Dato' Dr Fadhilah Kamsah - Hari Lahir (part 1)

Interesting...

Give your mum a gift on your birthday....hmm.... a very good suggestion.

Wanita Menangis (3/3)

Isu kenapa orang perempuan mudah menangis
Dato Dr Fadzillah Kamsah

Wanita Menangis (2/3)

Isu kenapa orang perempuan mudah menangis...
Dato Dr Fadzillah Kamsah... my favourite motivator!

Wanita Menangis (1/3)

Isu kenapa orang perempuan mudah menangis...
Dato Dr Fadzillah Kamsah...

High Blood Pressure....

Last week I took my mum to the clinic as she had some irritations on her eyes. Doctor asked her of her health history... to which her replies were NO to all. I told doctor that she is not one who would visit doctor for any ailments. Unconvinced by her reply, doctor check her blood pressure... he was shocked!!! well.. so was I..it was 220/108.

However she has no symptoms. I rushed her to the hospital and she was monitored for 3 hours. She was discharged and was told to rest.. unfortunately the next day she was admitted to hospital when her blood pressure shot up at 222. I didnt realised that some ppl will not have any symptom at all. Most ppl I know with HBP will complaint of dizziness but not mum....

Some of you might know what HBP is all about... for those who knows little of it..read on..

Definition

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. But silence isn't golden. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

High blood pressure typically develops without signs or symptoms. And it affects nearly everyone eventually. If you don't have high blood pressure by age 55, you have a 90 percent chance of developing it at some point in your life, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

Symptoms

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.

Although a few people with early-stage high blood pressure may have dull headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal, these signs and symptoms typically don't occur until high blood pressure has reached an advanced — possibly life-threatening — stage.

Causes

In 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, the American Heart Association says there's no identifiable cause. This type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

The other 5 percent to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions can lead to secondary hypertension, including kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain congenital heart defects.

Certain medications — including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs — also may cause secondary hypertension. In a 2005 study, women who took an average of 500 milligrams or more of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) daily over several years were more likely to develop high blood pressure than were women who didn't take any acetaminophen. It's not known if the same holds true for men.

Various illicit drugs, including cocaine and amphetamines, also can increase blood pressure.

Risk factors

High blood pressure has many risk factors. Some you can't control.

• Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Through early middle age, high blood pressure is more common in men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
• Race. High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, also are more common in blacks.
• Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families.

Other risk factors for high blood pressure are within your control.

• Excess weight. The greater your body mass, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
• Inactivity. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction — and the stronger the force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.
• Tobacco use. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, which promotes narrowing of the arteries.
• Sodium intake. Too much sodium in your diet — especially if you have sodium sensitivity — can lead to fluid retention and increased blood pressure.
• Low potassium intake. Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells. If you don't consume or retain enough potassium, you may accumulate too much sodium in your blood.
• Excessive alcohol. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart.
• Stress. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary but dramatic increase in blood pressure. If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you may only fuel problems with high blood pressure.

Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of high blood pressure, including high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease and sleep apnea. Sometimes pregnancy contributes to high blood pressure.

In a 2006 study, adults who worked more than 40 or 50 hours a week — particularly clerical and unskilled workers — were more likely to have high blood pressure than were those who worked 40 hours or less a week. Researchers tied the higher risk for workers with longer hours to unhealthy eating, less exercise, more stress and less sleep.

Although high blood pressure is most common in adults, children may be at risk, too. For some children, high blood pressure is caused by problems with the kidneys or heart. But for a growing number of kids, poor lifestyle habits — such as an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise — contribute to high blood pressure.

When to seek medical advice

Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent readings if you have prehypertension, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Tests and diagnosis

Blood pressure is measured with an inflatable arm cuff and a pressure-measuring gauge. A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), has two numbers. The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (systolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).

The latest blood pressure guidelines, issued in 2003 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, divide blood pressure measurements into four general categories:

• Normal blood pressure. Your blood pressure is normal if it's below 120/80 mm Hg — but some data indicate that 115/75 mm Hg should be the gold standard. Once blood pressure rises above 115/75 mm Hg, the risk of cardiovascular disease begins to increase.
• Prehypertension. Prehypertension is a systolic pressure ranging from 120 to 139 or a diastolic pressure ranging from 80 to 89. Prehypertension tends to get worse over time. Within four years of being diagnosed with prehypertension, nearly one in three adults ages 35 to 64 and nearly one in two adults age 65 or older progress to definite high blood pressure.
• Stage 1 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension is a systolic pressure ranging from 140 to 159 or a diastolic pressure ranging from 90 to 99.
• Stage 2 hypertension. The most severe hypertension, stage 2 hypertension is a systolic pressure of 160 or higher or a diastolic pressure of 100 or higher.

