How to Cure High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension, which refers to an elevated blood pressure. Blood pressure usually refers to the pressure or force, exerted by the circulating blood on the arterial wall. So high blood pressure means that the pressure or force with which the circulating blood is pushed against the wall of the arteries is higher than the normal level. Normal blood pressure is 120/80, where 120 is the measure of systolic pressure, while 80 is the normal level of diastolic pressure.

Hypertension is a complex disorder, which is usually classified as essential or primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. There are no known medical causes for primary hypertension, while secondary hypertension is caused by tumors or kidney diseases. The main risk factors for primary hypertension, are obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, vitamin D deficiency, alcoholism, sodium sensitivity, insulin resistance and an increased level of renin enzyme. In addition to these, genetics is also believed to play an important role in increasing its risk. On the other hand, secondary hypertension is caused due to abnormalities of the adrenal glands, kidney problems, pregnancy, medications and sleep disorders. Hypertension is a leading cause of coronary heart diseases, strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure and so it is very essential to control this disorder.

High Blood Pressure Treatment

The usual treatment options for hypertension are medications, along with lifestyle and dietary modifications. However, in recent times, the popularity of herbal remedies has increased considerably.

Medications
There are no permanent cure for this condition, but it can be controlled with several medications. The medications commonly used in its treatment are ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and diuretics and angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Sometimes, alpha-blockers, beta-blockers and renin inhibitors, are also used to treat this condition. However, most of these medications can cause side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, a dry mouth, depression, constipation and sleeping problems.

Lifestyle Modifications
Lifestyle modifications, like regular exercise and dietary changes, can be quite effective in naturally controlling this health problem. Even physicians strongly recommend changes in lifestyle along with medications to regulate the level of blood pressure. Regular aerobic exercise can effectively lower the risk associated with it by regulating blood pressure and reducing weight and improving blood circulation. It is also important to lower the intake of sugar and sodium in the diet.

A diet that contains a large amount of vegetables and fresh fruits, is ideal for people dealing with this condition. It has been revealed through several studies, that the intake of calcium, potassium and magnesium can significantly lower blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium. Vitamin A and C can also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which is a serious complication associated with it.

Herbs
Today, alternative medicines like herbs are being increasingly used for treating a number of ailments including high blood pressure. Some of such popular herbal remedies are garlic, turmeric, cloves, hawthorn, Ginkgo biloba, ginger and olive leaf extracts. Garlic and clove are quite beneficial in reducing the level of cholesterol and blood pressure, while the leaves, flowers and berries of hawthorn can be used in maintaining proper heart functions and stabilizing an irregular heartbeat.

Turmeric is beneficial in lowering cholesterol, preventing the formation of blood clots, improving blood circulation and strengthening blood vessels. Ginkgo biloba is also effective in improving blood circulation and in dilating arteries. Similarly, olive leaf extracts can lower blood pressure and alleviate an irregular heartbeat. However, some of these herbs can clash with certain medications and supplements and therefore, it is advisable to take such herbs only under the guidance of an expert or professional.

So regular exercise and a healthy diet, along with medications, are of prime importance in order to treat high blood pressure and reducing the associated complications. In addition to all these, avoiding alcohol and smoking are also crucial to effectively control this condition.

Urine Color Chart

Whenever you pass urine, you should always notice its color. Why? Because, urine color will help you spot dehydration symptoms in your body. Dehydration can occur if you do not drink enough water during the day. Dehydration can lead to many serious health related problems and maybe even death. Apart from dehydration it will also help you spot signs of urinary tract infection. If you are able to understand the urine color you pass, you may be able to spot an underlying health condition. The following chart for hydration as well as infection will help you match your urine color and assess your health situation.

Causes of Dehydration
There can be many causes of dehydration. It may happen due to severe diarrhea and vomiting. Body loses water faster than it can replenish the fluids. This leads to severe dehydration. It can also occur by drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks. It causes your body to lose more fluids leading to dehydration. Avoid drinking sugary drinks to quench your thirst. Instead of replenishing the body fluids, sugary drinks cause dehydration. This is because each sugar molecule requires one molecule of water for its metabolism. Excessive running, walking, exercises may also lead to dehydration. Excessive sweating may also cause loss of body fluids.

