During the first two trimesters of pregnancy, many women experience low blood pressure, or hypotension, as their circulatory system rapidly expands. In fact, it is common for a woman's blood pressure to drop as much 10 points for both systolic and...
Physicians utilize blood pressure measurements to help assess how effectively the heart is pumping blood to the body. Blood pressure measures the force at which the heart pumps the blood and the pressure the blood exerts on the arteries as it...
A person's blood pressure is an indirect indicator of his overall cardiovascular health. High blood pressure can indicate kidney or arterial disease, and can also indicates if the patient's heart is having to pump extra hard to maintain...
Also known as hypotension, low blood pressure can be as dangerous for people as high blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic explains that it can lead to heart and neurological disorders, and produces symptoms that include dizzizness, blurry vision,...
Epsom salts is another term for magnesium sulfate. It takes its name from a town in England known for the mineral. Magnesium is an essential element for humans that all organs require. It is a dietary supplement that slows the heart, relaxes blood...
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the body, and is intimately involved with the adrenal and pituitary systems of the body. Normal levels of cortisol, when measured at the beginning of the day, are between 6 and 23 mcg/dL, though these numbers can...
Normal healthy blood pressure is considered to be less than 120/80 mm/Hg in most people. Very high or very low blood pressure is dangerous and can lead to organ damage or death. Blood pressure is regulated by many factors such as hormones,...
Dyazide is a prescription drug composed of triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide that is used to treat high blood pressure. Dyazide works by changing the balance of sodium and potassium electrolytes in the body to lower blood pressure levels. The...
Hypotension occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. Low blood pressure can be dangerous, especially if it is a chronic issue, because the brain, heart and other organs do not get enough blood and oxygen to function as they should....
Fish oil is currently one of the most commonly used supplements. According to a 2010 ConsumerLabs.com survey, adults consumed fish oil more than any other supplement. When taken at the recommended doses, it is considered safe for the general...
According to the National Institutes of Health, black cohosh is a member of the buttercup family, and is known by the names actaea racemosa and cimicifusa racemoga. It is also known by several common names, including bugbane, bugwort, black...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a physical state in which the arterial blood pressure is elevated above the norm, which is defined as 120/80. According to MayoClinic.com, the longer that severe hypertension goes untreated, the more likely...
The adrenal glands, two small organs located on top of each kidney, produce hormones that are vital to many functions throughout the body. The adrenals have two main parts: the cortex (outer portion) which produces vital hormones such as cortisol...
While vitamin B-12 has a variety of functions in your body, one of its most important jobs is helping to produce red blood cells. If you have a B-12 deficiency, your body cannot produce red blood cells correctly, which can lead to low blood...
Magnesium is an essential mineral necessary for life. It plays a role in muscle contraction, enzyme function, energy production and transport and protein synthesis. You'll find magnesium in dark green, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, soy,...
The ketogenic diet is a fat-fat diet that forces the body to burn fat. The diet was not originally intended to be a weight-loss diet. It was devised as a treatment of epilepsy. For the ketogenic diet to work as a weight loss diet, it must be...
Diovan (valsartan) is a medication used for the treatment of high blood pressure. Diovan belongs to a family of drugs known as angiotensen receptor blockers (ARB's). It is used in adults to lower high blood pressure, treat heart failure and...
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, blood pressure is the measurement of pressure in your arteries during the active and resting phases of your heartbeat. Low blood pressure (hypotension) can be just as dangerous as high blood pressure...
The use of steam for relaxation and alternative therapeutic practices has been around for centuries. Through the years these practices have become commonplace through steam rooms in fitness centers, spiritual healing practices, alternative health...
Sodium nitroprusside is a medication classified as a vasodilator indicated for the treatment of congestive heart failure and life-threatening high blood pressure. Vasodilators increase blood flow and lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles of...
People use ginger root to flavor foods and also as an herbal medicine to treat or prevent conditions including nausea, morning sickness, arthritis and inflammation. Although the amount of ginger used in foods is unlikely to cause side effects, the...
Infrared saunas provide similar benefits to those of traditional saunas, but employ infrared heat as their heating source instead of carbon or ceramic heaters. Their infrared heaters emit electromagnetic infrared heat waves of radiation, which are...
Blood pressure refers to the force blood exerts on the linings of the veins in which it travels. This pressure is normally measured in millimeters of mercury, a unit of pressure that is often written as mm Hg. The results of blood pressure tests...
Resveratrol is a polyphenolic antioxidant found in red wine grapes, peanuts, chocolate, berries and Japanese knotweed root. Taking resveratrol may provide disease-fighting and anti-aging benefits. There is no known toxicity for resveratrol use in...
Liposuction has become "commonplace" in American culture and is considered minor surgery, since it is often conducted as a day surgical procedure in an outpatient clinic. However, surgical setting and public familiarity with liposuction does not...
Magnesium is an essential mineral required by numerous biochemical processes in the body. Roughly half of the magnesium in your body is found in bones; the rest is spread throughout other tissues in your body. Green vegetables, legumes, whole...
Arginine and ornithine are both considered conditional amino acids, according to the National Institutes of Health. This means that they are made by your body and not essential to take in through dietary supplementation except under certain...
While a high-sodium diet can raise your blood pressure, low blood sodium can be dangerous too. When your sodium levels dip below 136 mEq/L, you can experience a condition known as hyponatremia, which also is known as water intoxication. This...
Your blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure in your arteries when your blood is actively pumping and when it is at rest. Although having high blood pressure can put strain on your cardiovascular system, abnormally low blood pressure can...
