PajMon Information Blog

Posts Tagged ‘heart disease’

Cardiovascular disease affects all parts of the cardio system, including the blood vessels and heart. You’re more likely to get it if you live a risky lifestyle or you have a genetic tendency toward heart problems. The good news is that by changing your lifestyle, you can reduce your chances of having cardiovascular disease related symptoms, and even reverse some of the damage, even if you already have this disease.

Some major symptoms of cardiovascular disease include tingling and numbness on one side of the body, difficulty with balance and walking, pain in the arm, shortness of breath, vision problems, headaches, dizziness, fainting, pale skin and chest pain. These are some of the most severe symptoms. Exercise and a good diet are probably the best ways to keep yourself from ever suffering from cardiovascular disease.

Free radicals and oxidative stress have also been known to play a role in the development and worsening of symptoms for cardiovascular disease. An effective natural treatment to help lower the amount of free radicals within the body would be to cut down on the amount of processed foods that you consume. It would be even better to eliminate them completely. All meats which contain steroids and hormones also should be avoided since they help to contribute to disease.

Eating a diet rich in the kinds of antioxidants you can get from brightly colored fruits and vegetables and from moderate use of dark chocolate can have a pretty impressive effect, too. These will help your body work better and slow aging, as well as possibly reversing some of the ill effects of cardiovascular disease. It’s impressive what kind of benefits you can experience if you only take the time to eat a little better.

You’ll want to make sure you avoid very salty foods, which can contribute to hypertension. Combined with cardiovascular disease, hypertension can be a real problem, increasing the chances of getting a heart attack. Don’t eat too many foods with a lot of sugar in them, either. They have a number of bad effects on your health, too.

Exercise is probably one of the best treatments for cardiovascular disease. Doing any kind of aerobic exercise has been linked to blood pressure decreases in people with this problem. Make sure that you exercise most days out of the week, and try to do it for a half hours at a time. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you gain strength, breathe more easily and how many fewer symptoms you suffer from.

Another natural treatment for cardiovascular disease that has been proven to work is the consumption of garlic. Garlic helps to lower cholesterol levels, platelet adhesion, and atherosclerosis. Consumption of hawthorn berries have been known to strengthen contractions of the heart muscle and produce more effective coronary artery blood flow. You might also want to consider taking a daily Vitamin B Complex supplement in order to increase energy metabolism, and a CoQ10 supplement to help lower blood pressure as well as support the overall health of the heart.

There are lots of natural treatments you can use in conjunction with your doctor’s recommended treatments to prevent or deal with cardiovascular disease. Remember that it’s a bad idea to go right to medications, many of which have dangerous side effects, when you can make lifestyle changes to deal with cardiovascular disease instead.

When you are told your cholesterol is too high and what you should do to bring down the cholesterol levels, your goal should also be to raise HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. High HDL cholesterol levels are thought to lower the bad effects of LDL cholesterol, thus avoiding complications associated with the high cholesterol count.

Patients with an inadequate level of HDL cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease since it is believed that the HDL cholesterol takes away cholesterol transported to the arteries by LDL cholesterol and brings it to the liver. When the good cholesterol levels are insufficient the bad cholesterol will increase excessively and could cause hardened arteries or even a blockage. To eliminate this risk, you would need to raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Being careful about the foods you eat is the first step that a doctor will take to attempt to reduce your overall cholesterol levels. You should go to see a nutritionist to get information about the foods that are helpful to raise HDL cholesterol, while decreasing LDL cholesterol simultaneously. Usually your diet will have limited fat and sugar and plenty of lean protein, vegetables and fruits.

Exercising is also significant when you are attempting to lower your chances of heart disease. You need to begin a routine of exercising every day and this will cause you to lose weight and allow your body to raise HDL cholesterol and get rid of the harmful cholesterol that is clogging up your arteries.

Once you switch over to low fat diet and regular exercise, teach this healthy living technique to the whole family. By this you will not only be maintaining your own health, but will also help in maintaining the good health of all your family members. A healthy diet is not always easy to follow, but once you get used to it, it’s a piece of cake (low fat of course!). By being a role model for your children, you will be helping them safeguard their health. This will play an important role in their future health also. Teaching your children to eat healthier foods makes plenty of sense.

There are various sources from which you can get information on how to eat and live healthy. Eating healthy as well as tasty food is what everyone would like, and these recipes can be found in many cookbooks. With the help of these books, you can cook food which will help you lower your LDL levels and raise HDL cholesterol levels.

