An increase in blood (plasma) volume and a fall in blood pressure are usually observed in normal pregnancy. So when any pregnant woman’s blood pressure is above the normal range, it is abnormal.
Hypertension in pregnancy is defined as a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or more. It complicates 5 to 7 percent of pregnancies and is a major cause of inadequate fetal growth, lack of oxygen supply to fetus, neonatal complications and death, and maternal complications and death. Therefore, pregnancy complicated by hypertension does pose a risk to both the fetus and the mother.
A family history of hypertension, extremes of reproductive age, first pregnancy, multiple gestation, hydatidiform mole (a form of pregnancy tumor), diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension prior to pregnancy are some of the factors that may contribute to the development of hypertension during pregnancy.
Hypertension can occur in 1 of the 3 forms. It can be present before conception occurs and is commonly known as pre-existing hypertension. It may occur after 20 weeks’ gestation and experts name this as gestational hypertension with or without preeclampsia/eclampsia. Or, it can exist as a combination of the two. Preeclampsia/eclampsia is a form of pregnancy disorder that affects blood pressure as well as the brain, kidney, liver and blood.
The control of severe hypertension in pregnancy (that is blood pressure higher than 170/110 mmHg) is essential and should be done immediately. This will prevent maternal death from bleeding in the brain (cerebral hemorrhage) and eclampsia. The need to control mild hypertension in pregnant mothers is less evident, but treatment of mild hypertension has been shown to reduce the subsequent development of severe high blood pressure. Nevertheless, its value in preventing fetal loss or development of eclampsia remains unproven.
Pregnant women with hypertension are usually asked to rest in bed and take antihypertensive medications. Restriction of dietary sodium is generally not advised. In view of the potential risks of medication to the unborn child, many ‘old’ but ‘safe’ drugs (such as methyldopa, hydralazine, labetalol, nifedipine) are often used. Some newer antihypertensive medications such as ACE inhibitors and ARBs are not recommended because of the possible ill effects to the fetus.
Occasionally, medical delivery is required to control hypertension or its possible complications. A multi-disciplinary approach combining the expertise of an obstetrician, a physician, a neonatologist and a nurse is usually required for the optimal care of a hypertensive mother with complications.
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Of all the afflictions of modern living, diabetes is one that is most common in this century. This unique disease is an affliction that sometimes goes undetected in people for a long while before one actually spots it. It is also a disease that does not confine one to bed rest like a bout of flu, or a viral infection. It shows no outward symptoms like pain or swelling or cough or discomfort. The only suspicion aside this illness is an unnatural craving for sweet things, which again, often gets dismissed as a weakness for sweets or as possessing a sweet tooth. Also, this love for the sugary stuff is not an invariable accompaniment of the disease.
The cause of this disease is the lack of insulin in our body. This hormone is essential for the body to get energy from the food that we eat. So a diabetic may have a hearty appetite and not benefit nutritionally, from the food that he or she consumes. The disease is not limited to a particular age group and even children can be afflicted by it. That is why medical science has categorized diabetes into two major types. Type I diabetes is a form where the body stops producing insulin altogether. This form usually starts in children. The Type II form of diabetes is the category in which some insulin is produced by the body but this insulin is not used properly by the body.
Being a disease that one has to live with for a lifetime, the best way to manage diabetes is to bring about a change in the lifestyle of the individual. Besides medication, diabetes is a disease that has extensive mental and physical implications. Persons suffering from this disease need to be aware of the symptoms of depression and remain in a healthy state of mind. Joining a support group is a big step ahead in remaining healthy despite having diabetes.
It is well known that obesity places you at risk of developing problems from such things as diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, stroke and arthritis, but it is now being suggested that asthma should also be added to this list.
As the problem of obesity has grown alarmingly in recent years, with about 65 percent of the US population now being classed as either overweight or obese, so too has the problem of asthma. Asthma, which results in recurrent wheezing, coughing and hypersensitivity to allergies, affects about 20 million Americans, including a staggering 9 million children.
