Archive for the ‘sleep apnea symptoms’ Category

Why Regular Blood Pressure Testings Are Vital

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

When medical professionals refer to blood pressure they are describing the force applied by the stream of blood within the body on the walls of the blood vessels. A cuff and measuring gauge are generally used to determine an individual’s blood pressure. Measurements are taken in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Two separate measurements are always taken. Systolic blood pressure is the force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels while the heart is contracting. Diastolic blood pressure is the force exerted on the blood vessels while the heart is at rest.

Every individual’s blood pressure tends to vary greatly and can actually change from one heart beat to the next. In order to determine a person’s average blood pressure it is necessary to take more than one measurement at various times of day over a period of time.

If a person maintains normal blood pressure he or she is less likely to develop cardiovascular problems or other health complications. Blood pressure that is abnormally high or low can lead to potentially fatal problems. Therefore it is very important to make sure that your health care provider checks your blood pressure regularly.

Healthy Blood Pressure Levels

Healthy blood pressure has a systolic measurement of between 90 and 119. It has a diastolic measurement of 60-79. People with low average measurements are less prone to the health complications associated with hypertension and hypotension. Children have lower blood pressure than adults. Generally the older you are the higher your blood pressure is likely to be.

Blood Pressure Prehypertension

If more than one test indicates that you have a blood pressure reading of between 120/80 and 139/89 you have what is called prehypertension. This means that you are at risk of developing hypertension. If you have prehypertension you should make certain lifestyle amendments in the interest of maintaining your health. For instance you should get down to a healthy weight, exercise more and avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats and sodium wherever possible.

Blood Pressure Hypertension

There are two stages of hypertension or high blood pressure. Stage one hypertension is a measurement between 140/90 and 159/99. There are various prescription medications that can be taken to correct the problem of stage one hypertension and the same lifestyle amendments that are used to treat prehypertension are necessary. People with hypertension are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, kidney failure and eye problems.

Stage two hypertension is a measurement of 160/100 or more. People who have elevated hypertension are at particularly high risk of the aforementioned health problems. They require rapid and aggressive medical treatment if they are to avoid having a massive heart attack or stroke.

Blood Pressure Hypotension

Hypotension is the term used to describe low blood pressure. A low measurement varies from one individual to the next. In other words, a person with a diastolic pressure of 60 may experience no adverse symptoms while the next individual may start to react badly if theirs reaches as low as 70. A severe case of hypotension is dangerous because it means that the oxygen and vital nutrients in the bloodstream are not reaching vital organs. This can cause organ damage or failure. In the most extreme cases it can cause coma or death.

Hypotension has numerous potential causes including pregnancy, certain medications, blood loss, inadequate nutrition, dehydration and septicemia. You can reduce your risk of developing hypotension by eating a healthy diet with sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water.

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How You Can Benefit From Biofeedback

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

biofeedback therapists

Even though there have been many wonderful advancements in Western medicine, many people are alarmed at rising health care costs. In addition, increasing reports of serious complications with prescription medication has alarmed many who had previously thought that FDA approved drugs must be safe. As a result of these concerns, there is a strong and growing movement toward alternative forms of healthcare and biofeedback is one of the modalities that is getting a lot of attention.

Biofeedback, which is also sometimes referred to as neurofeedback, has proven to be an effective therapy for a number of different conditions, but it is most often used to treat headaches, migraines and chronic pain conditions. A biofeedback treatment provides the patient with information from the body about how it is operating and reacting to different conditions. With this type of feedback, the person can better understand their body’s reactions and take steps to change.

In over 40 years of biofeedback use, it has a sterling record for safety and lack of side effects. In many cases this holistic treatment is utilized in conjunction with relaxation techniques and the result of this combined approach is reported to be very successful at lowering levels of stress. As a person’s stress is reduced, so are many of the risk factors of numerous health concerns.

In addition to treating pain, biofeedback therapists are also able to address many other health conditions with varying degrees of success. Some of the other common conditions that have been effectively treated though neurofeedback treatments are epilepsy, attention deficit disorder (ADD), hyperactivity and incontinence. In addition, this non-invasive treatment is often very helpful in rehabilitation after stroke or injury and can even help people to break the bonds of addictive behaviors, such as drug addiction and alcoholism.

Biofeedback therapy is a technique that uses mechanical feedback to teach people how to relax, even in stressful situations. Over time, many people are able to train themselves to control blood pressure, breathing, muscle tension and other bodily functions, through the use of painless electrodes that give on-the-spot feedback through graphs, beeps and flashing lights.

During a neurotherapy session, a biofeedback machine is used that monitors the patient’s brain wave activity and displays the readings on a screen. With the help of a trained technician, the person can learn what relaxation techniques produce the desired responses and can observe these responses through the readout on the machine. With time and practice, a person can eventually learn how to achieve the desired changes, even without the use of the device to provide the feedback.

As a patient becomes more aware of their body and its responses to the biofeedback techniques, they become more sensitive to the internal signals their body is providing. This increased awareness and sensitivity, combined with practice, is what allows a person to gain the same benefits of neurofeedback therapy, even when the neurofeedback equipment is not available to confirm the changes within the body.

While it can appear to be so, the fact is that biofeedback therapy is not a “magic bullet.” Practitioners of biofeedback will be quick to point out that neurotherapy will not “cure” diseases, nor will it “make” a person healthy. What it can do, and does do with a high degree of success, is give people the tools to take more control over their bodily functions and, as a result, they are able to help their bodies to become stronger, healthier and better able to recover from or avoid disease and illness.

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Maintain Health- Finnish Traditional Saunas

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Finland is the birthplace of the steam bath/sauna.The Finnish traditional saunas is a significant part of the Finnish culture. Finns consider saunas not as a treat, but as an essential part of their lifestyle.