Causes of Other Health Problems
Many times one may observe changes in urine color due to a urinary tract infection. At times, kidneys that are not functioning to the optimum level also cause change in urine color. Thus, bacterial infection, kidney ailments, liver problems, etc. can lead to color changes of the urine.

Urine Color Chart for Hydration
If you are wondering if you are experiencing dehydration or if your body is well-hydrated, then the following table will prove to be a helpful guide.

The colors are just representative of the urine color. Match the shade of your urine to the nearest color in the chart for interpretation.

URINE COLOR CHART TO INDICATE DEHYDRATION
H y d r a t e d
		Level 1	This is the normal color of urine. If this is your urine color, it means you are well-hydrated and healthy.
		Level 2	Slightly darker color urine also indicates you are okay. All you need is to drink a little more water.
		Level 3	This still indicates you are hydrated, but need to drink about 1/2 bottle of water in an hour. You could even drink a whole bottle (1/2 liter) of water. This advice should be followed especially by those who are outside and/or sweating.
D e h y d r a t e d
		Level 4	This indicates you are dehydrated and need to drink at least 1 bottle (1/2 liter of water immediately.
		Level 5	You are definitely dehydrated and need to increase your water intake. If you are drinking excess caffeinated drinks, stop immediately. Your body is experiencing severe loss of water.
		Level 6	This is the most severe sign of dehydration. You should be drinking liter water and seek medical help without delay.

Consequences of Dehydration
In the above urine color chart for dehydration, level 1 and level 2 indicate normal urine colors. Level 3 urine color indicates dehydration to some extent, whereas 4 and 5 point towards severe dehydration. Dehydration results in impaired performance of an individual. Other dehydration symptoms include nausea, weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps and unsteady gait. If you notice dark urine along with the symptoms of dehydration you need to stop all physical activity. You should loosen your clothes and sit down. Drink water, but not in gulps. Instead sip water slowly. If you gulp water down, it will lead to severe nausea and even vomiting. Sipping will help your body replenish water and overcome dehydration. If one suffers from vomiting, confusion, agitation, convulsions, high body temperature due to dehydration, call for medical help immediately. The person needs to be laid down on a flat surface and loosen all clothing. Give him sips of water if the person is conscious. You can pour cold water over the person or apply ice on their skin to cool them.

Urine Color Chart for Health Problems
As mentioned above, urine color can also indicate health problems. The following table will cover information that will help you understand possible health causes for a particular urine color.

The diagnosis given is to help readers understand the possible causes. This is not a diagnostic tool. One should visit a medical professional and carry out proper diagnostic tests, in order to confirm the underlying health issues.

URINE COLOR CHART TO INDICATE POSSIBLE HEALTH AILMENTS
	Pale yellow, clear or cloudy	Clear urine indicates your health is fine. You should continue eating healthy food and follow the correct diet that suits your body type. If the urine has no color, it may indicate diabetes insipidus that causes large amounts of severely diluted urine. In some cases, it may indicate liver disease, like hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, or diabetes mellitus. Cloudy urine may indicate cystitis.
	Dark yellow or golden color	Dark urine is a sign of dehydration. It may also indicate of over-consumption of vitamins or food supplements containing B complex vitamins as well as laxatives containing cascara and senna. Consumption of medications like chloroquine and nitrofurantoin, primaquine, methocarbamol, metronidazole may also cause the urine to darken. It may also indicate other medical ailments like liver cirrhosis, hepatitis and acute glomerulonephritis. At times people eating excess of Fava beans, aloe and rhubarb may also find their urine color turning golden-yellow.
	Deep yellow, orange or amber	Orange urine color indicates dehydration as well excess consumption of certain food dyes. At times, laxatives also lead to orange urine. Other than that, eating excessive carrots, vitamin C ,and foods high in carotene also change the color of the urine into amber, deep yellow or orange color. Use of certain medications like pyridium can cause orange color of urine.
	Pink or red color	Pink or red colored urine indicates kidney infections or bladder infections. Excessive consumption of beets, berries and food dyes can also cause the urine to turn pink or red. Porphyria, is disease that attacks the skin and nervous system of a patient. It causes the urine to turn dark reddish pink in color. Hematuria causes blood in urine, that can be due to a bacterial infection or blood from the kidneys.
	Green or Blue	Green urine can be caused due to a side effect of medications like amitriptyline, indomethacin. It can also occur due to excessive consumption of asparagus and food dyes. Blue urine can be caused due to "Blue diaper syndrome", also called,familial hypercalcemia. This is a rare disorder that turns the color of urine blue. It is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder seen in infants. It causes a peculiar bluish discoloration of the infant's diaper.