So could the growing problem of asthma be linked to the rise in obesity?
In a recent study, which looked at the records of more than 330,000 patients in the US, Canada and Europe, it was found that as an individual’s body mass index (BMI) passed 25 (the threshold for being overweight) so his or her chances of developing asthma increased by 50 percent. The study also found that as weight continued to increase so too did the risk of developing asthma.
The study also showed that this risk seemed to be equally distributed between both men and women and that there was no foundation for the previously held belief that there might be a connection between obesity and asthma in women but not in men.
Now if you are overweight and are experiencing breathing problems you should not immediately leap to the conclusion that you have asthma. Breathing problems can arise with increasing weight as your lung volume is effectively reduced, your chest wall is restricted or indeed for a variety of other reasons. However, if you are experiencing problems you should of course have these checked out by your doctor and should not be surprised if this does indeed turn out to be asthma.
Asthma is a chronic and incurable, but normally controllable, condition which produces an inflammation and narrowing of the airways leading to and from the lungs. What is not clear at this stage however is whether being overweight can actually cause asthma. Further research will be required but the best guess at the moment is that a substantial proportion of the population is in fact suffering from mild and undiagnosed asthma and that an increase in weight aggravates the condition and turns a mild case of asthma into severe asthma.
One the other side of coin the good news is that losing weigh could potentially reduce the problem significantly.
The major concern in diabetics people with high blood pressure (130/80 mmHG or more), it is the risk developing a heart disease, specifically to suffer a heart attack –last researches pointing that sixty five percent of deaths in diabetics people are heart attacks- in the other hand people with low blood pressure might suffer a damage in the nerves that supply blood vessels, the symptoms might be: faintness, anxiety, dizziness, among others. Some people believe low blood pressure can cause: tiredness and depression too.
The people above are who may suffer some kind of diabetes, diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2.
Majority people, seventy three percent people with diabetes believe – according last researches – that high blood pressure; heart disease and stroke in adults are linked with risks of heart attacks. These ones believe too, that if they take a healthy balance diet, they will avoid get worse their disease, but a last research in people with diabetes revealed the true -, “The effects in the exchange of a carbohydrate with monounsaturated fats, might not increase a blood pressure in short time, but you should consider that in the long time this one might increase, in a modest degree.
The research quoted above was made in people that suffer the second type of diabetes. And measured result from at least six weeks studies in those patients.
In conclusion, diabetes is a disease in which part of the body does not work properly, because it does not produces necessary insulin – hormone that convert sugar and other foods in energy –. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 – person is completely dependent of insulin -and type 2 – sometimes is treated by medication- and in this article we have reviewed a research done by Texas University, the biggest question is of course, how do we reduce risks of heart attacks?, because this is the major concern factor for diabetics.
Back in the 1950’s and 60’s most people didn’t rate diabetes as a major problem. Back then, all the focus was on dealing with more prominent diseases such as polio and tuberculosis. If diabetes was thought about, it was more in the context of cutting out sugar in your coffee, rather than as a serious threat to your eyesight or your life.
That’s all changing. It’s not too much to say that diabetes is now reaching epidemic levels in most of the western world. According to the American Diabetes Association there are over 20 million diabetics in the United States alone, with a staggering one third undiagnosed. It’s also going to get a lot worse with another 41 million Americans already showing pre-diabetic signs.
Diabetes is a disease that mostly affects blood vessels and in its extreme forms can lead to serious heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. Clearly these life threatening diabetic vascular diseases deserve priority attention, but high on the critical list for diabetics is the risk of serious eye disease and loss of vision.
Vision is one of our most critical senses and in this “need for speed” information era, over 70% of our sensory information comes through our eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, diabetics are 25 times more likely to lose vision than those who are not diabetic. With diabetes already being the number one cause of blindness in the United States, it’s no wonder eye care professionals are predicting a devastating increase in vision loss as the diabetic epidemic grows alarmingly.
