Low Blood Pressure (Hypotensi... : Causes
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Blood pressure that is borderline low for one person may be normal for another. The most important factor is how the blood pressure changes from the normal condition. Most normal blood pressures fall in the range of 90/60 millimeters of mercury (m...
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Postural hypotension is the most common type of low blood pressure. In this condition, symptoms appear after a person sits up or stands quickly. In normal people, the cardiovascular system must make a quick adjustment to raise blood pressure sligh...
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Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type of allergic reaction .
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Anaphylaxis is a severe, sudden, often fatal bodily reaction to a foreign substance or antigen. In humans, anaphylaxis is a rare event usually triggered by an antiserum (to treat snake or insect bites), antibiotics (especially immunoglobulin), or wasp or bee stings.
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Detailed information on anaphylaxis, including causes, symptoms, and treatment
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Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a type of allergic reaction, in which the immune system responds to otherwise harmless substances from the environment.
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Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a type of allergic reaction, in which the immune system responds to otherwise harmless substances from the environment.
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Anaphylaxis is a severe, sudden, and potentially fatal allergic reaction to a foreign substance or antigen that affects multiple systems of the body. Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction.
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Allergic reaction is more common than ever before. And it's not just hay fever or bee stings. This comprehensive report describes the causes and cures for everything from food allergies to poison ivy.
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Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both. Vomiting and diarrhea are common causes. Infants and children are more susceptible to dehydration than adults because of their smaller body weights and higher turnover of water and electrolytes. The elderly and those with illnesses are also at higher risk. Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body's fluid is lost or not replenished. When severe, dehydration is a life-threatening emergency.
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Dehydration happens very quickly in the bodies of infants and small children, who don’t have as much fluid to spare. It can quickly become very serious. Rehydration is the crucial process of returning those fluids back to the body to restore normal functioning.
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Detailed information on dehydration and heat stroke, including symptoms, treatment, and prevention
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The average adult has 10 to 12 gallons of water in his or her body, accounting for 60 percent of body weight. That water plays a critical role in nearly every bodily process. And being a quart or two low can affect how you feel.
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Can dehydration cause headaches?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
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Dehydration is the loss of water and salts that are essential for normal body function. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in.
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Dehydration is the excessive loss of water from body tissues accompanied by an imbalance in essential electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in.
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Dehydration is the excessive loss of water from the body. Water can be lost through urine, sweat, feces, respiration, and through the skin.
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Dehydration is the loss of water and salts essential for normal body function. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in.
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each year thousands of concert- and festivalgoers are injured because of crowd problems—stampedes or even dehydration.
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A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when an area of heart muscle dies or is permanently damaged because of an inadequate supply of oxygen to that area.
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A heart attack is the death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is severely reduced or stopped. Heart attack is the leading cause of death in the United States.
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Detailed information on heart attack, symptoms of heart attack, warning signs, how to respond in an emergency, and heart attack treatment
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Detailed information on heart attack, symptoms of heart attack, warning signs, how to respond in an emergency, and heart attack treatment
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Detailed information on heart attack, symptoms of heart attack, warning signs, how to respond in an emergency, and heart attack treatment
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The Framingham risk-assessment tool is used to evaluate a person's risk of heart attack, but it does not consider the influence of inflammation. Researchers have developed a new tool that uses three additional factors to evaluate your heart attack risk.
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Over the long term, your quality of life is tied to how severe your heart attack was and how it was treated. Beyond that, any change will depend largely on you.
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Chest pain could be simple indigestion or a heart attack. Knowing the warning signs of a heart attack, and knowing how to respond, could save a life. The following guidelines can help you make the right decisions and take the right steps when seconds count.
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Discussion of what constitutes a heart attack and new ways to treat them.It’s a story that is played out countless times every day. A 58-year-old man develops chest pain while watching a playoff game on TV. He’s always been pretty healthy, but he hasn’t had a check-up for years. He’s had some heartburn from time to time, but this pain is different: a heavy pressure just below his breastbone with an ache in his jaw. He feels sweaty, nauseated, and a bit lightheaded. Probably the chips and garlic dip, he thinks, reaching for an antacid. But his wife knows better; she calls 911 and gives him an aspirin to chew. The EMTs arrive in a few minutes, but by then the pain is gone. Feeling foolish, he agrees to an IV, oxygen, and a trip to the hospital. In the emergency ward there are questions, EKGs, chest x-rays, and blood tests. And then the big question: Did I have a heart attack?
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A heart attack is an urgent message from your heart that it’s starved for oxygen. When oxygen-rich blood to your heart is blocked by a clot, heart muscle begins to die and symptoms of a heart attack start.
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Technology has given us the automated external defibrillator (AED), which is turning up far from hospitals. Some schools and public buildings already have AEDs.
