Since prevention and cure of high blood pressure are essentially the same, the measures listed above under “Prevention” are applicable to treatment as well.

That is, you should stop smoking, lose weight if necessary, decrease the amount of sodium/salt, cholesterol, and saturated fat in your diet, reduce stress; and exercise regularly.

In mild high blood pressure, this may be all the treatment that is needed. In other cases, however, medication to lower blood pressure may be necessary in addition to these measures. There are several major categories of medication to control high blood pressure.

The most commonly used are diuretics (water pills). Diuretics help the kidneys to get rid of salt as well as water which decrease the blood volume in the body and lower the blood pressure to a desirable level. However, some diuretic medications promote loss of potassium, and supplements may need to be taken as prescribed by a health care practitioner.

Examples of diuretics: Lasix, Hygroton, Esidrex, Dyrenium, Aldactone, Dyazide.

The second group of medications acts directly on the blood vessels by opening up the narrowed arterioles (small arteries). Example: apresoline (hydralazine).

The third group acts on the nervous system by relaxing the tightened and narrowed arteries and arterioles, thus allowing the blood to flow more easily. Examples: Aldomet, Minipress, Catapres (cloth dine).

The fourth group decreases the work of the heart by blocking the body’s response to adrenalin, thus lowering blood pressure. Examples: Inderal, Lopressor.

All the medications that are used to control high blood pressure should be taken regularly under the supervision of a health care practitioner. The thought of taking medication for an extended period of time, possibly for the rest of one’s life, may not be particularly appealing.

However, we are fortunate that high blood pressure can be controlled through treatment. The benefits of control (decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, increased life expectancy) are too great to ignore. Medications used to treat high blood pressure can cause side effects.

Some of these are minor and may decrease with time; others may be more unpleasant. It is important to be aware of the side effects of the particular medication you are taking so that you may report their occurrence to your health care practitioner.

If side effects occur, or if treatment is not successful, your practitioner may try several different medications or combinations of medications to find what works best for you. It is not wise to skip, stop, or increase your medication unless told to do so by your health professional.

If stopped abruptly, some medications may cause serious side effects such as a very rapid rise in

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Well, hear me out. One third of the average American’s sodium intake comes direct from the SALT he or she dutifully adds at the table or when cooking. And the average American’s sodium intake totals around 5,000 mg per day.

So, if this average American took the salt shaker off the table or better yet, stuck it way behind the baking powder in some hard to reach cupboard couldn’t we expect to drop to the 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day limits recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Academy of Sciences? The prosecution rests.

Why all this fuss over salt and sodium? In a word, HYPERTENSION . Right at this moment, one of every four Americans have it 60 million people. About 95 percent of them are stuck with it for the rest of their lives because the cause is unknown. That’s obviously the BAD news. The good news is there ARE several ways to help CONTROL HYPERTENSION.

Hypertension is a fancy name for high blood pressure disease. It’s a major risk factor for the number one American killer, Heart Disease. It also is an underlying cause of America’s number three cause of death, Stroke.

It often develops when we reach age 30 or 40 without any symptoms. And it’s difficult to predict who will be that one person in four to get it! More bad news. But I can tell you right now, if your parents have it or had it, there’s a good chance you will too! Here are a few more facts about hypertension.

•    The incidence of severely high blood pressure disease is three times higher for blacks than for whites.
•    The older you get the higher your risk. (By age 74, half the U.S. population has hypertension.)
•    If you’re considered “obese”, your risk is increased.
•    If you’re over 35, use oral contraceptives, and smoke, your risk is increased.
•    If you have diabetes or kidney disease, your risk is high.

But no matter what, getting your blood pressure checked is the key. More than one third of the 60 million people with hypertension don’t even know they have it. And it’s the high blood pressure that goes untreated that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

If your blood pressure was normal the last time it was checked, be sure to get it rechecked every couple of years. And bring your kids with you. The National Heart Lung Blood Institute says, “High blood pressure in children represents a significant clinical problem.”

High blood pressure treatment, other than medications, usually includes weight reduction if you’re obese, limiting salt and sodium in your diet, controlling heavy drinking, and exercising. All of these are things we all should be doing for other reasons!

Some minerals, new on the hypertension scene, may help in the treatment of hypertension disease :

•    Magnesium: Recent population studies suggest eating magnesium packed foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy items, to ensure an adequate intake of magnesium.