Newly diagnosed diabetics often have nothing more than minor vision fluctuations which settle when blood sugar levels improve with treatment. Early on it’s easy to believe everything is fine. After some years though, continuing high blood sugar can gradually damage the blood vessels at the back of the eye in the retina. This causes a problem called diabetic retinopathy and the longer you have diabetes the more likely you are to have retinopathy. The risk increases further when there is poor control of blood sugar levels. More than 70% of diabetics develop some changes in their eyes within 15 years of diagnosis.
Retinopathy is graded as Non-proliferative or Proliferative. Non-proliferative retinopathy is the common milder form, where small retinal blood vessels break and leak. There may be some mild retinal swelling but it rarely requires treatment unless it causes hazy central vision or straight lines appear bent.
Proliferative retinopathy is the less common, but more serious form where new blood vessels grow abnormally within the retina. If these vessel scar or bleed they can lead to potentially serious vision loss including blindness. Early laser treatment can seal leaking vessels and slow the progress of diabetic retinopathy, but can’t reverse existing vision loss.
For now, there is no “magic pill” to eliminate the risk of diabetic eye damage, but you can do two important things to help prevent the more serious complications. Poor blood sugar control is one of the main causes of serious diabetic retinopathy. The critical first step is making sure you stabilize and control your blood sugar with a healthy diet and regular exercise. The second step is to make sure you have a yearly diabetic eye examination. An experienced eye care professional can pick up subtle diabetic eye changes long before you notice any vision change, and more importantly, early enough to do some good.
If you or your family is affected by this rising sign of diabetes: take action now to reduce your risk of vision loss. Don’t be a victim!
Was diabetes inevitable to show up in my life?
It was four years ago. My lifestyle for the most part was about working, working out coming home and watching television. Eating whatever I wanted, as I had done my entire life, was the problem that originated 50 years ago and was still part of my make up about four years ago. My lifestyle is what this article is about. Maybe there is something here for you to benefit from. .
As long as I was taking care of one area of my life I felt I was in good shape. Let me explain. Hey I exercised. So what that I ate the worst foods at one or two in the morning as I watched Sports Center or a movie. I reasoned it out that as long as I exercised my eating could take on a life of its own. And it did. I had no problem devouring a huge bowl of ice cream in the wee small hours of the night. My thinking was the exercising and the eating anything canceled each other out.
When I was a youngster it was cool to eat a lot of food. I remember never leaving anything on my plate as I was growing up. It was a sin. My father to this day has never left a morsel on his plate as I remember. He could eat one two or three portions of food. As long as it was on his plate he consumed the food. I was close to doing the same thing.
Hamburgers, hot dogs and fries were the staples of the day as I was growing up. Driving into Brooklyn at two in the morning to go to Nathan’s Hot Dog stand was a monthly occurrence my buddies and I would attend to. We would all stuff our faces with hot dogs and fries. The drive back to Newark New Jersey had some very interesting tunes.
A new way to eat was approaching.
Going from someone that loves food and would eat just about anything was something I did not want to give up. As my blood sugar levels increased, I thought that herbs would do the trick to keep the blood sugar number lower. I fought giving up my diet. I had lived with it for a long long time. Denying that I had diabetes allowed me to eat all the foods that I wanted to consume. And because I have been healthy most of my life I thought I could defeat this diabetes by just taking herbs I thought were good for diabetes.
What now that I have diabetes?.
My lifestyle has changed. Food which was once of no concern to me is now an ongoing conscious decision in my life. Handling this diabetes disease means reading every label of food I am going to buy. I am much more aware of the foods I eat before and while I am consuming them. I am a big boy and dealing with diabetes is my new challenge.
Diabetes natural solutions are what make sense for me. If dealing with this illness without the use of drugs makes sense to you then listen to the Diabetic Warrior’s free MP3. I have been learning what to eat and what not to eat.
The Supplement Vanadium Can Help Fight Diabetes
Vanadium is an essential trace mineral that is essential in humans. Vanadium plays a role in metabolism of carbohydrates and in regulating blood glucose levels. Vanadium also positively effects cholesterol and blood lipid metabolism.