Finns have been using saunas for generations. You will find built-in-sauna in almost every residence in Finland.The sauna has now been adopted in every corner of the world.

Cultures from all over the world have caught on and enjoy the benefits of using saunas, although how they are perceived, their customs, and the etiquette involved in using saunas vary greatly. In recent times saunas have become very popular because of the advantages they offer. Apart from stress reduction and relaxation, people now know the other benefits that saunas provide.

An orthodox Finnish sauna gives exhaustive purification to the body. It is considered as the best natural treatment for the skin. it thoroughly cleanses the skin and leaves the skin feeling rejuvenated.
In addition, the Finnish sauna provides a great cardiovascular work out.It is also an immune system developer and provides refreshment for the mind.

Basically, the traditional Finnish dry sauna is a hot air bath in warm and very low humid condition.Due to the hot air bath sauna bathers sweat a lot. Many people find that they sweat excessively while bathing. You may find that you have to use a sauna regularly for 2 to 6 weeks to become adapted to it. This sweating will actually help you become accustomed to the hot and dry environment of the traditional Finnish dry sauna.

There is usually only dim lighting which lends to providing you with a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. The temperature is kept between 80?C and 110?C for the hot air bathing.

Some traditional sauna bathers make for themselves what is called a vihta, where they bind fresh birch branches together with their leaves and tie it around themselves and the other bathers in the sauna. It is considered that employment of vihta betters blood circulation and also it has enthralling birch odour whichaids in relaxation.

However, there are some precautions that you need to keep in mind. The hot temperature increases the cardiovascular activity. As a result, people who have heart disease or other heart-related health issues should not use saunas.

You should consult your doctor before using a sauna if you have high blood pressure.  A hot dry sauna should also not be used by the elderly, pregnant women, and children.

You should also avoid a sauna after a strenuous work out. Be sure you have given you body enough time to cool down before relaxing in the heat of a sauna bath. So just consider these precautions and you can always enjoy the relaxing sauna bath.

The benefits of the traditional Finnish home sauna are proven – both physically and emotionally. Taking a hot sauna bath with not only leave you feeling better, it will leave you looking better as well.You will find that your body works more efficiently and, maybe more importantly, a hot sauna will make you feel more relaxed and mentally at ease.

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Massage Therapy Schools California -Explore Foot Massage

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Consider this. Many people adore to work with their hands but feel they can’t find the right job that will allow them to do this and make a good living as too. Well…Did you you ever thought about attending a california massage therapy schools ? One of the things you can learn is the art of the time-honored back massage. Here’s a dive into the technique:

A number of rub techniques are as thorough as a foot rub. Definitely, a head massage will give the greatest results with as minimal massage time as probable. A back rub, however, will be rather intensive and will offer enduring results. A hand rub will be the most convenient, of course, a rub strategy you can employ whenever, even to and by yourself. But a foot massage? Alas! A foot massage is definite to stimulate – or bring back – your spouse’s sensual aspect.

 

The foot, after all, is a universal heterogenous portion, one which has at all times been synonymous with those moments of romantic coupling. Amaze your other half with a refreshing, relaxing and sensually motivating foot rub by obeying the simple tips written below.

 

1. Ask your souse to lie down on her back, if possible. If not, she may be able to simply sit down. Ask her to bend her knee. Take hold of her foot. Spin the foot gradually and gently to rouse the ankle. Perform this on the left foot as well. Each foot should be alloted about 2 minutes of such motion.

2. Hold her foot up with a single hand. Making use of the palm of your other hand, apply pressure on her heel going near her toes. Using your free fingers, put force on the sole of her foot. Go over this technique not less than 3 minutes.

 

3. With her foot held up with one hand, turn over your other hand into a fist. Roll the sole of her base on your hand, just like your fist was a single, huge massage ball.

 

4. Clutch her foot with both hands. Your thumbs should be sustaining the top part of her foot while the rest of your fingers should be sustaining the sole. Make circular movements using your thumbs to stimulate the upper part. Then perform circular movements with the use of your fingers to stimulate the sole. After that, perform circular actions on both portions at the same time. This need to go on for not less than 3 minutes.

 

5. Grasp her foot using both hands. This time, your thumbs should be sustaining her sole. Apply weight on the sole of her foot, starting from the core slowly heading towards to the outside. Perform this for about 2 minutes. If your spouse is tickling – a difficulty for each person performing a foot rub – bear in mind to put more weight with your strokes. This could eliminate the sensation of the tickle.  If this sounds exciting to you, get more info on massage therapy schools – california and uncover the things that could await you as a skilled practicer in the field.

 

 

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Think I could have sleep apnea?

Monday, January 12th, 2009

So here is my problem. Everyday for the past 10 days give or take a day I wake up around noon, feel tired most of the day, get a throbbing headache around 8-9 PM, take motrin which almost always cures it, go to sleep around 2-3 AM. I have bene researching sleep apnea and the symptoms. I do no wake up suddently in the middle of the night nore fall alseep during the day, just feel tired. I also have terrible later summer allergies, which I think may be the true culprit. I haev alwasy had them though and have never had headaches like these. any suggestions would be great. thanks

It’s just allergies. I started snoring again around Aug 17. My allergies are so bad they make me feel like I am getting the flu and I don’t have any energy to do anything. Headaches have been ok so far but I do get allergy headaches.

Apnea is when your breathing is interrupted and you stop breathing for a moment. You don’t wake up fully it just interrupts your sleep.

Anyway ragweed just started about 2 weeks ago and everyone is miserable lately. So that’s where I would put the blame if I were you.