If you are able to lower your cholesterol level with the foods that you consume and some light exercise, then there is a good chance you won’t need to take medication to remedy your cholesterol reading. However, remember that a diet plan alone may not be sufficient to lower bad cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol concurrently. Depending on your particular circumstances it may be prudent to take medication in conjunction with the other methods. Ultimately this decision will be up to you and your doctor who can make a decision based on your unique circumstances.

Ever heard of good cholesterol foods? What are they? We know now that there is “bad cholesterol” (LDL) and “good cholesterol” (HDL). The problem is choosing the good and avoiding the bad in our daily diet. It’s not a simple matter, but let me try to explain it below..

As bad as they may seem to be, cholesterol is actually very important for us humans. However, high levels of them in the bloodstream are seldom associated with stroke, heart disease and other cardivascular disease. What to be avoided on almost any condition is high LDL and low HDL. The LDL may become hardened and then forms plaques in your arteries, slowing or even blocking blood flow. HDL one the other hand, offers the ability to gather up excessive amount of LDL and carry it back to the liver.

HDL and LDL are formed in the body.. We don’t exactly eat them. Some known foods with high cholesterol level are dairy products, animal meat and eggs. Oil produced from plants contain a substance similar to cholesterol called phytosterols. They help us by lowering blood cholesterol levels. All kinds of saturated fat and trans-fats increase LDL, as do simple carbohydrate such as sugar and white flour.

In general, good cholesterol foods are foods coming from plants, because of the phytosterol they contain. Most animal meats are not good when it comes to cholesterol, except fish (especially deep sea fish) because they contain Omega-3 fats, which are found in canola oil as well.

A good diet for keeping LDL levels low would include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, such as oatmeal and fish. Eating a bowl of oatmeal every day has been shown to reduce LDL levels.

When you are cooking or baking, choose olive or canola oil, rather than lard or saturated fat. And, eat some nuts every day. It has been determined that eating certain nuts decreases the heart disease risk. So, you might call these good cholesterol foods; walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachios. One ounce per day is the recommended intake, unless, of course, you are allergic to nuts.

You might also try switching from coffee or soda to drinking green tea. Green tea has been shown to have many health benefits. Lowering LDL levels is one of them. Use honey or raw cane sugar for sweetening, rather than processed sugar.

Try taking lots of different antioxidants in your daily diet. When cholesterol in your body becomes oxidized, they form hard plaques in the arteries, which are very dangerous. Antioxidants such as green tea, vegetables and fruits help preventing this process from happening.

If you have to eat meat or poultry, make them lean cuts. When you have to take dairy products, make sure to choose reduced fat products made with skim or low-fat milk.

All in all, it’s not difficult at all to switch from your regular diet to good cholesterol foods. It’s just a matter of taking the right decision on what you eat.

What is the wireless heart rate monitor? A wireless heart rate monitor comes with a chest strap that is worn around the body in the chest area, close to the heart. This chest strap transmits the signal to the main unit that monitors the heart rate. If you use heart rate watch then the watch represents the main unit and communicates with the chest strap via wireless connection.

What is a strapless heart monitor? Unlike standard wireless heart rate monitor, a strapless heart rate monitor does not come with a chest strap. Instead it has an area on the main unit that measures the heart rate. If youre using strapless heart rate watch then the watch represents the main unit. You simply place two fingers over the measuring area of the watch and after approximately 5 seconds you receive your heart rate reading.

Is a strapless heart rate watch better than the heart rate watch with the chest strap? As soon as you use quality, branded product, there is no actual difference in the accuracy of measurement, no matter if the heart rate is measured with strapless or banded heart monitor watch. The strapless heart monitor watches are more comfortable as you wear no strap.

How to measure the heart rate? Measuring your heart rate will be more accurate if done daily, at the same time during a day and in resting position, after not doing anything for at least 10 minutes (even standing up from the chair is considered an activity and increases the heart rate). Measurement should be done using a quality heart rate monitor that was tested for accuracy by manufacturer. It is advised to record the measurements so that you and your physician see the development.

What is a pulse monitor? Is it the same as heart rate monitor? No they are not the same. While heart rate monitor functions the same way as your physicians ECG (ElectroCardioGram) monitoring the electrical impulses of your heart . On the other hand a pulse monitor detects blood flow in extremities. Pulse monitor is unable to detect beats that do not produce enough blood or other abnormalities and therefor is less accurate and should not be used for medical purposes.

Is heart rate monitor mandatory for exercise? No i tis not, but it is advisable. Training at your own convenient pace usually is not the most effective. To maximize the benefits of exercise you need to stay within your target heart rate range as long as possible. The target heart rate range of a semitrained individual is 60% - 80% of his/her maximum heart rate. For beginners or people in cardiac rehabilitation an optimum target heart rate is 50-60%.