Both numbers in a blood pressure reading are important. But after age 50, the systolic reading is even more significant. Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) — when diastolic pressure is normal but systolic pressure is high — is the most common type of high blood pressure among people older than 50.

A single high blood pressure reading usually isn't enough for a diagnosis. Because blood pressure normally varies throughout the day — and sometimes specifically during visits to the doctor — diagnosis is based on more than one reading taken on more than one occasion. Your doctor may ask you to record your blood pressure at home and at work to provide additional information.

If you have any type of high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend routine tests, such as a urine test (urinalysis), blood tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG) — a test that measures your heart's electrical activity. More extensive testing isn't usually needed.

Complications

Excessive pressure on the artery walls can damage your vital organs. The higher your blood pressure and the longer it goes uncontrolled, the greater the damage.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to:

• Damage to your arteries. This can result in hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack or other complications. An enlarged, bulging blood vessel (aneurysm) also is possible.
• Heart failure. To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, your heart muscle thickens. Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure.
• A blocked or ruptured blood vessel in your brain. This can lead to stroke.
• Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys. This can prevent these organs from functioning normally.
• Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes. This can result in vision loss.
• Metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is a cluster of disorders of your body's metabolism — including elevated waist circumference, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol, high blood pressure and high insulin levels. If you have high blood pressure, you're more likely to have other components of metabolic syndrome. The more components you have, the greater your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure also may affect your ability to think, remember and learn. Cognitive impairment and dementia are more common in people who have high blood pressure.

Treatments and drugs

Treating high blood pressure can help prevent serious — even life-threatening — complications. Your doctor also may suggest steps to control conditions that can contribute to high blood pressure, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

Blood pressure goals aren't the same for everyone. Although everyone should strive for blood pressure readings below 140/90, doctors recommend lower readings for people with certain conditions.

Blood pressure treatment goals
140/90 mm Hg or lower	If you are a healthy adult
130/80 mm Hg or lower	If you have chronic kidney disease, diabetes or coronary artery disease or are at high risk of coronary artery disease
120/80 mm Hg or lower	If your heart isn't pumping as well as it should (left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure) or you have severe chronic kidney disease

Changing your lifestyle can go a long way toward controlling high blood pressure. But sometimes lifestyle changes aren't enough. In addition to diet and exercise, your doctor may recommend medication to lower your blood pressure. Which category of medication your doctor prescribes depends on your stage of high blood pressure and whether you also have other medical conditions. To reduce the number of doses you need a day, which can reduce side effects, your doctor may prescribe a combination of low-dose medications rather than larger doses of one single drug. In fact, two or more blood pressure drugs often work better than one. Sometimes finding the most effective medication — or combination of drugs — is a matter of trial and error.

The major types of medication used to control high blood pressure include:

• Thiazide diuretics. These medications act on your kidneys to help your body eliminate sodium and water, reducing blood volume. Thiazide diuretics are often the first — but not the only — choice in high blood pressure medications. Still, diuretics are often not prescribed. If you're not taking a diuretic and your blood pressure remains high, talk to your doctor about adding one or replacing a drug you currently take with a diuretic.
• Beta blockers. These medications reduce the workload on your heart, causing your heart to beat slower and with less force. When prescribed alone, beta blockers don't work as well in blacks — but they're effective when combined with a thiazide diuretic.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These medications help relax blood vessels by blocking the formation of a natural chemical that narrows blood vessels. ACE inhibitors may be especially important in treating high blood pressure in people with coronary artery disease, heart failure or kidney failure. Like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors don't work as well in blacks when prescribed alone, but they're effective when combined with a thiazide diuretic.
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These medications help relax blood vessels by blocking the action — not the formation — of a natural chemical that narrows blood vessels. Like ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers often are useful for people with coronary artery disease, heart failure and kidney failure.
• Calcium channel blockers. These medications help relax the muscles of your blood vessels. Some slow your heart rate. Calcium channel blockers may work better for blacks than do ACE inhibitors or beta blockers alone. A word of caution for grapefruit lovers, though. Grapefruit juice interacts with some calcium channel blockers, increasing blood levels of the medication and putting you at higher risk of side effects. Researchers have identified the substance in grapefruit juice that causes the potentially dangerous interaction, which may one day lead to commercial grapefruit juices that don't pose a risk of interaction. For now, however, talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're concerned about interactions.
• Renin inhibitors. A new drug Tekturna (aliskiren) is a renin inhibitor. Renin is an enzyme produced by your kidneys that starts a cascade of chemical steps that increases blood pressure. Tekturna works by reducing the ability of renin to begin this process. Tekturna acts earlier in your body's blood pressure regulation process than most other blood pressure medications. It also can be used well with the other major classes of blood pressure drugs to improve their actions. Tekturna can be used alone, but it's more effective when used in combination with existing high blood pressure medications, such as water pills (diuretics). Tekturna's effects on blood pressure last more than 24 hours, so it can be taken once daily in oral tablet form.