This was all about urine color chart for dehydration. You can speak to a medical expert about urine color and what it means for more information related to your health. You should drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated is also good for your skin, hair and other body organs. Water helps flush out toxins from the body as well as other infectious agents. So, make sure you drink enough water to remain healthy and active.

Excessive Vomiting

Vomiting is nothing but an involuntary action of the body to expel stomach contents through the mouth. It may also be voluntarily induced. Vomiting can happen only from the stomach and so it must not be confused with coughing or spitting up mucus from the lungs. Vomiting may or may not be accompanied by nausea.

What to Do With Excessive Vomiting?

The main concern with excessive vomiting is dehydration as it causes the body to lose substantial amount of fluids. The main symptoms of dehydration include:

• Dry mouth
• Dry lips
• Lethargy
• Reduced urination
• Rapid breathing
• Reduced perspiration
• Sunken eyes
• Sunken fontanels in infants

Another major indication of dehydration is yellow or amber urine. To prevent complications, it is essential to get rehydrated once the vomiting stops. This is more important in small children. Fruit juices or sports drinks help in replacing electrolytes lost from the body during vomiting. Herbal teas such as agrimony tea, fennel seed tea, ginger tea, etc., are also helpful. Some people may prefer fluids which are clear liquids. Also, during excessive vomiting, sipping fluids, instead of slurping, helps the stomach to adjust and heal. In case of children, they can be given oral rehydration solution available in most drugstores.

If vomiting stops then you can start your meal with bland foods like non-buttered toast or crackers. Jell-O is considered the best post vomiting treat. As you start feeling better than before, you may go for light protein meals like chicken breast or fish. Avoid fatty, greasy foods and cream soups as they worsen vomiting.

In case of cyclic vomiting syndrome (excessive vomiting that keeps recurring), there is no specific cure but treatment methods to ease the symptoms. A patient might need anti-nausea drugs, sedatives, or medicines to suppress acid. If the condition has high risk of causing dehydration, then hospitalization may be required. Some people with CVS might feel better with medicines that are formulated to treat migraines.

Mostly, excessive vomiting does not indicate a severe problem. But if the same persists for more than a few days or is accompanied by symptoms of dehydration, or other symptoms such as blood in the vomit, stiff neck, slow thinking, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blurred vision, fever or fainting then it is important to get prompt medical attention.

What May Cause Severe Vomiting?

Medical conditions that are commonly associated with the problem may include:

Gastroenteritis	Vertigo
Gastroparesis	Gallbladder disease
Appendicitis	Motion sickness
Hydrocephalus	Ulcers
Brain tumor	Cancer
Brain infarction	Brain hemorrhage
Crohn's disease	Food poisoning
Irritable bowel syndrome	Meningitis
Traumatic brain injury	Intestinal blockage

The severity of the vomiting would depend on how severe is its underlying cause. For instance, meningitis is usually associated with excessive vomiting in most people. Sometimes, severe vomiting could be induced by certain medicines too.

Most episodes of vomiting do not last longer than a day or two. But some people may suffer from bouts of severe vomiting that may last for hours and sometimes even for days. Such a condition is known as cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Mostly, children between 3-7 years of age are affected by this condition. CVS follows a particular pattern that helps distinguishing it from other similar disorders. Usually, the problem begins with nausea and vomiting which get severe with time, and this is followed by a phase when no such symptoms occur and the person becomes normal again.