What is a pulse oximeter? Does it measure the heart rate? Pulse oximeters are medical equipment using noninvasive methods to monitor individual’s oxygen saturation levels. People who never used a pulse oximeter sometimes assume that there is some needle hidden in it that punctures skin and oximeter then analyzes the blood drops but that is not true. Pulse oximeters use light wavelengths to measure oxyhemoglobin saturation, delivery of oxygen to the cells but not the actual amount of oxygen. Individual normal range for the pulse oximeter display should be defined by your physician but usually is over 95% . Factors like anemia, low blood pressure, blood ph, Pco2 or body temperature can affect pulse oximeter reads. And, yes, pulse oximeter also measure the heart rate.

Pedernales Electric Coop has announced that American Med Supply will be its supplier for automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). American Med Supply has won the contract to supply 82 defibrillators to the States largest electric coop. PEC will also be training more than 800 employees in CPR and defibrillators use.

Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCD, is the most common cause of death in the United States. Approximately 340,000 deaths occur from sudden cardiac arrest every year. Having automatic external defibrillators on site can literally mean the difference between life and death.

C Allyn Cutts, Vice President of American Med Supply, states, “It’s our mission to make sure anyone in America is within four minutes of a defibrillator. They save lives. It’s just that simple.”

Pedernales Electric Coop (http://www.pec.coop) has been in operation since 1938. It’s located in Texas and is member-owned. It provides electricity to about 227,000 members throughout nine districts, and is the largest electric cooperative in the US.

American Med Supply has offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida and is one of the nation’s leading providers of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), AED Batteries, AED Pads and AED Cabinets. American Med Supply supplies many of the largest cities and municipalities, gas & electric companies, police forces, government branches, the State Department, US Embassies, Fortune 1000, small businesses, as well as hundreds of YMCA’s, and school districts across the nation with their emergency medical equipment.

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CPAP therapy treats sleep apnea more effectively if you replace the cushions, pillows, filters and other CPAP supplies regularly. It is important to be informed of the huge advantages to replacing your CPAP supplies online. As long as you avoid certain costly and dangerous pitfalls often found online then you will come out ahead with your CPAP therapy.

Why is it so important to replace your CPAP supplies? There are two important reasons. First, your CPAP experience will be more effective. New supplies keeps the device working like new by avoiding air leaks that harm your treatment. Also, fresh supplies maintain the comfort of the equipment. Second, new supplies decrease the risk of developing respiratory infection. Even if you are cleaning your equipment every day, eventually tiny crevices and scratches form that become perfect spos for bacteria to collect.

Some people complain that using CPAP regularly is a hassle. The good news is that with clean, fresh CPAP supplies you will more likely use CPAP regularly, which means lowering your risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiac arrest, heart disease, or hypertension. Besides, the added benefit of getting a good nights sleep.

Clearly it is a health risk to not refresh your CPAP supplies. For most of us, now is the time to save money but when it comes to preventing a stroke or diabetes you will find yourself pennywise and pound foolish. Think about the medical bills and lost wages if you develop a lung infection from not using CPAP regularly with fresh supplies.

Sadly, many people suffer unnecessary discomfort with their CPAP because they didnt even realize how often they should be changing their supplies. (In general, you should replace cushions or pillows every 2-3 weeks, filters every 2-4 weeks, hoses about every month, and the entire mask assembly including headgear every 3-6 months).

A small investment in CPAP will save your health. It costs the same as a daily cup of coffee to wake up feeling refreshed from a comfortable and deep night’s sleep morning after morning.

Of course, many people like to buy their CPAP supplies online because it is convenient. Some websites, including MySleepMask.com, will let you set-up a calendar for getting new supplies. Theres no way to beat the convenience of getting supplies online.

If you are on CPAP with little or no insurance then buying your fresh supplies online will save you money. You can get the same CPAP supplies from an authorized online distributor for as much as 50% cheaper than your local medical equipment company.

You will want to scam proof your online shopping for CPAP supplies. Shop around to compare the prices. Soon you’ll realize that you can’t rely on the biggest online vendor for the best prices. Be on the look out for over-charges and hidden fees that add up.

Here are 4 tips for buying online:

1. Avoid websites that offer any brands other than ResMed, F&P or Respironics. Why? Because if a site promotes cheap brands, that is a very good indication that the website is not going to support its customers. Cheap CPAP equipment will mean more problems for their customer service to mess with unless they dont really plan on giving you good customer service.

