Wednesday, May 22, 2013 ( 7:16 PM ) shut up christine healthcare PSA: Hypertension
in the US, the two leading causes of kidney failure are:
uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure.
let me repeat -- high blood pressure can shut down your kidneys
not only does hypertension increase your risk for stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, it can also:
- damage the blood vessels in your eyes (possibly leading to blurred vision or blindness! BLINDNESS!!)
- sexual dysfunction as a result of pressure damage to the lining of your blood vessels, limiting blood flow to your genitals
- bone loss
i've mentioned it several times in the past but i cannot stress it enough. i say this as a friend and a nurse...please keep your blood pressure in check.
for adults, a healthy blood pressure reading should be less than 120/80
many grocery stores have a machine located near the pharmacy that can check your BP. we went to a Ralphs by our house and the machine tested our BMI (body mass index), BP, and our eyes, then gave us a free printout
you can naturally lower your BP by reducing your salt intake, exercising, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake. a few foods that can reduce BP: raisins, cayenne pepper, purple root vegetables (taro), hibiscus, watermelon, bananas, and kiwi.
some folks with prolonged high BPs need to take blood pressure medications as well
when you feel your BP spiking from stress, try meditation, deep breathing, or counting like Carl from Family Matters!
"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
-Last words of Pancho Villa
I am a pencil
ready to write
my life
-Jessica, 4th grade
I Open My Eyes
Take The Crusts Out
Stretch Myself And Check (If I Haven’t)
Returned Again And Everything Is Okay
Still There Is Something Missing
Like All The Walls
-Staralfur, Sigur Ros
Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the power of articulate speech.
