.

Treatment Options

Problem of irregular heartbeats, especially if it s on the slower side, can be solved through the placement of certain devices like pacemaker, which can speed up one s heart rate.
Faster heartbeats can be treated through blood-thinning medications, which would help keep threatening blood clots from getting formed.
Doctors can even go for Catheter ablation, wherein they would thread one or more catheters through the blood vessels of one s heart. Electrodes at the catheter tips can make use of extreme heat, cold or radiofrequency energy to damage a small sport of heart tissue and create an electrical block along the path, that s causing one s arrhythmia.

Cardiac Arrhythmia - Factors That Can Lead To It!

An estimated of 10 percent or more children snore for more than 1 night. Snoring results from the obstruction of breath when the air makes its way through the mouth. The air passage of the throat through which the air goes in and out causes the tissue to vibrate causing snore. The sound of the snore totally depends on the amount of air passing through the mouth and the frequency at which the throat is vibrating. Children above the age of three years tend to snore when they are deep in sleep.

Primary and secondary snoring:
Children who are otherwise healthy should not have a snoring problem unless there is some health disorder. However, if loud snoring is observed in otherwise a perfectly healthy kid, seeking medical help is a wise thing to do. In general, primary snoring is defined as a condition which is not associated with other sleep-related disorders such as lung disorder, OASS, inability to sleep for a longer duration etc.

Other possibilities:
It is estimated that close to three percent of the children suffers from breathing problem while sleeping. OSAS is a condition which is characterised by pauses in breathing and gasps along with loud snores. There could be instances where a kids  muscle relaxes way too much obstructing the air to pass through. The body and the brain are both alerted at this stage. As soon as the brain sends a signal, the body wakes up. Thus, most kids suffering from this disorder are not able to sleep well and tend to feel tired throughout the day.

Common causes of sleep apnea:
Sleep apena is a major cause of snoring. It can be caused because of allergies, obesity, GERD etc. In children sleep, apnea can also be caused by tonsil. Since the tonsil size of children less than 7 years of age tends to be bigger than adult individuals, it causes snoring related problem. Swollen tonsils not only obstruct air but creates other health related problems as well.

Symptoms of sleep apnea during the day and night:

Loud snore
Snorts, gasps, pauses during sleep
Heavy sweat during sleep
Social and behavioural problems
Failure to get up in the morning
A nasal voice
Easily irritated, cranky and aggressive
Relief measure:
The first thing a that a doctor does is a physical exam followed by observing the symptoms of a kid. Primary snorting can be addressed by physical exercise, counselling and breathing exercise. Problems related to apnea are addressed through medicine, counselling, and exercise. Certain dietary restrictions also needed to be followed during this time. However, apena is completely treatable within a certain time frame.

Mouth Breathing - What Can Cause It?

The heart is a muscular organ that functions like a pump by moving blood through a fine, interconnected network of blood vessels. One set of blood vessels collect oxygen-rich blood from various parts of the body and gets it to the heart. It is then sent to all parts of the body through another separate channel of vessels.

The blood also transports various nutrients to the different body parts. Fat molecules or cholesterol is one of them. In fact, with changing diet patterns, there are more of fat molecules. They are heavier than the other particles, and so tend to settle down along the walls. This is known as plaque formation. This attracts more fat molecules to settle down and gradually forms a larger mass of fat cells. It also reduces the diameter of the vessel, thereby lowering the amount of blood that reaches the target organs.

Another effect it has is that it encourages the heart to exert extra pressure to push the blood through the vessels. There are simple ways to reduce blood pressure (BP), and some of these are listed below.

Eat healthy: Avoid processed and/or packaged foods. Increase the intake of fresh foods with lots of grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Include antioxidants like flaxseed, olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids to improve heart health. Avoid foods rich in calcium, sodium and magnesium. Increase consumption of potassium, which is good for heart.
Exercise regularly: Exercising has multiple benefits, and one of them is to improve heart health. It improves circulation, keeps the heart muscles active and strong and helps them pump blood better throughout the body.
Quit smoking: Smoking has severe effects on the overall health of an individual and heart health in particular. So quitting smoking can be hugely beneficial for the heart. It reduces the rate of plaque build-up and also helps in reversal.
Practise weight management: An increasing waistline is definitely not good for your heart, so watch your weight and keep your body mass index (BMI) in check. Watch what you eat, work out, and get your weight under control.
Follow stress management: The effect that stress has on our health cannot be underrated. Be it yoga, music, meditation, exercise or spending time with family/friends, choose what works best for you and learn to relax and manage stress.
Reduce alcohol consumption: More than two drinks per day can increase blood pressure significantly. So if you can t control, just quit.
Increased blood pressure is more rampant than what it was a few decades back. The age of onset is also reduced, with people in 30s now having hypertension. Making the above lifestyle changes can help lower your BP. Lifestyle diseases are now starting early in child hood. It is important to allow them to eat healthy food and physical activity. Smoking etc starts in school and need to be prohibited.

6 Simple Things That Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

Don't wait any longer, manage your Cardiac Surgeon online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Cardiac Surgeon - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES