Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. During the course of a day, a person’s blood pressure continually rises and falls. However, when blood pressure constantly stays at 140/90 mm hg or higher, a person is considered to have hypertension. Hypertension can be caused by risk factors that you can and cannot change.

Other factors that have been associated with essential hypertension include obesity, diabetes, stress, insufficient intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, lack of physical activity, and chronic alcohol consumption.

The cause of essential hypertension is unknown, although lifestyle factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol or salt intake contribute to the condition. The link between salt and high blood pressure is especially compelling. The majority of all people with high blood pressure are “salt sensitive,” meaning that anything more than the minimal bodily need for salt is too much for them and increases their blood pressure.

Hypertension is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. Consistently high blood pressure causes the heart to work harder than it should and can damage the coronary arteries, the brain, the kidneys, and the eyes As blood travels through your body, it presses against the walls of the blood vessels. If your vessels become narrowed, your heart has to pump harder to maintain circulation, thus exerting more pressure against the vessel walls. This increased workload makes your heart larger and more inefficient. Blood pressure is the pressure the blood exerts against the blood vessel walls as the heart pumps. The pressure increases when the heart contracts and pushes blood into the vessels and lowers when the heart relaxes, but there’s always a certain amount of pressure in the arteries. Blood pressure is driven by two physical forces, the one from the heart as it pumps blood into the arteries and through the circulatory system, and the other from the arteries as they resist this blood flow.

Eventually, this high pressure will increase your risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

Hypertension is a condition that describes when the pulmonary arteries (the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs) narrow, become blocked or damaged so they cannot carry as much blood. Unfortunately, hypertension often has no symptoms, and can only be diagnosed through regular blood pressure readings taken by a health care professional.

Once detected, hypertension is usually controllable.

Also read : The Symptoms of Diabetes

Hyperglycemia is a major cause of many of the complications that happen to people who have diabetes. The two main reasons for having hyperglycemia are poor blood glucose control and getting sick. When you were first diagnosed with diabetes, you probably had hyperglycemia-and in fact, your blood glucose level may have been much higher than 200 mg/dl. Normal blood sugar levels are between 60-110 mg/dl (normal values may vary from laboratory to laboratory). If you have a fasting blood sugar level of between 110 and 125 mg/dl, you are diagnosed as having impaired glucose tolerance. This is a strong risk factor for developing diabetes

hyperglycemic

If you have any two blood sugar readings over 200mg/dl, you also may be diagnosed with diabetes.

High blood glucose happens when the body has too little, or not enough, insulin or when the body can’t use insulin properly. Low insulin levels prevent the body from converting our primary energy source glucose into glycogen. The body’s ability to convert glucose into glycogen and back into glucose is common in order to maintain homeostasis. Our bodies utilize as much sugar as possible for energy following a meal. however, in states of rest, the body stores that glucose into glycogen so that it can be used in the future when the body is deprived or starved of glucose. Hyperglycemia prevents the glucose-glycogen conversion and allows sugar to circulate the blood more so than normal even with the body at rest. When there is not enough insulin, the body cannot use glucose for fuel. These fats produce ketones when they are broken down. The body tries to get rid of the extra ketones through the urine. But if there are too many, they build up in the bloodstream causing ketoacidosis. The symptoms of ketoacidosis usually develop slowly.

In some people, stress hyperglycemia may indicate a reduced insulin secretory capacity or a reduced sensitivity, and is sometimes the first clue to incipient diabetes. Also, Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for early death and morbidity in extremely low birth-weight infants. It is a serious problem in diabetes.

The best way to prevent hyperglycemia is by through healthy food choices, exercising, and taking your medications as prescribed by your health care provider. Hyperglycemia can cause serious health problems if left untreated. Too much sugar in the bloodstream for long periods of time can cause damage to the vessels that supply blood to vital organs, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems in people with diabetes.

Also read : the symptoms of diabetes

People with hypertension are three times more likely to have a heart attack, five times more likely to develop heart failure, and eight times more likely to suffer a stroke than people with normal blood pressure.

hypertension treatment

The problem with high blood pressure is that nearly one third of the folks who have it do not know it because they never experience any symptoms. However, overtime the force of that pressure damages the blood vessels.

However, hypertension is not predestined. Reducing salt intake, adopting a desirable dietary pattern losing weight and exercising can all help prevent hypertension.

Quitting bad habits and eating a low fat diet will help, but the most significant thing that you can do is to exercise.