If you're having trouble reaching your blood pressure goal with combinations of the above medications, your doctor may prescribe:

• Alpha blockers. These medications reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels, reducing the effects of natural chemicals that narrow blood vessels.
• Alpha-beta blockers. In addition to reducing nerve impulses to blood vessels, alpha-beta blockers slow the heartbeat to reduce the amount of blood that must be pumped through the vessels.
• Central-acting agents. These medications prevent your brain from signaling your nervous system to increase your heart rate and narrow your blood vessels.
• Vasodilators. These medications work directly on the muscles in the walls of your arteries, preventing the muscles from tightening and your arteries from narrowing.

Once your blood pressure is under control, your doctor may add aspirin to your regimen to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disorders.

Resistant hypertension: When your blood pressure is difficult to control
If your blood pressure has remained stubbornly high despite taking at least three medications from different classes of antihypertensive drugs, one of which should be a diuretic, you may have resistant hypertension — blood pressure that is resistant to treatment. People who have controlled high blood pressure but are taking four different types of medications at the same time to achieve that control are also considered to have resistant hypertension.

Having resistant hypertension doesn't mean your blood pressure will never get lower. In fact, if you and your doctor can identify what's behind your persistently high blood pressure, there's a good chance you can meet your goal with the help of treatment that's more effective. You may need to see a hypertension specialist if your primary care doctor isn't able to pinpoint a cause. It may also be that another condition you have that you may not be aware of, such as sleep apnea or kidney problems, is causing your high blood pressure. You may need to be more aggressive in following lifestyle recommendations.

Your doctor or hypertension specialist can evaluate whether the medications and doses you're taking for your high blood pressure are appropriate. You may have to fine-tune your medications to come up with the most effective combination and doses. Your doctor may also prescribe other medications, including a more potent or longer acting diuretic if you're not already taking one. Your doctor may also suggest nonthiazide diuretic drugs such as spironolactone (Aldactone) or eplerenone (Inspra), which change the way your body absorbs sodium and excretes potassium by blocking the hormone aldosterone. People with resistant hypertension often have higher levels of aldosterone.

In addition, you and your doctor can review medications you're taking for other conditions. Some medications, foods or supplements can worsen high blood pressure or prevent your high blood pressure medications from working effectively. Be open and honest with your doctor about all the medications or supplements you take.

If you don't strictly follow the prescribed medication regimen, your blood pressure can pay the price. If you skip doses because you can't afford the medication, because you have disagreeable side effects or because you simply forget to take your medications, talk to your doctor about solutions. Don't alter your treatment without your doctor's guidance.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Lifestyle changes can help you control and prevent high blood pressure — even if you're taking blood pressure medication. Here's what you can do:

• Eat healthy foods. Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Get plenty of potassium, which can help prevent and control high blood pressure. Eat less saturated fat and total fat. Limit the amount of sodium in your diet. Although 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day is the current limit for otherwise healthy adults, limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day will have a more dramatic effect on your blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight. If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds can lower your blood pressure.
• Increase physical activity. Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure and keep your weight under control. Strive for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
• Limit alcohol. Even if you're healthy, alcohol can raise your blood pressure. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation — up to one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men.
• Don't smoke. Tobacco injures blood vessel walls and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit.
• Manage stress. Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice healthy coping techniques, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing. Getting plenty of sleep can help, too.
• Practice slow, deep breathing. Do it on your own or try device-guided paced breathing. In various clinical trials, regular use of Resperate — an over-the-counter device approved by the Food and Drug Administration to analyze breathing patterns and help guide inhalation and exhalation — significantly lowered blood pressure.