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Detailed information on heart attack, symptoms of heart attack, warning signs, how to respond in an emergency, and heart attack treatment
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For many women, a heart attack may feel like a strange discomfort in the back or some other easily ignored sign, instead of crushing chest pain.
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A new study suggests an aspirin before bed may lower blood pressure while protecting against heart attack and stroke.
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Research shows that heart attack risk varies by both the season and time of day.
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Besides the nutritional benefits, eating beans regularly can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of a heart attack.
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People at risk for heart attack or stroke will likely benefit from taking low-dose daily aspirin, but for some there are greater risks (such as ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding) that outweigh aspirin's help.
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People who are at risk for heart disease may be fine for some time, until a stressful event or situation acts as a trigger for a heart attack or stroke. Even in those with heart disease, some of these triggers can be minimized or avoided.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about how to tell heartburn from more serious heart trouble.
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Researchers believe that enough evidence exists now to list rheumatoid arthritis as a marker of increased heart attack risk. The next step is to examine how people with RA might alter their drug treatment plan or make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk for heart attack.
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Advisory ratchets down targets for LDL (bad) cholesterol for some people, not others; no one-size-fits-all recommendation yet.
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The Women's Health Study, released in March 2005, provides surprising new information about the health benefits of aspirin for women.
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Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
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Heart attacks rise during winter and, especially, over the holidays. Possible explanations for this phenomenon, and how to protect yourself this season.
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Though clot-busting drugs are delivered with little delay in most emergency rooms, angioplasty does not fare as well, according to a new study.
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Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
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Aspirin is safe for some healthy women over age 65 to take to prevent stroke and heart attack, but probably not for most younger women.
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This article discusses the drug Plavix: what it does; who needs it; and, the risks and benefits.
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Although their symptoms and effects can be similar—and confusing—strokes and heart attacks are two different medical problems.
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A heart attack is the death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle because the supply of blood to the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped. Heart attack is the leading cause of death in the United States.
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A myocardial infarction, or heart attack, is the death or damage of part of the heart muscle because the supply of blood to the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped. Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death in the United States.
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A recent study offers evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help those who develop depression after a heart attack.
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The experience of a heart attack can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder, which can delay recovery and perhaps cause heart disease to progress further.
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Two new tests aim to provide better measures of "bad" cholesterol in order to more accurately predict the risk of heart attack.
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More Americans have their hypertension under control. Folic acid does not prevent heart attacks. Exercise after heart surgery is safe and beneficial. Program your cell phone with an emergency contact.
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Angioplasty to treat chest pain will be most efffective if the procedure is done within the first 12 hours after onset. If you have had symptoms for longer, drug treatment is likely to be as effective as angioplasty.
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A review of advances in heart medicine since the 1950s, when President Eisenhower bucked conventional wisdom by returning to physical activity several months after a heart attack.
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If hospitals become accredited as "chest pain centers," it could make deciding where to go for treatment easier, and also increase recovery rates.
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Normally, your body warns you of a problem by making you feel pain. But over time, high blood sugar damages nerves in your body. This may keep you from feeling pain caused by a heart problem.
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If you're looking for a reason to exercise, try this one: A routine workout may help ward off blood clots, the villains behind most heart attacks. You suffer a heart attack when a blood clot forms in an artery, blocking oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.
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A pair of studies found that increased, prolonged strain in people's close relationships or jobs correlated with an increased risk for a cardiac event.
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An expert shares his beliefs about how best to treat and avoid cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.
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The benefits of aspirin for those at risk for heart disease are clear, but for women under 65 who are not at risk, there is no benefit to a daily aspirin. There is evidence that taking aspirin regularly may reduce the risk of stroke, regardless of age.
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Unlike traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen, COX-2 drugs have been linked to heart attacks because they encourage blood clots to form.
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The Harvard Health Letter celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. In the first of a series, the Health Letter takes a look back at three decades in medicine.
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Sweating is an almost as common, but lesser-known, sign of heart attack as more "classic" chest pains.
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Many instances of "sudden" cardiac arrest are not sudden at all. In the majority of occurrences there is at least one warning sign before the event: chest pain, shortness of breah, nausea, and dizziness are the most common ones.
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Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a disorder in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. The term "heart failure" should not be confused with cardiac arrest, a situation in which the heart actually stops beating.
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Detailed information on congestive heart failure, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Medicines can help your heart work better. But they can’t do their job unless you take them exactly as directed by your doctor. Some results: Medicines help you feel better. They help your heart work better. They can help you stay out of the hospital.
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Heart failure can happen in two ways. The heart muscle may become weak and enlarged (systolic dysfunction). The weakened muscle doesn’t pump enough blood forward when the ventricles contract. Or, the heart muscle may become stiff (diastolic dysfunction). The stiff muscle can’t relax between contractions, which keeps the ventricles from filling with enough blood.