Many studies have shown that vanadium compounds markedly improve fasting glucose. Vanadium works similarly to that of insulin. Insulin’s primary function is to stimulate GLUT-4 transporters to the surface of the cell and carry glucose inside. Vanadium has been shown to activate the GLUT-4 transporters mimicking insulin.
In 1996 a small study of eight men and women with type 2 diabetes received 50 milligrams of vanadyl sulfate twice a day for four weeks. The results were remarkable; the average fasting glucose was reduced by 20%!
This amazing compound was also shown to have positive effects with type 1 diabetics. Ten patients were given 125 milligrams per day of sodium metavanate (which is another form of vanadium) for two weeks. While the type 1 diabetics showed no changes in their blood glucose levels they required much less insulin.
Other benefits of Vanadium include:
-Lowers blood sugar
-Increases muscle mass
-Helps reduce cholesterol levels
-Increases muscle vascularity and blood flow (“pumped feeling”)
-Mimics insulin action
-May help improve blood pressure
-Increases glycogen synthesis and storage
Safety testing- Vanadium appears to have very little side effects. At very high doses patients reported diarrhea but at low doses Vanadium appears to be safe although more comprehensive long term studies are currently underway.
Dietary Sources- The best sources of vanadium are mushrooms, shellfish, black pepper, parsley and grain products.
With any illness you must always keep your doctor informed of anything to you that might effect your condition. Before you take any supplement you must discuss your plans with your doctor because supplements can interact with certain medications. Blood sugar levels must be closely monitored and modifications in your medications may be required.
Bill Schuchman is the founder of Personal Mastery Inc specializing in personal growth products. He is a Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and he has earned the Emotional Freedom Techniques EFT-ADV CC. Bill is a Subconscious Motivational Therapist and a Law of Attraction coach..
For free articles and products to help improve your health, wealth and relationships please visit http://www.unlimited-destiny.com
Helping People to Joyfully Succeed
According to American Heart Association, at least 13 million Americans are diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Each year, nearly half a million lost their lives across the United States because of coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is a global killer that can restrict blood flow and lead to chest pain and heart attacks. High total cholesterol levels and high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) are often identified as the main causes that will increase one’s risk for heart disease. People are, therefore, advised to keep these cholesterol levels as low as possible.
In a study published in 2003, scientists at the Agricultural Research Service revealed that a diet high in soluble fiber had the greatest effect on reducing LDL levels. Levels of HDL (good cholesterol) either increased or did not change, resulting in an improved total LDL/HDL ratio.
Fiber is not absorbed by the small intestine. But, when it passes through to the large intestine, soluble fiber, such as beta-glucan from oats and barley, is fermented. It is understood that this will help slow blood glucose absorption and have a prebiotic effect (stimulate probiotic bacteria in the gut).
Cereals, breads, and other products containing whole or milled barley grain can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, whole grain barley and barley-containing products must provide at least 0.75g of soluble fiber per serving to have such beneficial effect. This is the announcement made by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006.
Barley is a great ingredient. It can be used for a wide range of products. Barley is a cereal grain grown mostly in the western United States as well as in Australia, Canada, and other countries. While much of the crop is used for animal feed and beer, people can actually cook pearl barley as a rice-like dish. Barley flour and grains are also used in baking and in cereal.
Like other grains, barley contains fiber that can help reduce risk factors associated with excess weight and Type 2 diabetes that can lead to coronary heart disease. Scientific evidence indicates that including barley in a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels. New data showed that 3g of barley can lower cholesterol by about 5 percent, similar to what oatmeal does.
Just think about this; a package of the quick-cooking barley can be ready in less than 20 minutes, and each half-cup of cooked barley counts as one ounce toward your daily goal of 3 ounces of whole grain foods each day.
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Blue toe syndrome is the bluish discoloration to toes as a result of tissue ischemia (lack of blood flow). The syndrome is caused by the blockage of small vessels that lead into the toes. One or more toes may be affected; in severe cases this can also manifest itself as a multi-organ problem.