 

Coping and support

High blood pressure isn't a problem that you can treat and then ignore. It's a condition you need to manage for the rest of your life. To keep your blood pressure under control:

• Measure your blood pressure at home. Home blood pressure monitoring can help you keep closer tabs on your blood pressure, show if medication is working, and even alert you and your doctor to potential complications.
• Take your medications properly. If side effects or costs pose problems, don't stop taking your medications. Ask your doctor about other options.
• Schedule regular doctor visits. It takes a team effort to treat high blood pressure successfully. Your doctor can't do it alone, and neither can you. Work with your doctor to bring your blood pressure to a safe level — and keep it there.
• Adopt healthy habits. Eat healthy foods, lose excess weight and get regular physical activity. Limit alcohol. If you smoke, quit.
• Manage stress. Say no to extra tasks, release negative thoughts, maintain good relationships, and remain patient and optimistic.

Sticking with all this can be difficult — especially if you don't see or feel any symptoms of high blood pressure. If you need motivation, remember the risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure. It may help to enlist the support of your family and friends as well.

Restless Legs Syndrome... Do you have it???

What is restless legs syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder related to sensation and movement. People with restless legs syndrome have an unpleasant feeling or sensation in their legs when they lie down to sleep. Most people also have a very strong urge to move their legs, and moving the legs sometimes makes them feel better. But all this movement makes it hard or impossible to get enough sleep.

When you don’t get enough sleep, you may start to have problems getting things done during the day because you're so tired. You may also be sleepy or have trouble concentrating. So it’s important to see your doctor and get help to manage your symptoms.

What causes restless legs syndrome?

Usually there isn't a clear reason for restless legs. The problem often runs in families. Sometimes there is a clear cause, like not getting enough iron. If that’s the case, treating the cause may solve the problem.

Women sometimes get restless legs while they are pregnant. The problem usually goes away after the baby is born.

Other problems that are sometimes linked to restless legs syndrome include kidney failure, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, nerve damage, anemia, and Parkinson's disease. But most people who seek treatment do not have any of these other problems.

What are the symptoms?

Restless legs syndrome makes you feel like you must move your legs. These feelings are often described as tingling, "pins and needles," prickling, pulling, or crawling.

Moving your legs will usually make your legs feel better, at least for a short time. This problem usually happens at night when you are trying to relax or go to sleep.

After you fall asleep, your legs may begin to jerk or move. These movements are called periodic limb movements. They can wake you from sleep, which adds to your being overtired. Although periodic limb movement is considered a separate condition, it often happens to people who have restless legs syndrome.

How is restless legs syndrome diagnosed?

One of the hardest parts of having restless legs syndrome is getting to the diagnosis. Often doctors don’t ask about sleep or don’t ask about the symptoms of restless legs. If you're not sleeping well, or if you think you may have restless legs syndrome, tell your doctor.

Your doctor will talk with you about your symptoms to make sure that the feelings in your legs you describe are typical of restless legs syndrome and not caused by some other problem.

You may have blood tests to rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms. In some cases, the doctor may order tests of your nerves to be sure there is no nerve damage. Your doctor may also order a sleep study called a polysomnography. This test records how often your legs jerk or move while you sleep.

How is it treated?

If your symptoms are mild, a few lifestyle changes may be enough to control your symptoms. Some changes that may help:

• Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.
• Keep your bedroom cool, quiet, and comfortable, and use it only for sleeping, not for watching TV.
• Get regular exercise.
• Massage the leg or the arm, or use heat or ice packs.

When symptoms are more severe, medicines may help control your leg movements and help you sleep. There are different types of medicine, and you may have to try a few to find the one that works best.

Bergaya di Hari Raya 2008

Still not to late for me to wish....Selamat hari raya to all....Maaf zahir & Batin...

To geng KMC.... Lynn mohon ampun dan maaf sekiranya di sepanjang persahabatan kita, ada yg tersinggung dengan gurau kasar lynn :P atau kata kata dari Lynn. Semoga persahabatan kita berkekalan.

Wei makcik semua... rindu lahhhhhhhh!!!!hahah

ok... happy viewing!!!!