For this reason and after a series of careful considerations, some researchers have observed that exercise can prevent and effectively control this deadly disease. One study further showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective than extremely vigorous exercise done twice as often.

Such information has led some people to think of exercise as a cure for heart disorders, a fail-safe protection against hypertension or death. That is not so. Even marathon runners that have suffered hypertension, and exercise cannot overcome combination of other risk factor.

What Causes Hypertension?

Sometimes abnormalities of the kidney are responsible. There is also a study wherein the researchers identified more common contributing factors such as heredity, obesity, and lack of physical activity. Therefore, what can be done to lower blood pressure and avoid the risk of developing hypertension? Again, exercise seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

If you think that is what he will do, then, try to contemplate on this list and find some ways how you can incorporate these things into your lifestyle and start to live a life free from the possibilities of developing hypertension. However, before you start following the systematic instructions, it would be better to review them first before getting into action.

1. Check with your doctor before beginning any workout program, or if you make any significant changes in your level of physical activity.
2. Start at a low, comfortable level of exertion and progress gradually.
3. Determine your safety limit for exertion. Use some clues such as sleep problems or fatigue the day after a workout to check on whether you are overdoing it. Once identified, stay within it. Over-exercising is both dangerous and unnecessary.
4. engage in regular aerobic exercise for 30 or 40 minutes three or four times a week. Such exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks.
5. The safest and best exercise is walking; swimming is a close second. People with higher levels of fitness may choose activities that are more strenuous.

There are certain herbs you can take to help with the lowering of your blood pressure also. Herbs like garlic, hawthorn, reishi, coleus, and dandelion are very useful in controlling your hypertension.

By Jason Hunter 

 Also read : diabetes symptoms

By Brad Chase 

hypoglycemia symptoms

Hypoglycemia is a medical issue that derives from the fact that your body uses glucose as fuel. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into sugars, like glucose, which are then used to fuel the muscles and organs in your body, especially the brain. Hypoglycemia is a condition where your body secretes too much insulin and as a result sends your blood sugar too low for your body to perform normal functions. When this happens and your body becomes starved for energy, you will see the physical and mental side effects of hypoglycemia. This condition is very treatable and can even be treated naturally if you understand how it works.

When hypoglycemia is not treated properly there are many possible symptoms that you may see. A person with hypoglycemia may experience any of the following symptoms; fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, mental confusion, faintness, mood swings, depression, headaches, heart palpitations, cold hands and feet, forgetfulness, dizziness, blurred vision, along with a long list of other potential symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Many people who feel they have hypoglycemia don’t know why they have it or who is likely to get it. Hypoglycemia is common in teens that are taking blood sugar lowering medicine for diabetes. It is also possible for overdoses of alcohol, insulin, or other diabetes drugs to cause hypoglycemia in people that are otherwise healthy.

Hypoglycemia is otherwise fairly rare in teens and adults and yet many people are under the mistaken impression that they may have hypoglycemia. Since hypoglycemia has so many different symptoms that overlap with so many other health issues it is very possible for someone to recognize symptoms they have and relate them to hypoglycemia, when in fact it may be something else. If you are worried that you might have hypoglycemia or something with the same symptoms, it is recommended that you go see a doctor to get a definitive opinion on what might be wrong.

If you do have hypoglycemia, don’t panic. There are lots of manageable ways to treat it, including naturally via your diet. When trying to treat hypoglycemia naturally, you need to be careful not to introduce too much sugar into your system as this could send your blood sugar too high and cause another set of issues. If you feel you are suffering from hypoglycemia, the general treatment is to consume 15g of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugar that your body can then use for energy. There are glucose pills available that are 15 g of glucose, or you can try 15ml (3tsp) of sugar mixed into water, 175ml of juice or soft drink, or 15ml of honey. If your symptoms persist you should be sure to see your doctor as these methods of naturally treating hypoglycemia are not fool proof.

 Related article : type 1 diabetes

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a rare condition that occurs when the kidneys are unable to conserve water as they perform their function of filtering blood. It is often confused with diabetes mellitus type 1 because a symptom that both diseases have in common is frequent and excessive urination.

diabetes insipidus mellitus

The word diabetes comes from the Greek word for siphon. A physician in ancient Greece coined the disease diabetes because sufferers passed water like a siphon.