There are a few causes of blue toe syndrome but the most common is the breakage of a small piece of arterial plaque usually from the abdominal aorta-iliac-femoral arterial system (located in the abdomen and groin area) which then travels down the arterial tree into the small vessels of the foot where it becomes lodged. This is known as an embolism. All tissue distal (in front of) the blockage will then turn a bluish color which represents a lack of oxygen to the tissue.
Generally patients are in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and older. The condition can occur insidiously or may be the result of abdominal surgery or an invasive vascular procedure or test.
The affected toes become cyanotic but there are other etiologies such as trauma, connective tissue disease like Scleroderma, hypercoagulability of blood as seen in polycythemia vera , atrial fibrillation and Raynauds phenomenon. In Raynauds the fingers will usually also be involved and this generally occurs in younger patients without any known history of atherosclerotic disease.
At the local level, blue toe syndrome may occur in diabetic foot infections and those who have undergone foot surgery.
Blue toe syndrome is easily misdiagnosed because in most cases the larger arteries of the foot are palpable and that directs the doctor away from a diagnosis of occlusive disease.
Treatment is geared towards alleviation of the blockage further up the arterial tree through stenting, bypass surgery, or anticoagulant therapy. Vasodilator drugs have no proven effectiveness in treatment of this condition, since this is not a vasospastic disorder.
Mild forms of the disease which affect just the toes have a good prognosis and usually subside on their own. It should be noted that sometimes the pain in the toes is disproportional to the extent of involvement of the toes and adequate analgesics should be prescribed. Multi-systemic forms where the kidney is also usually affected, the prognosis is more dubious.
In the foot, should the condition not resolve itself there is always the possibility that the condtion will worsen to gangrene and subsequent amputation of the affected toes.
Diabetes and obesity go hand in hand as two of our biggest killers. Diabetes ranks sixth as the most natural cause of death in the United States and the primary cause of diabetes is obesity.
Although diabetes is controllable with proper glycemic control and insulin therapy, it has been estimated that about one third of diabetics have never been formally diagnosed and therefore are never treated. So, the big question is how do we stop this widespread epidemic and how can those disposed to diabetes and obesity reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in their future?
The solution is fairly straight forward. Eliminating your sugar use, getting out and exercising on a daily basis, nutritional supplementation, and eating healthy will increase one’s chances of a long healthy life. It sounds easy but as we “foodies” know, it’s easier said than done. We just have to decide is it more important to fill our bodies with sugar laden goodies or to have the quality of your life reduced to dependency?
For many years, diabetes has simply been thought of as a relatively benign sickness of the old, but now people of younger and younger ages are becoming affected. Diabetes is the primary reason adults go blind. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes has the possibility, for the first time in over a century, reduce Americans life expectancy.
Sooner or later diabetes will affect us all, whether it is caring for family members with the illness or simply resulting in higher insurance premiums and taxes. In this sedentary day in which we live, there has been a sharp rise in cases diagnosed worldwide. So, as a society is there anything can we do to stop this and to raise awareness of this problem?
In addition to the things listed above, we also need to inform people to get a regular checkup by a doctor. Some symptoms that you could have undiagnosed diabetes are frequent urination; non healing wounds; extreme constant thirst; recurring skin, bladder, and gum infections; constant numbness in your hands and feet; blurred vision; and Just because your not presently experiencing any of these symptoms, do not think that you’re off the hook.
A change of lifestyle will have to be made to prevent the disease from showing up as an uninvited guest in your future. Studies have shown that nearly 60% of newly diagnosed cases could have been prevented or at least significantly postponed if the person had simply got down to a health body weight. In this day of junk food and video games, it can be difficult to make the decision to eat healthy and get enough of exercise. Everyone has their excuses but we need to give them hope that it can be done and examples of how to start.
As a nation we can curtail the epidemic of diabetes and obesity but only if we get the word out and encouraging those who are eating themselves to poor health
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