Heart attacks occur when heart muscles do not receive enough oxygen rich blood and therefore start to die. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but usually occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the blood vessels leading to the heart. If this clot gets large enough it can block the blood supply to the organ.

When an individual suffers a heart attack, the symptoms can include a plethora of conditions. These include coughing, chest pain ranging from a mild discomfort to a crushing pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, ashen colored face (a gray appearance), nausea, vomiting and clammy and sweaty. Pain is usually felt in the chest initially, but can then spread to the arms, wrist, neck, jaw and ears. Less common is pain in the shoulder blades, the abdomen and the back.

Some of the main causes of heart attacks include age (this is thought to be the largest contributing factor, and men over 45 and women over 55 years of age see their risk rise dramatically); angina; high cholesterol levels; diabetes; diet; genetic makeup (hereditary); blood pressure; heart surgery; obesity; physical inactivity; and smoking.

Heart Attack

The quicker a heart attack victim is treated, the more successful their treatment tends to be. Some treatments that can be administered during a heart attack are CPR, manual chest compression, use of a defibrillator, a 300mg dose of aspirin, and sometimes, morphine.

Blood pressure is described as the pressure the force of blood applies to the artery walls as it flows through them. It is the pumping action of the heart that causes the blood to be under pressure. Normal blood pressure is an essential function in the workings of the body. Blood pressure is denoted by two numbers, 120/80 being an example (which happens to be considered an average blood pressure reading, by the way), with the first number being the systolic blood pressure, or the pressure when the heart is contracted while pumping the blood, and the second number is the diastolic blood pressure reading which is when the heart is at rest while filling with blood.

Naturally low pressure (usually thought of as lower than 90/60) doesn’t indicate any problems health wise. It could be normal for some people and indeed beneficial as it can lower incidences of stoke and coronary heart disease. It only becomes a problem if it is accompanied by symptoms such as fainting. This is normally caused by an underlying problem which would indicate that the blood pressure is not being regulated properly.

What to do in the case of Low Blood Pressure

If someone has constantly low blood pressure, then this could be classed as normal, however, if they have postural hypotension (blood pressure drops when standing up from a sitting position) or postprandial hypotension (blood pressure drops after eating), could mean there are underlying health problems. These could be taking drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure, illnesses that cause blood loss, diabetes, Addison’s disease (an adrenal gland disease), and early stages of pregnancy.

Treatment of low blood pressure normally depends on the underlying cause of the problem.

Motion sickness can also be referred to as travel sickness and is caused by recurring movements when traveling.  Symptoms of motion sickness include, feeling sick, headaches, light headedness or perspiration.  The reason for these symptoms occurring is down to the brain receiving mixed messages from what your eyes are seeing outside the mode of transport compared to the messages being sent by the inner ear when these bumps are felt.  Motion sickness can also occur when trying to read while traveling.

Motion sickness can be quite frequent in children but luckily many find this can disappear as they get older. Some people are more prone to motion sickness and can also develop similar symptoms on fairground attractions, particularly those which involve spinning around.  Most sufferers find that the symptoms will disappear once they have completed their journey or finished their fairground ride; for the unlucky few, symptoms can last for a few hours or even longer.

There are some ways to avoid motion sickness symptoms such as sitting in the front of a car or if in the back usually sitting by the window with the window open can help.  It can also help to sleep or just keep eyes closed.  It can also help to keep to simple foods before traveling to avoid nausea.  There are also over the counter medicines which can help to prevent or reduce the symptoms of motion sickness.  These types of medicines are best taken before traveling but can also help if taken during the journey.  Some medicines for motion sickness can cause drowsiness so it is recommended not to drive or work with heavy machines.