The addition of insipidus and mellitus is to differentiate the concentration of the water passed by the person. Insipidus comes from the latin for no flavor. Urine passed by someone suffering from DI is highly diluted. Mellitus is also derived from the latin for honey and consequently diabetes mellitus (DM) is noted for passing urine that is sweet and concentrated.

There are four types of DI. These are :

Neurogenic diabetes insipidus - also called central diabetes insipidus.

This is caused when the anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland is not produced in sufficient quantity. Vasopressin causes the kidneys to preserve water but excrete the same amount of waste products.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) also known as vasopressin resistance because the kidneys are unaffected by the secretion of vasopressin.

NDI is believed to by genetically passed on or caused by kidney diseases or as a side-effect of using drugs like lithium for other illnesses.

The third type is called gestagenic and occurs during pregnancy.

The fourth type is known as dipsogenic DI and is characterized by excessive fluid consumption.

The excess fluids cause vasopressin to be supressed.

The primary symptoms of diabetes insipidus are excessive urination (polyuria) and excessive thirst (polydipsia). Symptoms for diabetes insipidus will be markedly abrupt. The sufferer will want to drink vast quantities of water. They will have difficulty sleeping as they will want to go to the toilet all the time. In the case of children there will be frequent bed wetting.

Diabetes insipidus testing involves a fluid deprivation test. As the name suggests the patient avoids drinking any fluids for a prescribed time period. The urine is then analyzed to determine it’s concentration and composition

Diabetes insipidus treatment involves having a good and plentiful source of fluid. In the case of neurogenic DI the drug desmopressin is taken to control the frequent thirst and urination.

There is no natural cure for diabetes insipidus but it doesn’t pose any serious complications to the health if the person can take on fluids whenever they feel thirsty. It is confused with diabetes mellitus because the symptoms are similar but testing will determine which disease the person may be afflicted with.

 By Adrian Whittle

By Beverley Brooke 

insulin resistance

There are three basic units the body uses for energy:

1. Fats

2. Proteins

3. Carbohydrates

All three can be converted to blood glucose. However, while fats and proteins are converted slowly, carbohydrates are converted quickly causing quick spikes in the body’s blood sugar levels. These spikes in blood sugar levels cause the pancreas to create and release insulin until the blood sugar level returns to normal.

Meanwhile, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that lowers our blood’s glucose levels is released into the blood as soon as the body detects that blood sugar levels have risen above its optimal level.

Insulin is a very efficient hormone that runs the body’s fuel storage systems. If there is excess sugar or fat in the blood insulin will signal the body to store it in the body’s fat cells. Insulin also tells these cells not to release their stored fat, making that fat unavailable for use by the body as energy.

Since this stored fat cannot be released for use as energy, insulin very effectively prevents weight loss. The higher the body’s insulin levels, the more effectively it prevents fat cells from releasing their stores, and the harder it becomes to lose weight. According to many authorities, over the long term, high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance and cause serious health problems like the ones listed below:

1. Raised insulin levels and insulin resistance

2. Lower metabolism leading to weight gain

3. An increase in fatty tissue and reduction in muscle tissue

4. Accelerated aging

5. Increased food allergies and intolerances

6. Overworked immune system

7. Increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer

Carbohydrates, especially simple carbs like sugar and starch, are quickly turned into sucrose by the body entering the blood stream quicker thereby causing the release of large amounts of insulin. The fewer carbs are eaten, the less insulin is produced by the body, and the fewer calories are stored as fat. Less fat storage equals less weight gain and fewer carbs eaten equals less insulin in the blood and the body using its fat stores for fuel.

The premise behind every low-carb diet plan is that a body that produces less insulin burns more fat than a body that produces lots of insulin. Some plans encourage a period of extremely low carbohydrate intake so that the body will enter a state of ketosis and more quickly burn fat stores - These are usually called induction periods.

 See related article : type 1 diabetes

By Thomas P Fouts

Have you ever wondered why you just can’t seem to lose weight? Even by cutting down on your fat intake by eating fat-free, low-fat or light foods, you still keep getting fatter and fatter. Do you wonder if you are doing something wrong? I sure did.

insulin resistance syndrome

You are not alone. I tried all kinds of diets. I even went so far as to try several different kinds of diet pills and drinks. I would maybe lose a couple pounds, and by then, I would be so sick of whatever it was I was taking, eating, or drinking to lose weight, I’d give up. Then, as if by magic, those pounds I lost were found, and they brought along a couple of friends!