CVS does not have any specific or known causes. But doctors have identified factors which may contribute to the problem. These may include motion sickness, psychological stress, allergic reactions, menstruation, overeating, migraines or having family members with migraines, mutation in the mitochondrial DNA, autonomic dysfunction, and flu.

Excessive or severe vomiting is commonly associated with alcohol overdose. Alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. By inducing involuntary vomiting the gag reflex of the body works to get rid of the excess alcohol which the body is unable to process.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended in any way to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.

Herbs for High Blood Pressure

Hypertension refers to the high levels of blood pressure, which is often considered as a lifestyle disease. Almost 90% of hypertension cases develop gradually through the years and do not have a specific cause, but there are some risk factors attached to this disorder. The risk factors include age, family history, obesity, pregnancy, stress, high levels of sodium intake, use of tobacco, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, deficiency of vitamin D and potassium. Hypertension is a very common disorder in adults, but nowadays, children are also prone to this condition. This is due to their unhealthy dietary habits, lack of physical activity and poor lifestyle.

With higher incidence of this disorder, more and more people are resorting to herbal medicine and other stress relieving techniques to tackle high blood pressure. Here are some herbs, which are found to be effective in controlling hypertension.

Garlic
Garlic has already proved its worth as a culinary herb, but has many health benefits too. It is believed to be very much beneficial in controlling hypertension and in promoting cardiovascular health. It is also good for lowering the levels of bad cholesterol and is antibacterial in nature. Some studies were conducted regarding the use of garlic supplements for controlling hypertension. The results were in favor of its usage in people with high blood pressure, but never use these supplements without consulting your doctor. It may cause side-effects, if taken with some prescription drugs.

Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba, a herb of Chinese origin, has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. It is found to be effective in lowering blood pressure, by dilating arteries and improving blood circulation. This in turn facilitates increased blood flow to the brain, which can help in enhancing the memory power.

Turmeric
This herb commonly used in Indian cuisine has many medicinal properties. The active ingredient in turmeric, called curcumin, which has antioxidant properties help to control bad cholesterol, and improves blood flow by making the blood vessels strong. Turmeric is also good for liver metabolism.

Hawthorn
Hawthorn, otherwise known as mayblossom, is a herb which has been used traditionally to treat hypertension. It is believed that this herb can enhance blood flow by opening the arteries. Hawthorn reduces the possibility of hardening of coronary arteries and strengthens the muscles of the heart. It is better to take hawthorn in the form of tea.

Ginger
Ginger is also popular as an indispensable part of Asian cuisine, but its health benefits include its ability to improve blood circulation, relaxing muscles around the blood vessels, aids digestion and prevents nausea.

Olive Leaf
The extracts of olive leaves are found to be useful in controlling high blood pressure. It can also help in normalizing irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia.

There are many other herbs used in the treatment of hypertension. They include a Chinese mushroom called maitake, mistletoe, rauwolfia, coleus forskohlii, lime blossom, saffron, asparagus and hibiscus. To ensure the efficacy of herbs, it has to taken in prescribed quantities and make sure that the herbs are of good quality too. Never start any herbal medication without consulting your doctor.

Vomiting Green Bile

Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It is required for the digestion of fatty foods. It is not usual to vomit bile in normal circumstances. However, certain medical conditions as well as unusual events may cause vomiting bile in some people. The presence of green bile in vomitus may cause you to raise an alarm. However, this condition does not necessarily warrant medical emergency. Nonetheless, in some cases vomiting green bile may signal an underlying medical emergency.

Causes

Many a time, people wrongly assume that they are vomiting bile, when in reality they are vomiting only green foods! Strange as it might sound, some coloring agents in foods may give a green color to your vomitus. However, when you vomit real bile, you see an almost fluorescent bright green color. Bile vomiting usually occurs when your body runs out of food to eject. Thus, occurrence of bile in vomit is more common when you vomit persistently. During the first few times, you will eject partially digested or undigested food. When the food is cleared out of your body, you will expel contents such as mucus and bile. Bile production is at peak after 20 - 30 minutes post meal. Thus, if you have persistent vomiting after meals, then you are likely to expel bile in vomit. Given below are a few causes of expelling bile in vomitus.