•    Potassium: The diet high in potassium may provide some protection in the arteries of people with high blood pressure. It may also lower blood pressure a little and protect the kidneys from related damage.Potassium is the mineral that made bananas the famous fruit it is. But potatoes, apricots, orange and grapefruit juice, and just about any kind of fruit and vegetable not cooked in water will add potassium to our diet. People with a history of kidney failure should check with their doctors before increasing their intake of these items.

•    Calcium: Just when you thought it was safe to avoid dairy products, evidence turns up linking decreases in systolic blood pressure and higher intakes of calcium or calcium supplements. It seems to work best for people with previous intake of calcium well below the RDA who have high systolic blood pressure readings. (Systolic is the top number in the blood pressure reading.)

A small number of people with hypertension may even have a rise in blood pressure with calcium supplements. And, of course, we’re not able to detect who these people are beforehand. At this point, though, experts only recommend we take in the RDA for calcium (800 mg. per day, 1200 mg. per day for ages 11-24 and pregnant women). Very little evidence supports a need for more than this amount.

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Alcohol

You may have heard that moderate alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is true that one or two drinks a day can increase the beneficial type of cholesterol in your blood. But the disadvantage of alcohol can easily outweigh any advantage. If you take more than a couple of drinks a day, the net effect will be harmful to your heart, as well as your liver and other organs. For some people, two or more drinks a day also increase blood pressure.

Here are some tips for those who may need to cut down:

1. Drink only with meals.
2. If you expect to be in situations where you might be tempted to drink too much, plan ahead. Have a nonalcoholic drink between alcoholic drinks. Take drinks in tall glasses and sip to make them last longer.
3. If it is hard to cut down to two drinks a day, consider quitting altogether. It will be easier in the long run.

Caffeine

Caffeine need not be harmful. Even through it may boots pressure temporarily, the pressure doesn’t stay high. However, some doctors will suggest that their patients drink less coffee particularly if it is interfering with sleep or making it hard to relax. As a rule of thumb, it is smart to cut down if you are drinking more than two strong cups a day.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. If you cut it out completely, you may have with drawl symptoms for a few days, including sleepiness and a dull headache. To help avoid such symptoms, try cutting down gradually.

1. Each week, switch one of your daily cups of cofee to a decaffeinated type. Finally, switch over completely to decaf.
2. Explore the many tastes of herbal teas.
3. Switch from decaffeinated colas to soft drinks without caffeine or better to water juice.

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In other cases, youmay need medication right way. But even if you do, the doctor will also suggest that you make lifestyle changes to reduce your pressure and help the medication do its job.

Even if your high blood pressure is caused by some underlying disease, such as kidney disease, in all probably you will still have to work on the pressure itself, just like everyone else with high pressure. There is unlikely to be a “magic bullet” that can “cure” your high blood pressure by removing the underlying cause.

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In the early stages of your campaign to bring your pressure down, get your pressure checked every two or three weeks. Later on, once a month is usually enough.

1. Arrange for pressure to be measured by a nurse at your doctor’s office or perhaps work.
2. Don’t use automatic or coin operated machines unless you know that they are being kept well adjusted.

Should you buy your own equipment?

In recent years, blood pressure monitoring have become easier to use, and many types are accurate enough to help you keep the track of changes. There are two main types of blood pressure monitoring devices to use at home:

Aneroid Manual Types

These have a cuff, a stethoscope, and a dial. They are accurate and less expensive than electronic tyoes, but many be hard to use if you don’t have a helper. The best ones have the stethoscope built into the cuff and a metal clasp that holds the cuff in a circle.

Electronic Types

These are more expensive that many manual types but are much easier to use. The best have a cuff that inflates itself, and all you need to do is read the numbers off the display. Some types measure pressure at the wrist or finger, but these are not considered as accurate as those with an arm cuff.

If you plan to use your own equipment:

1. Make sure the cuff fits. If necessary, order an extra large or extra small size.
2. Keep a log of your home blood pressure measurements, and take them to your doctor. If there is difference, your doctor may ask you bring in your equipment to check its accuracy.

