Hypertension and Hypotension
Posted by in Hypertension on July 8, 2011
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where in the blood pressure or BP in the arteries are high. Continual high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and aneurism. An increase in BP may shorten the life expectancy of a person. There are two kinds of hypertension, the essential hypertension and the secondary hypertension.
The causes of Essential Hypertension include the lack of regular exercise, lifestyle, old age and genetics. Lack of exercise or what is medically termed as sedentary lifestyle or most commonly called as being a couch potato contributes a lot in the cause of hypertension. This is characterized by being inactive for most of the day with very little or no exercise at all. This will include watching TV, using the computer and reading.
This can also lead to obesity in which the complications include blockage of the arteries that also leads to high blood. Lifestyle may also be a cause of hypertension if they drink too much alcohol and smoke a lot. Most persons aged 50 years old and above usually have an elevated BP than younger people, this make them more vulnerable to hypertension. Hypertension can also be inherited.
Secondary Hypertension is somewhat different because its root cause is not identified or difficult to identify as many conditions result to this. This is the result of the imbalance of the glands that produce certain hormones that regulate plasma and the heart. Other causes include kidney disorder, pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, congenital defects and use of some prescription and illegal drugs. Symptoms of Hypertension and Secondary Hypertension include dizziness, throwing up, nausea, disorder of the sight and drowsiness.
Hypotension is the opposite of Hypertension. This is a condition wherein the pressure of the blood is lower than normal. There are several causes of low hypotension, and the most common is hypovolemia or reduced blood volume. Hypovolemia can result from blood loss, lack of fluid intake that result from starvation or too much fluid loss from vomiting or diarrhea. Reduced blood output of the heart can also cause hypotension because the body will not be able to have sufficient supply of blood. Symptoms of low BP include dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, headache and fever higher than 38.5 degrees Celsius.
Hypertension and hypotension are called silent killers because they can strike any time that is why it is very important to constantly monitor blood pressure. One can go to some local drugstore as some of them have blood pressure monitors. Read the rest of this entry »
The Many Benefits of Aqua Therapy
Posted by in Physical Therapy on June 23, 2011
Performing any type of exercise that exerts added pressure on your spine is the last thing you want to be doing while recovering from a disc injury. This is why aquatic therapy is so important. There are a number of reasons why it is so beneficial.
First, the buoyancy of the water minimizes the weight load placed on your spine. Three fourths of your body weight is supported through buoyancy when you are submerged up to your chest. The buoyancy also supports weak muscles, reduces the risk of injury due to a loss of balance or unintended movements, and creates less impact on your joints. Imagine standing on concrete, jumping up as high as you can, and landing (on your feet of course). A lot of impact and pressure is put on your lower spine as you land. Now imagine doing the same jump in waist high water. As you come down, you almost float down through the water, landing controlled and softly, causing much less impact and compression on the spine. It’s also much harder to jump up in water, which brings up another benefit – drag, or resistance. Water creates natural resistance, allowing the development of muscle strength. The pool is the perfect transition from inactivity to returning to resistance training in the gym. Your abs, lower back, and legs can all greatly benefit from water resistance training. Floats and light weights can also be added to your water regime to further increase resistance.
Another benefit of training in water is that it helps to develop low back stabilization and core muscles, and in turn your balance and stability. Additionally, it helps with increasing your range of motion (especially effective for your hip flexors and abductors as the elimination of gravity allows you to lift your legs higher and easier than you normally could). As you can see, the benefits to training in the pool are many.
And there are more. The hydrostatic pressure of water helps to improve heart and lung function and aids in blood flow to muscles. The warmth of the water helps loosen up tight muscles and reduces pain. The sound of water tends to have a calming effect and may also help diminish the perception of pain.
To do pool therapy requires no swimming experience, so don’t let that stop you. The work is done in a very safe and secure environment, with most of the work being done in the shallow end or against the walls of the pool.
Always make sure you are being supervised by a physiotherapist or kinesiologist who understands your injury.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Fischer