Herbal Health

The limiting levels of blood pressure are arbitrary. They are based on a population whose blood pressures are too high in the first place. When a diastolic blood pressure is between 90 and 100 millimeters of mercury, the blood pressure is said to be borderline. When the diastolic lies between 100 and 110 millimeters of mercury, it is said to be mildly elevated and when the diastolic blood pressure is between 110 and 120 millimeters of mercury, the blood pressure is said to be moderately elevated. The term malignant blood pressure is used when diastolic blood pressure exceeds 120 millimeters of mercury or the systolic climbs above 200. At this point in time signs of active retinal, cerebral or kidney damage occur right before the physicians eyes.
Medication in the management of high blood pressure is the beginning of a statistical nightmare. A normal blood pressure may mean that in ten years time, ten people in a thousand will die of cardiovascular disease. An elevated blood pressure could mean that 20 people will die in the next ten years as a result of cardiovascular disease. It follows that to save ten lives in a thousand people, 990 of them are going to be placed on medication that were never going to have a serious complication of high blood pressure in the first place. Medical science is unable to be more selective than this when deciding who to put on medication for high blood pressure.
Considering that in one sub group of the Framingham study more people treated with Fluid Tablets for high blood pressure died than people that remained untreated, there is room to question the use of potent chemicals in the management of high blood pressure. Most doctors would agree that people with malignant blood pressure are best treated on the spot. Death is imminent and the side effects of drug therapy become irrelevant.

Home Remedies
The treatment of high blood pressure is something of a headache. People with border line blood pressure are advised to drink less alcohol, lose weight, eat less salt and exercise more. Done in moderation these activities have the potential to lower the blood pressure by 10 millimeters. In other words, the diastolic blood pressure is taken into the normal range. If the blood pressure is over a 100 millimeters (diastolic), these interventions are never going to take the blood pressure back into the normal range and so medication is advised by the medical practitioner.

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Quick, simple action can save a life
Thousands of Americans choke to death needlessly every year. People of any age can choke on pieces of food, vomit and small objects.

Prevention
For yourself
Take small bites and chew food thoroughly. Cut meat into small pieces.
Don’t eat too fast, or eat and talk or laugh at the same time.
Don’t drink too much alcohol before eating.
If you smoke, wait until after you’ve finished eating to light up.

If you’re a parent of a small child
Keep small objects that children might choke on out of reach.
Do not let children run or jump with food or any other object in their mouth.
Inspect all toys for small, removable parts that can cause choking. (Follow label guidelines that indicate “appropriate ages.”)

What you can do      
if someone is choking
You may have only four to eight minutes to save a choking person’s life, so you should know how to administer the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.
A conscious child or adult who is choking will breathe in an exaggerated way. They will be unable to talk or cough, and will probably nod in the affirmative to the question, “Are you choking?” They may grasp their throat. People who can cough or speak are still getting some air into their lungs, and should be encouraged to cough vigorously. The Heimlich maneuver should not be administered in these cases.

Choking rescue (heimlich maneuver) for a conscious person
Establish whether the person can speak or cough by asking, “Are you choking?”
Stand behind the person.
Wrap your arms around their waist.
Grasp one of your fists with the other hand and place the thumb-side of the fist just above the navel but below the rib cage.
Thrust your fist upward in five quick, sharp jabs.
Repeat until the object is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.

Choking rescue for an unconscious person
Call 911 or your local emergency services number.
Check for object in the mouth by using tongue-jaw lift (see Figure 9) and sweeping deeply with a hooked finger to remove object.
Open airway (push down and back on the forehead and lift up the chin by placing your fingers on the jaw bone). Attempt rescue breathing by pinching the nostrils shut, placing your mouth over the . person’s mouth, and giving two breaths. If needed, open the airway and try again.
If object is still obstructing airway, kneel down and straddle either the person’s hips or legs.
Place the heel of one of your hands against the person’s abdomen just above the navel but well below the rib cage, then place your second hand on top of the first.
Press into the person’s abdomen with quick upward thrusts. Do this five times.
Repeat sequence of finger sweep, rescue breathing attempt and abdominal thrusts until successful or until help arrives.
Obstructed airway in children 1 to 8 years old
Use same procedure already covered with two important exceptions:
Look into the airway and use your finger to sweep the object out ONLY if you can see it. DO NOT perform a blind finger sweep. Instead, perform a tongue-jaw lift.
If obstruction is not relieved after one minute, call your local emergency services number. Of course, if someone else is available, have that person call for help immediately. Continue sequence until successful or until help arrives.