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True hypoglycemia is an abnormally low concentration of glucose in the blood. It is generally caused by the failure of certain body systems of replenish supplies of blood glucose as they are depleted. This causes symptoms that include fatigue, confusion, nervousness, sweating, insomnia, moodiness, dizziness and in extreme cases convulsions or coma. In the case of diabetics, they do not have enough insulin to properly utilize blood sugar.

The good news is that true hypoglycemia affects less than 1 percent of healthy people, and an accurate diagnosis can be made by taking a simple blood sugar test. Why, then, do so many people think they suffer from it, and why was i so frequently diagnosed? Although most people do not have bona fide hypoglycemia, they may experience many of the same symptoms, often due to diet. The problem can be caused by eating foods that cause sugar levels to drop either too low or too quickly. These foods include refined carbohydrates, candy, caffeine, and sugary desserts.

This is how it works: Soon after eating, the level of sugar in the blood starts to go up. As blood sugar rises, the pancreas responds by releasing the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter our various tissues, where it fuels the body’s activities. Some sugar is also stored in liver for later use. Then, when the body uses up the sugar, insulin levels drop, which keeps sugar in the blood at a steady level.

However, if we feel we need a pick up we might be tempted to eat a candy bar, or indulge in a hot fudge sundae. What happens then is that the pancreas overreacts and starts pumping out the insulin, sugar levels plunge, and a vicious cycle of fluctuation in sugar levels begins.

The confusion is diagnosis may actually be due to a failure to recognize different types of hypoglycemia.

Reactive hypoglycemia is a low blood sugar condition caused by a reaction to food. This occurs when sugar levels fall low enough to cause the hormone adrenaline to work hard to release during emergencies, the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia can include rapid heartbeat, sweating, and trembling.

Fasting hypoglycemia, occurs in response to fasting, usually after about eight hours or more. Symptoms tend to be more severe and can include fainting, memory loss, seizure, and confusion.

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High blood pressure is a particularly insidious disease because there are few symptoms in its early stages, and many people who have high blood pressure, ignorance is not bliss. If left untreated, this initially benign disease can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and atherosclerosis.

Calcium - Calcium is the best known as the mineral that helps to keep teeth and bones strong, but it soon may also gain fame as the mineral that can cure high blood pressure. More that eighty studies have shown that calcium supplements help lower blood pressure in some people with high blood pressure.

Potassium- Potassium is a powerful protector against high blood pressure. This mineral is a member of a group of nutrients called electrolytes, which regulate the balance of fluid in the body, regulate the balance of th fluid in the body, regulate the heartbeat, and also control the electrical impulses created by nerve and muscle cells.

Magnesium – In a recent Dutch study, ninety one middle aged and elderly women with mild high blood pressure were treated with no other medication than magnesium. The result: Six months of magnesium supplements reduced the systolic pressure by an average of 2.7 percent and the diastolic pressure by an average of 3.4 percent.

Omega 3 fatty acids – New research suggest that omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish may have  positive effect on the walls of blood vessels, which may help to normalize blood pressure.

L carnitine- Is a nonprotein acid that is found in heart and skeletal muscle. L carnetine allows the heart to utilize a limited oxygen supply, thus improving angina and ischemic heart disease, which is caused by a reduction in blood flow to the heart.

Howthorn- The use of hawthorn for heart conditions dates back to the seventeenth century. Since the late nineteenth century, how thorn has been used successfully for various heart diseases, including chest pain and arrhythmia.

Natural diuretics- Other natural herbal diuretics include astragalus, buchu, burdock, horehound, juniper berries, uva ursi, wild oregon etc.

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Do you tire easily?

Do you have difficulty concentrating?

Are you always cold?

These are all symptoms of anemia, a problem that results when the cells of the body are not getting enough oxygen.

Anemia can be due to either a lack of hemoglobin, the substance that caries oxygen in the blood, or a shortage or red blood cells, the special cells in which the hemoglobin is packaged and carried throughout the bloodstream.

Vitamins

Vitamin B12 Several studies have shown that many people over fifty are deficient in this vitamin. A deficiency in B12 will cause of anemia, such as excessive fatigue, mental confusion, and difficulty concentrating.  Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal products, including meat and fairy foods, therefore vegetarians of any age who do not eat either meat and dairy products may be at risk of this form of anemia.