Alcohol and Medications
It is a well-known fact that alcohol abuse irritates the gastrointestinal tract and causes undesirable effects. When over drinking of alcohol is combined with bad food or food poisoning, you may suffer from excessive vomiting. Eventually, you will expel bile in the form of bright green vomitus. Apart from that certain alcoholic beverages such as cocktails may contain coloring agents, which may give green color to vomitus. In addition, certain drugs such as morphine, may cause chemoreceptor trigger zone to become active and expel the content of the stomach.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
This condition is characterized by bouts of nausea and vomiting. Vomiting bile is very common in people suffering from this condition. There is no known cause for this condition. If you suffer from vomiting episodes for at least 3 times in a 6 month time frame, then you could be suffering from cyclic vomiting syndrome.

Bowel Obstruction
In normal contents, food content along with digestive juices are pressed downward, into the gut by peristaltic contractions. However, a vomit trigger may cause these contents to flow upwards and expel in the form of vomit. As these contents are already in partially digested form with bile mixed in them, you expel a green vomitus. Obstructions in intestine due to any reason are worthy of further investigation.

Bile Reflux
As mentioned above, bile is produced in liver and stored in gallbladder. The term 'stomach bile' is wrongly used as bile is not the product of stomach juices. However, a condition named bile reflux may cause the bile to get mixed with stomach juices and expel as vomit. Often, a gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) triggers this condition, hence it is also called postcholecystectomy syndrome.

Treatment

Treatment can only be suggested after diagnosing the accurate cause of vomiting green bile. More often than not, no treatment is required. If this condition is accompanied with nausea then medications to relieve intracranial pressure may be prescribed. Bile expulsion due to bowel obstruction may need to be taken seriously, more so, if you experience more than a few episodes of bile expulsion.

Vomiting bile is also common in infants and children. You may have to take your child to a doctor if she becomes very dehydrated or exhausted.

Vomiting While Sleeping

Vomiting, throwing up, getting sick, puking, whatever you may call it, it is one of the most unpleasant experiences that we go through. The reasons may be varied, but that does not take away the utter revulsion that we feel when the chunks of food and bile come swimming up and out of our mouths. Too graphic for you? Now imagine doing this while you are sleeping! Imagine waking up with the acrid smell of vomit in your nostrils and the disgusting flavor in your mouth. Yes, there are a lot of people who fall prey to vomiting while they sleep. It is one of the most discomforting experiences and can turn very dangerous if not taken care of in time. This Buzzle article will attempt to give you an insight on what could be causing this.

Why does One Vomit While Sleeping
There are a lot of people who suffer from involuntary bouts of throwing up in their sleep. While some of them may wake up just in time to rush to the bathroom, some of them are not so lucky. They end up puking in their sleep and wake up either in the middle of it or after it's done. What causes vomiting while sleeping? Let us see what the most probable cause could be.

Food: Sometimes, it may happen that you eat a particular food item that does not agree with you. You may not realize this at the time. But when you sleep immediately after eating it, the stomach juices react with the food, find it unacceptable and send it back out by way of vomiting. This may happen even if you are awake. But since you slept off, you may feel like it happened only in your sleep.

Acid Reflux: Another very probable cause of vomiting while sleeping is acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition in which the food that one ingests is sent back to the food pipe, in the process inflaming and irritating the inner lining esophagus and causing ulceration in it. This can be very uncomfortable and cause other symptoms like heartburn too. Acid reflux is a very good possibility of you waking up to vomiting bouts.

Infant Vomiting in Sleep: If it's your baby that is suffering from this, then the cause is probably that he has developed gas in his stomach or has had too much milk to drink. So, he throws out the excess milk by vomiting. Make sure to burp the baby once you're done feeding him.

How to Prevent Vomiting While Sleeping
The causes mentioned above may or may not be the ones behind your vomiting spells. But there are some things that you can do to help yourself get some respite from this harrowing experience.

