SUDOKU

Healthy Heart Tips by Dr Helen Flaherty Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Blood Pressure

ONE IN THREE people in the UK has high blood pressure (hypertension), however many people are unaware of it as there are usually no symptoms. High blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it measured. We explain what blood pressure is and provide some tips for keeping your blood pressure healthy.

What is high blood pressure?

When blood pressure is measured, two numbers are generated. An ideal blood pressure is below 120/80 millimetres of mercury (mmHg). The first number is the systolic blood pressure (higher number), which is the force at which blood is being pumped around your body. Ideally, this will be below 120. A systolic blood pressure of 140 or more is regarded as high.

The second number is the diastolic blood pressure (lower number) which is the pressure when your heart is at rest, in between beats. Ideally this will be 80 or lower. A diastolic reading of 90 or above is regarded as high. The lower your blood pressure, the lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Get your blood pressure checked

The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked. Blood pressure checks are quick and easy, and it could be lifesaving. Adults aged 40 years or over should aim to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.

You can ask your GP to check your blood pressure, or you may be able to have your blood pressure checked with your local pharmacy. You could also consider investing in a home blood pressure monitor.

What can I do to maintain a healthy blood pressure?

• Maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of physical activity.

• Reduce the amount of salt in your diet to no more than 6g a day (1 teaspoon). Look at the amount of salt on food labels and avoid choosing snacks that are high in salt. • Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

• Keep your alcohol consumption within the recommended limits of no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days.

• Aim to do 150 minutes of moderate activity (e.g. brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (e.g. running) each week plus some strengthening activities (e.g. lifting weights) at least twice a week.

Family Health with Jenna Evans

THIS MONTH we’re taking a little tour of our lungs and a few nutritional helpers for respiratory health.

Moment to moment, without any conscious thought, our lungs work tirelessly. Expelling carbon dioxide/waste and taking in oxygen to nourish our blood and bodies, the lungs take an average of 20,000 breaths per day –staggering!

I think we are all aware of the general set up of the lungs but here’s a few things you may not know. The lungs are not identical. The left lung is smaller than the right and consists of two lobes compared to three on the right. There is a dent in the shape of the left as it sits near the heart. Imagine the branches (or roots) of a tree reaching down from your trachea (windpipe). It first splits into two branches, the bronchi.

These then become smaller branches (bronchioles) until finally becoming the microscopic alveoli. The alveoli, of which there can be as many as 700 million, are tiny air sacks where the gaseous exchange takes place. Stretched out, the surface area of the lungs is the size of half a tennis court. The lungs are protected by the rib cage and support by the diaphragm from the bottom which also plays a big role in promoting the contraction and relaxation of the breath. The pleura that surrounds each lung has a cavity that produces plural fluid, helping prevent friction during respiration. No doubt we’re all familiar with the fact the lungs produce mucus to trap and expel pathogens and particulates – something which can be thoroughly unpleasant during an infection!

So now we’ve all been reminded of how awesome our lungs are, let’s take a moment to breathe, consciously and mindfully. Feel that expansion, deep into the diaphragm and abdomen with each breath. Feel that total relaxation as you let go into exhalation. Breathwork, using particular patterns of breathing, can be a helpful tool for a slew of conditions from asthma to anxiety. For instance, the 4-7-8 breath is a popular technique for addressing stress and insomnia. It involves breathing in the through the nose for a count of four, holding for 7 and exhaling for 8. The Buteyko Method has a series of breathing exercises and was designed for those who suffer from conditions such as asthma, anxiety and sleep apnoea.

Yoga devotees will no doubt be familiar with alternate nostril breathing (ie in left, out right, in right, out left). Paying attention to our breath and experimenting with the many different breathing techniques is well worth some effort. There are plenty of resources online and in books for all these methods and many others. Breathwork is powerful, so approach with caution, you may feel lightheaded when you first try some of the methods out there – go slow!

We live in a pretty polluted world and respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD are unfortunately all too common. Most of us will probably also suffer a nasty chest infection at some point in our lives. So, we’ll end now with a very brief look at a few of the best remedies to help support and clear the lungs. For infections, herbs such as ivy, thyme, liquorice, elecampane and oregano are a few of the best.

Vitamin A is essential for the health of the mucus membranes. Vitamin D has been noted to lower risk and severity of respiratory disease and is one of the nutrients currently being investigated for sars-cov2.

The anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects of vitamin C, quercetin, nettles and pycnogenol can be helpful for allergic conditions such as hayfever.

For chronic congestion, serrapeptase and NAC are two of the most promising nutrients.

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