Vitamin C Although iron from vegetables, fruit, and grains is more difficult for the body to absorb, vitamin C can improve absorption of these foods by as much as 85 percent. Taking a vitamin C supplement can enhance the effect of the iron that you are already getting from everyday foods.

Folic Acid This B vitamin, which has been shown to prevent birth defects if taken during pregnancy, is also essential for the production of red blood cells, which will help prevent anemia. Folic acid is found in leafy green vegetables and whole grains, and is also available in tablets and capsules.

Minerals

Iron Now that so many of us are cutting back on foods like red meat and liver to reduce our fat intake, we are inadvertently also cutting our intake of iron. For many people, especially women with heavy menstrual periods, and iron supplement to prevent anemia is necessary

Herbs

Dong Quai rich in vitamins and minerals including B12, may help prevent anemia.

Chive vegetables are rich in vitamin C and iron a perfect combination, since vitamin C facilitates the absorption of iron. Chives should be eaten fresh.

Quinoa A grain native to Bolivia and Peru, it is now being grown in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It is rich in all eight essential amino acids that form a complete protein, normally found only in red meat, eggs, and dairy products. Quinoa is much lower in calories and fat.

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Most of the 50 million Americans with high blood pressure have what doctors call primary, or essential, hypertension. That means there is no underlying disease no kidney or hormone condition, for instance creating the problem.

Medical experts say the exact cause for this kind of high blood pressure is unknown. Many doctors who treat high blood pressure, however, argue that many of the contributing causes are well know: Obesity, a high fat or high salt diet, smoking, alcohol abuse, too much everyday stress and not enough physical activity all combine to send blood pressure creeping upward over the years.

In fact, instead of turning directly to medications, these days some doctors advice their patients with high blood pressure to take at least six months to attempt to lose weight, wuit smoking and drinking and begin exercising. If their blood pressure is still too high at the end of the time, they will begin using drugs to treat it.

Many of people who i talk with about the question on high blood pressure use a number of tactics to keep their condition on line. Most are under a doctor’s care, and some use drugs. But they also rely on dietary changes such as eating more garlic and onions, lowering salt intake and increasing their intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Some of them are primarily vegetarian. One patient even contends that simply drinking more water has dropped his blood pressure. Here are some home remedies for high blood pressure.

- Eat more garlic
- Eat more onion
- Low salt diets
- Exercise and walks
- Potassium and other minerals
- Eat more fish
- Drink more water
- Relax

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Blood will typically look like tar after it has been exposed to the body’s digestive juices. Stomach ulcers caused by ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin are common causes of upper GI bleeding .

Common causes of black stool are:

Bleeding stomach or duodenal ulcer
Gastritis
Mallory-Weiss tear (a tear in the esophagus from violent vomiting)
Trauma or foreign body
Bowel ischemia (a lack of proper blood flow to the intestines)
Vascular malformation
Other causes of black stool include:

Consuming black licorice
Consuming lead
Consuming iron pills
Medicines (Pepto-Bismol)
Eating too many blueberries
Melena is a term used to describe black, tarry, and foul-smelling stools.

What to do when you have Black Stool

Talk to your doctor. Your doctor will want to know the exact color to help find the site of bleeding. Your doctor will probably perform an endoscopy or special x-ray studies.

Information for your doctor

When you visit your doctor, they will take a medical history and perform a physical examination, focusing on your abdomen and rectum.

The following questions may be included in the history to better understand the possible causes of your bloody or dark stools:

Is there blood on the toilet paper only?
What color is the stool?
When did it develop?
Have you had more than one episode of blood in your stool? Is every stool this way?
Are you taking blood thinners or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin)?
Have you ingested black licorice, lead, Pepto-Bismol, or blueberries?
Have you had any abdominal trauma or swallowed a foreign object accidentally?
Have you lost any weight recently?
Treatment for Black Stool

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the bleeding. For serious bleeding, you may be admitted to a hospital for monitoring and workup.

Prevent Black Stool

You can help prevent black stool by:

Reduce your risk of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and colon cancer by eating vegetables and foods rich in natural fiber and low in saturated fat.
Avoid prolonged, excessive use of anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.
Limit alcohol intake. Large amounts of alcohol can irritate the lining of the esophagus and stomach.
Do not smoke. Smoking is linked to peptic ulcers and cancers of the GI tract.

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