2. Only buy from websites that are dealers with good reputations and authorized by the manufacturers. Why look for an authorized dealer? Because the website has to meet requirements to be authorized by the manufacturer, such as having good customer service, respecting warranties, etc. The National Apnea Association provides a short list of recommended dealers, which includes MySleepMask.

3. Buy only from a website that offers a mask-exchange program. These programs let you try a new model or size of mask without any risk: if it doesnt fit right then you return it and get a new model or size. MySleepMask is one website that offers this. Simply google cpap mask exchange program to find other dealers that offer this valuable benefit.

4. Make sure the website has respiratory therapists or other CPAP coaches who can help you trouble-shoot any problems you might have. And make sure this is offered for free. Getting this coaching for free will be useful and save you a ton of money: either by avoiding a trip to the doctors office or not paying the $100-$160 that some websites charge. Simply google free CPAP coaching to find a supplier who offers this.

Research demonstrates that heart disease is reversible. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, or heavy metal toxicity, you may want to try Oral Chelation.

Why do people still suffer from heart disease and cardiovascular diseases, when there are alternative methods to treating these diseases. On option that has been used by doctors for years is called Oral Chelation. You might want to try it out.

Everyday heavy metal toxicity is around us burdening our bodies, and our detoxification pathways. With these toxins around us it is increasingly hard to maintain the levels of nutrients and energy for your daily activities. Some of the toxins we are exposed to are: soil depletion, pesticides, radiation, mercury from dental amalgam fillings, and lead-based paints are just some of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily.

Health problems caused by low level chronic exposure to heavy metals may take years to appear, and are linked to conditions, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, and many more. Many of these heavy metals have been scientifically linked to causing free radical damage, leading to: Heart Attacks, Strokes, Cancers, Fatigue, Memory Loss.

There is a link to Heart Disease and Heavy Metal Toxins. It is worth exploring Oral Chelation as something to help cleanse your arterial walls and thereby reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks while at the same time helping remove heavy metal toxins from other areas of the body.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a major risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD) according to new medical research from the Mayo Clinic. The research points to the importance of prescribed therapy to avoid the risks associated with sleep apnea.

By studying nearly 11,000 adults, researchers discovered that sleep apnea was one of the two biggest risk factors for sudden death among patients with heart disease. (The second trait was an age of 60 years or older.)

Sleep apnea, a relatively common condition, causes the oxygen levels in the blood to decrease. This, in turn, puts a strain on the heart while it tries to pump adequate amounts of oxygen to the brain and body.

There is evidence that low oxygen, caused by sleep apnea, alters the blood vessels in a way that promotes heart disease. Apnea is also associated with hypertension, stroke and Alzheimers.

If you dont get oxygen to the blood, the whole body and brain start to shut down. But with apnea, your throat closes down, suffocating yourself and starving your body of oxygen.

So, what is the most effective form of sleep apnea treatment? Doctors almost always prescribe CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) therapy. CPAP therapy is proven to maintain sufficient oxygen levels in the brain and body and is associated with other benefits, including improved sleep, reduced daytime drowsiness, improved mood, and weight loss.

Medical research points to how important it is to regularly use CPAP therapy. However, for many patients the nightly use of a CPAP mask connected to a CPAP machine is not an easy habit to make. That is why the national compliance average is only 50%.

Here are three strategies outlined by the National Apnea Association (NAA) to increase your chance of CPAP success:

1. Select quality CPAP equipment, not cheap junk. Doctors only recommend three manufacturers, who invest millions in R&D every year: ResMed, Fisher & Paykel, and Respironics. Picking a CPAP machine and mask among these three brands is fairly easy, with some help. Unfortunately, there are many questionable websites that offer a bunch of junk brands that your doctor would never recommend. Junk brands will only waste your money. We are not talking about getting a good bargain on a DVD or flat screen TV. Your health and even your life are at stake.

2. Choose wisely when selecting a CPAP supplier. There are a lot of questionable websites that don’t buy their equipment directly from the manufacturer. They resort to getting inventory from middlemen who often are unethical and sell used equipment. If you buy from anything other than an authorized dealer, then you might get refurbished equipment that just “looks” like new. So it won’t have full warranty coverage and it might not even be sanitary. (Many used machines sold by middlemen are from deceased patients in hospitals and nursing homes.) Your best bet is finding a CPAP vendor certified as a ResMed Preferred Internet Provider and recognized by the National Apnea Association.

3. Get a CPAP coach to help you use your CPAP equipment properly. An expert can help you with using, cleaning, and maintaining your CPAP, especially when you run into problems. Many studies have shown that CPAP chronic care or coaching is very effective: increasing patients probability of success from the national average of only 50% to over 90%. Best of all, some CPAP websites offer coaching for free to their customers.