Obstructed airway in infant or child less than 1 year of age
The following steps are appropriate if there is complete airway obstruction due to a witnessed or strongly suspected obstruction by an object. DO NOT PERFORM these maneuvers to clear an airway that is obstructed due to swelling caused by infection. SEEK EMERGENCY CARE IMMEDIATELY.
Infant or child is conscious
Hold infant or child face down along your forearm, supporting the head and neck with one hand.
Give five back blows forcefully between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Turn the infant or child face up. Keeping the head supported and lower than the rest of the body, position your index and middle fingers on the baby’s breastbone and give five thrusts with two fingers.
Do chest thrusts slower than you would for CPR.

Repeat until the object is dislodged or infant/child is unconscious. Infant or child is unconscious
Place the infant or child on a firm surface.

Open the airway (push down and back on the forehead and lift up the chin by placing your fingers under the jaw bone). With an infant, be careful not to extend the head back too far since that can shut off the airway.
If the infant or child is not breathing, try to give rescue breaths by covering his or her mouth and nose with your mouth.
If unable to give breaths, reposition the head and try again.
Turn child face down and deliver five back blows.
Deliver five chest thrusts.
Do tongue-jaw lift. Remove object ONLY if you can see it.
Try again to do rescue breathing.
Repeat back blows, chest thrusts, tongue-jaw lift and rescue breathing attempts until successful.
After one minute of emergency first aid, call 911 or your local emergency services number. Of course, if someone else is available, have that person call for help immediately. Continue process until successful or until help arrives.
If you are choking and can’t get help
Try not to panic.
Cough vigorously.
If unsuccessful, stand behind a chair or beside or over some other object that puts pressure on your abdomen just above your navel (but below your rib cage).
Thrust yourself upon the object in strong, sharp bursts.
Repeat until item is dislodged.

For a pregnant or obese person
Stand behind the person and place your arms under their armpits.
Place fist on the middle of breastbone in the chest, but not over the ribs. 
Place other hand on top of it.
Give five quick, forceful movements. Do not squeeze with arms, but use your fist.
Final notes 
Call your local hospital or Red Cross chapter for more information and instruction on these procedures. Those who have just had the choking rescue performed on them should see a doctor. The maneuver can cause trauma to the chest or abdomen, and the object may have damaged the throat.
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Heat exhaustion is another term for dehydration. People come close to the point of collapse in warm weather from overexertion because they do not consume enough fluid and salt. Signs of heat exhaustion are rapid pulse, perspiration, increased respiratory rate, dry tongue and imminent collapse. No athlete has ever been forced to leave the field due to over hydration. According to marathon runner Robert De Castella “If you are thirsty; it is too late”.
Home Remedies
The victim of heat exhaustion needs cool water and salt. By the time dramatic symptoms draw attention to the heat exhaustion victim, fluid requirements will be at least three liters. Each liter of fluid should contain a third of a tea spoon of salt. Shortly after the correction of any fluid and salt imbalance the victim will be almost back to normal. It is worth remembering that soldiers planning to patrol on a hot day in Australia plan to consume 8 liters of water each day. A good sign of dehydration is dark urine. A well hydrated person will pass copious quantities of clear urine and that should be the goal of water consumption. Anything less than clear urine on a hot day; means water consumption is not enough.

Heat Stroke
Heat stroke takes dehydration one step further. The body is so deficient in water for cooling purposes that the tissues over heat and cook. Runners that die from heat stroke literally coagulate the protein of their muscles and brain. Cooked muscles look like well done steak. All that surgeons can do in the presence of such injury is to slice or amputate the dead flesh away. With heat stroke the victim usually collapses. The body is dry and hot. The tongue is bone dry and there are no tears in the eyes.
Home Remedies
Victims of heat stroke need urgent medical attention. In the mean time they need to be cooled down. Use fans, pools of water or buckets to cool the victim down. Don’t try to give fluids by mouth. This is not advisable in an unconscious patient and efforts must be concentrated on cooling and getting to medical assistance.

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