11) Seizures
Think of your brain as a powerful bioelectrical mechanism with sharp and exact functions that cannot be altered. Imagine the consequences of a minimal change in its electrical activity. That is what seizures are about: abnormal paroxysmal discharge of cerebral neurons due to cortical hyperexcitability. These changes can cause dramatic, noticeable symptoms like violent shaking or loss of control, but in some other cases may not cause any symptoms.
Seizures can be triggered by a variety of health problems and other apparently normal conditions. Certain people may start a seizure after certain visual stimuli, other types of seizure can be triggered after a very large meal or during an episode of intense anxiety. That’s where blood pressure becomes a risk factor of seizures. Either high blood pressure or low blood pressure creates an alteration to the blood flow in the brain and may affect the normal function of the neurons, leading to seizures in susceptible patients.
- Now we have moved through the most common symptoms of high blood pressure, we should highlight that it would be a mistake to wait for high blood pressure to develop before taking positive steps. It would be silly waiting for signals after we have established high blood pressure as an asymptomatic disease. Patients should not neglect check-ups. A healthful lifestyle should be a concern from an early age. Taking care now will result in a better quality of life in the future.
- It is better to start eating healthily if you want to prevent high blood pressure. Beans, dark green vegetables, bananas, melons, carrots, beets, tomatoes, and oranges are in the chef’s recommendation. Another measure is controlling your consumption of foods containing significant proportions of sodium, such as canned meats, salami, ham, sausage, and other cold cuts. Finally, another piece of advice is keeping your levels of stress at bay with breathing techniques and other relaxation exercises. You can also increase your physical activity, which will improve your mood, reduce your stress levels, and improve your cardiovascular health at the same time. Moderate aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, and swimming) for 30 to 45 minutes, three to five times a week is the average recommendation.
References
Rivera, S. L., Martin, J., & Landry, J. (2019). Acute and Chronic Hypertension: What Clinicians Need to Know for Diagnosis and Management. Critical Care Nursing Clinics, 31(1), 97-108.
Whelton, P. K., Appel, L. J., Sacco, R. L., Anderson, C. A., Antman, E. M., Campbell, N., … & Labarthe, D. R. (2012). Sodium, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease: further evidence supporting the American Heart Association sodium reduction recommendations. Circulation, 126(24), 2880-2889.
Gandhi, S. K., Powers, J. C., Nomeir, A. M., Fowle, K., Kitzman, D. W., Rankin, K. M., & Little, W. C. (2001). The pathogenesis of acute pulmonary edema associated with hypertension. New England Journal of Medicine, 344(1), 17-22.
Gandhi, S. K., Powers, J. C., Nomeir, A. M., Fowle, K., Kitzman, D. W., Rankin, K. M., & Little, W. C. (2001). The pathogenesis of acute pulmonary edema associated with hypertension. New England Journal of Medicine, 344(1), 17-22.
Coffman, T. M. (2011). Under pressure: the search for the essential mechanisms of hypertension. Nature medicine, 17(11), 1402.