In my research to find a way to not have diabetes, I discovered that there is an important relationship between food, blood sugar, insulin, and fat. Insulin helps the body change food into energy. It also helps to store fat.

When you finish a meal and digestion has begun, your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels rise normally. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin. The insulin delivers glucose into your body cells where it can be used as energy.

If you have too much glucose, more than your cells need, insulin then transports the extra blood glucose to fat storage. Your blood sugar will then return to normal. This is important because if you have continual high levels of blood glucose, it can be very damaging to your body, as well as make you fat.

Now, some people, (me) and maybe you, have normally higher levels of insulin than others. When you have this condition, the reaction to carbohydrates results in higher than normal insulin spikes, thus resulting in fat storage occurring at a faster rate. This is called insulin resistance.

The more overweight you are, the more insulin resistant you will probably become. This causes a rise in the body hormone cortisol. When this happens, the cells “close the door” to glucose. The glucose has no place to go, so it goes on to become fat.

Are you insulin resistant? A couple of signs that could indicate insulin resistance; Liver spots (age spots) may be present. Or skin tags. They are those dark or skin-colored skin flaps that you may find in the neck area, underarms, chest, or groin. This may be your warning sign of insulin resistance or diabetes.

Next time, I would like to tell you about some real common things that make insulin resistance worse. And maybe we’ll even get into just how to combine, or balance your proteins and carbohydrates to help you with insulin resistance and even lose weight.

By Gregory Frazier

juvenile diabetes foundation

Juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder of the body’s immune system. Juvenile diabetes is diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults.

The exact cause of juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diabetes) is still unclear. The common belief is that juvenile diabetes is caused due to an insult to the immune system. This can be either infectious or toxic, which in turn causes the autoimmune response to alter pancreatic protein, resulting in inadequate insulin production. Let’s make one thing perfectly clear, this type of diabetes is not caused by obesity or by eating excessive sugar. Children diagnosed with diabetes will require insulin injections for survival.

The challenges of being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes can sometimes seem enormous. It can be tough to find a private place to monitor your glucose levels and inject yourself with insulin while at school, or just out and about with friends. Diet plays a very significant role in the management of juvenile diabetes, so forget the junk food at the mall or pigging out at a party. Eat smart and eat healthy, and insulin injections have to be timed with your meals. Sticking to a time schedule is very important, so forget sleeping in late, because your blood sugar levels can drop dangerously low during an extended snooze.

The use of an insulin pump to control juvenile diabetes, may be a more convenient way of administering insulin providing more freedom throughout the day. Once diagnosed, several injections of insulin will be needed a day, the diabetic pump uses a small needle inserted under the skin on the left side of the abdomen, the bloodstream absorbs a small, continuous dose of insulin throughout the day. One stick, more freedom.

It is possible, to stay on top of juvenile diabetes and still do most things a typical teenager does. Having juvenile diabetes makes you part of a team. Your doctor, dietitian, and family are all part of this team. As with any team the decisions you make affect all members of the team. Peer pressure will always play a significant role in the decisions that you make. Having diabetes requires you to be more disciplined and have more fore thought about your decisions. Always remember that you control juvenile diabetes, it does not control you.

Juvenile Diabetes Symptoms - What Are They and How to Live With Them

By Anita Ashland

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every 400-500 children has juvenile diabetes. Or, to put it another way, approximately 210,000 people under the age of 20 have juvenile diabetes. 15,000 kids are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes each year. Siblings of juvenile diabetics are, of course, at slightly higher risk of getting diabetes. If you already have a child with diabetes you are undoubtedly aware of the anxiety you have for your non-diabetic children.

I have four daughters. My 12-year-old daughter has had juvenile diabetes for seven years and I’ve worried about my four and five-year-old daughters. Of course I don’t want them to get diabetes. So I delayed their immunizations until they were six months old and they have been on a delayed schedule. I breastfed them for three years. If they were to lose weight and have constant thirst I’d be all over it and test their blood sugar.

I never worried about my 14-year-old daughter getting diabetes because she has always been healthy. In February 2007 she started having symptoms that did not seem like classic juvenile diabetes symptoms:

• Muscle pain and weakness.
• Negative reactions to foods that seemed to abate after she went on a gluten-free diet.
• Joint swelling.
• Fatigue.

She saw the doctor a few times and had blood work. Even though she has a diabetic sister no one thought to test her blood sugar and A1C. Neither did I.