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If you have congestive heart failure, knowing your body can help you manage your condition.
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When you’re living with heart failure, it’s normal to feel sad or down at times. Some medications can also affect your mood. Following your treatment plan may seem like a lot to remember. If you feel overwhelmed, just focus on one day at a time.
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Detailed information on congestive heart failure, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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It’s important to ask your provider questions during your visit to make sure you understand your condition and what your treatment involves.
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Here’s how you can stay healthy and prevent the problems that lead to a stay in the hospital.
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If you have CHF, it's important to stick with your treatment, even when you're feeling better. You also need to maintain healthy habits.
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Once you have heart failure, flare-ups can happen. Gaining weight is often the first warning sign of trouble. That’s why you need to weigh yourself each day. But there are other signs of trouble, too. Here are some things to watch for.
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Being active doesn’t mean that you have to wear yourself out. Even a little movement each day helps to strengthen your heart. If you can’t get out to exercise, you can do simple stretching and strengthening exercises at home.
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Certain procedures may help in some cases of heart failure. They are done to treat health problems that are affecting your heart. Here are some examples.
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If you have COPD, it may be difficult to tell whether you also have heart failure (HF). This is because the two diseases have similar symptoms and common risk factors.
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A sudden weight gain or a steady rise in weight is a warning sign that your body is retaining too much water and salt. This could mean your heart failure is getting worse. Weighing yourself each day is the best way to know if you’re retaining water.
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When you have heart failure, excess fluid is more likely to build up in your body. This makes the heart work harder to pump blood. Controlling the amount of salt (sodium) you eat may help prevent fluid from building up.
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To evaluate your condition, your doctor will examine you, ask questions, and run tests. Along with looking for signs of heart failure, the doctor looks for any other health problems that may have led to heart failure.
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Over time, new medications and techniques have made heart failure somewhat less life-threatening than it used to be.
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Heart failure makes it hard for oxygen to get into the blood, causing shortness of breath.
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The pacemaker has come a long way since its earliest days: Examining promising results from a study that shows cardiac resynchronization therapy, via a new biventricular pacemaker, may help heart patients.
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Nesiritide (Natrecor), used to treat symptoms of heart failure since 2001, may be less safe than once thought.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about medications appropriate for recovery from heart failure.
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BiDil, a drug recently approved to treat heart failure in African-Americans, may be useful for any heart failure patient. A guide to the FDA's approval of the controversial drug.
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Heart failure is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body ' s tissues. With too little blood being delivered, the organs and other tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
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"Heart failure" is a broad term- often used inter-changeably with "congestive heart failure" (CHF)- to describe the heart's inability to consistently pump enough blood to the body's organs and tissues. Heart failure occurs either from a structural or a functional abnormality.
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Remote monitoring is the wave of the future in managing heart disease.New technology makes it easier to keep tabs on your heart, and heart disease.
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For people with severe heart failure, a pumping device called a left ventricular assist may prolong life for those who are not healthy enough for transplant surgery, or who face a lenghty wait on the transplant list.
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It's important for people with heart failure to monitor potassium intake and levels when taking the diuretic spironolactotone.
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I was just diagnosed with heart failure. My husband and I like to travel. Is it okay for people like me to fly?
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Analysis of benefits and risks regarding beta blockers.
Not that long ago, beta blockers were believed to make heart failure worse. By slowing the heart rate, reducing the force of the heart’s contractions, and relaxing blood vessels, so the thinking went, these drugs contributed to the deterioration of heart function. Large clinical trials showed just the opposite — beta blockers help people with heart failure live longer and stay out of the hospital, and over time strengthen the heart.
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Some medications taken by people with heart disease to counteract water buildup in the body can remove too much potassium from the body, while others can leave too much behind.
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High heat and humidity is more dangerous for those with heart failure, because the body chooses to maintain blood pressure rather than disperse body heat via blood vessels near the skin.
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The possible heart benefits of Tai chi.The easy exercises and deep breathing of this Chinese martial art could offer excellent self-defense for the damaged or failing heart.
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A study comparing different forms of exercise for people with moderate heart failure found that ballroom dancing was as effective as a traditional exercise regimen, and also improved patients' quality of life.
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People with heart failure may benefit from a device implanted in the upper chest that monitors blood pressure inside the heart.
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About half of those diagnosed with heart failure survive for at least five years, but the number of diagnoses has increased significantly.
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Remember that storing medicines improperly shortens their shelf life...Many of these have less expensive ?store brand? equivalents...American Academy of Pediatrics...
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Every year, more than 400 million prescriptions are filled with generic medications in the United States.
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If you have more than two medications to manage, consider getting a pill organizer -- a special container marked with the days of the week. Besides housing multiple medications, a compartmentalized organizer can be useful for keeping track of the medications you've taken.
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What makes some people sticklers for following through with their medications, and others haphazard at |