The first thing that you can do to get rid of waking up in the middle of the night with the smell and taste of vomit in your nose and mouth is to make sure that you stay away from foods that do not suit you. Greasy, spicy and oily foods top this list!
Next thing, sleep at least three to four hours after eating your food. Sometimes probably the short gap between the meal and the sleeping time can make the food churn and come up into the food pipe.
You can also try to change your sleeping position. Try to sleep atilt. This means try to sleep in a position that is slightly slanting, not completely straight.
You may also want to try out some natural remedies for acid reflux. They can help soothe the inflammation and ease the vomiting if it is indeed caused due to acid reflux.
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that alcohol and caffeine can worsen this problem. So cut down on their consumption as much as you can to feel some relief.

If your problem of vomiting while sleeping continues for more than a couple of days even after you've tried different ways to get rid of it, make sure you consult a doctor. It is an unusual phenomenon and can lead to conditions like aspiration pneumonia too. So take care and get yourself treated soon.

Summer Gifts for Women

Summer is one of the best seasons when one can relax and enjoy. Though, sometimes, the heat can become unbearable during summers. Most people find it a relief to come out of the house after the chilling winters and bask in the sun for hours. As summer is a refreshing change from winters, it is also the best time to pamper our loved ones. Most women have a hectic time throughout the year, trying to balance their home, family, kids, relationships and career. So, it would be a good idea to present them with some great summer gifts and indulge them in things that they would love. So, if you want to do something for the women in your life (it can be your wife, mother, girlfriend, sister or just a friend), you need not wait for their birthday or anniversary to pamper them with a gift. Rather, you can consider summer as a special occasion, and give them a gift that will make this season more memorable for them.

Summer Gift Ideas for Women

Just like any other gift, when you choose a summer gift for a woman, you must make sure that it is something that matches her interests. This is extremely important, for her to actually like the gift. Another thing that you have to remember is, that the gift should be something that she can use during summers. With this note, let us take a look at some of the really cool summer gift ideas for women. Here, you will find some more summer gift ideas for her.

Gift Basket
A summer gift basket with a lot of essential things that a woman can use during the season will be one of the best gifts. Look for a wicker basket and fill it with some summer essentials like a pair of flip flops, sun block or sunscreen, beach towel, sunglasses, etc. Adding some fresh flowers into the basket will give the gift basket a really nice touch. If she is a book addict, place a book by her favorite author, or one she has been wanting to read for a long time, to complete the summer gift basket.

Summer Clothes and Accessories
Clothes are something that majority women love to have. Even if their wardrobe is overflowing with clothes, they are still glad to shop for more. In this case, getting a woman some summer clothes will surely be appreciated. Some of the really cool summer dresses which you can get for a woman include halter dresses, maxis, frocks, skirts, swimsuits, shorts, cotton t-shirts, etc. Along with clothes, you can also add some accessories like a huge hat, belts, sandals, etc. However, before you start shopping for summer clothe and accessories, make sure that you know her taste well. If you are not very clear about it, you can either take the help of one of her friends or get a voucher or hamper of her favorite clothes store.

Spa Treatment
As most women like to be get pampered, a gift certificate for a spa treatment at her favorite salon will be a great idea. Some of the beauty treatments that you can arrange for her at the spa include body massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, hair spa, etc. This gift can become really exciting, if you keep it as a surprise. Get an appointment at the salon or spa beforehand, and take her there on the said day. And only when you reach the salon, should you tell her about the gift. I am sure that this gift will be loved by every woman.

Holiday
Another great summer gift for a woman would definitely be a week-long vacation or a holiday. One of the best places that you can visit during summer is a beach. However, there is no hard and fast rule regarding this. If the woman is of an adventurous type, take her to places where you can go trekking or may be where you can indulge in some adventurous sports like river rafting, bungee jumping, parasailing, etc.

Apart from these gifts, a great gift that you can give a woman is a time off to do whatever she wants to. If the person you want to give a summer gift is a busy woman who has tough time shuttling between work and home, a great gift would be to give her a time off from her busy schedule. For instance, if your wife is always busy with housework, kids, job, etc. take up her responsibilities for a day and let her do things that she normally does not get time to do. I am sure that this would be the ideal gift that any woman will definitely appreciate.