The classic juvenile diabetes symptoms are:

• Excessive thirst.
• Frequent urination.
• Blurry vision.
• Weight loss.
• Extreme hunger.

 Unfortunately the symptoms don’t go away after diagnosis and treatment. Since insulin was introduced in 1921 diabetes is no longer terminal. But daily vigilance is required to keep the blood sugars in control and prevent long term complications.

My 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed only a few weeks ago. It was a very difficult adjustment for her in those initial days but yet, since then, there has been more laughter in our house than ever before. My two diabetic daughters now take walks together every day. I’ve watched them sit together and look at the Pink Panther diabetes book and nearly roll on the floor with laughter. They compare blood sugar numbers. My younger daughter will whisper her blood sugar number to me if it’s high so that my older daughter won’t hear and lecture her. They sit at the computer together and look at diabetes websites. They ordered matching glucometers.

This underscores the importance of support. If your child has a chance to spend time with other diabetic children and laugh with them, take full advantage. There are forums on the internet for parents and children. Read as much as you can. And occasionally allow yourself to indulge in a little hope that someday there will be a cure.

By Tehmina Mazher  

low blood sugar symptoms

Are you diabetic? You want to control your sugar levels with the help of some food items? If yes! Then precede further to get a short list of 10 foods that will assist you in lowering the blood sugar levels. Since the key to spend a healthier diabetic life is to control the glucose level by hook or crook.

Nuts:

It is said that nuts are rich in their fat content, but that particular fat contents contained in the nuts are very good as they actually increases the insulin resistance. The insulin resistance, I’m sure we all know, means that if it is better then the cell will give more positive response to the insulin produced by the body and then it will be in a better position for lowering down the blood sugar level.

Another advantage of the nuts is that they prevent to become the person hungry between the meal times. This in turn puts you on an escape from eating sugary foods. Thus the blood sugar levels remains in the controlled range.

Some of the examples of healthy nuts are walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pecans, almonds and Brazil nuts.

Keep in mind that if you are allergic to some of the above food content do not take them. Otherwise you should make it an essential part of your daily diet plan.

Sweet potatoes:

Sweet potatoes have a considerably lower glycemic index and relatively higher fiber content when compared with the regular potatoes. They contain a chlorogenic acid which increases the insulin sensitivity. It also contains an influential antioxidant that encourages insulin for the effective functions.

Avocado:

Avocado is a fruit again which is rich in its fat content. Its healthy fat contents increase the sensitivity to insulin and are next type of food that lowers down the blood sugar level. It actually contains a fiber which helps to slow down the increase in the sugar level in blood. It should be added into the meal or can be separately used in the dips, spreads and sauces for the garnishing.

Onion:

50 grams of onions if consumed daily by a diabetic person has proved to significantly reduce the blood sugar levels. Onions are another antioxidant agent which helps to prevent the cancer and increases the HDL or good cholesterol.

Garlic:

Garlic’s properties resemble that of onion. It raises the production of insulin. It also contains antioxidant agent which not only gives a protection against cancer but also encourages a healthy cholesterol profile.

Cinnamon:

It is a spice that is said to play wonders in diabetics. It is a common spice that imitates the insulin effectiveness and reduces the LDL cholesterol in diabetics. Its high fiber content helps to control the sugar level and serves as a valuable source of magnesium.

Flaxseed:

Flaxseed have a greater content of magnesium and lignans. This also helps to lower down the sugar level. It inhibits the harmful effects of estrogen and provides the supply of omega three fatty acids.

Barley:

Barley is a blessing for those who want to reduce the blood sugar levels. It can be used as a substitute of rice. It is rich in fiber. It even reduces the glycemic index of that particular food into which it is added. It also helps you in eating fewer calories while keeping you fuller.

Cherries:

It is a fruit that contains a red pigmented antioxidant, which helps the body to produce more insulin. It is low in calories and high in fiber contents and its antioxidant properties proves many benefits.

Lemons: Lemons are rich in their vitamin C content. Its acidic content lower down the glycemic index of the food in which it is added.

The above foods not only help to reduce the blood sugar level but also help to stay away from the heart disease. The alkalizing characteristics also provide an environment in the body thus keeps the cancer to stay away.

 Check out this article : type of diabetes

By Shelley Hitz

Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960’s.

obesity statistics

But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that’s not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there’s a difference in percentage.

It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It’s important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals.

With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse.  

A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!

 Find related article : type of diabetes