The Well-Being of a Lazy Student

Family Nursing Skills - Women aka SFN 302
That is the class I have to tell me about being Healthy and all the health things a woman should know.

Well. The other day, we were talking of blood pressure. The normal is 120/80. The first number is the systolic pressure, or the pressure generated when then heart contracts. The second is the diastolic pressure, or the blood pressure when the heart is relaxed.

We then measured everyone in the class. Mine is 93/56. That's quite low. I didn't know it at the time, but this other girl in my class, who knows more about nursing than I, looks at it, and then exclaims, "Wow! Your's is really low Alex." In fact, my teacher, hearing this comment, turned and read my blood pressure then examined my face. She was a tad worried that I was going to faint right then and there. She asked me if I felt dizzy or faint. I just looked at her in confusion as I tried to figure out if I was dizzy or faint. I felt normal. But she told me that when the class was over, that I am not to stand up too fast because I would black out.

Now. I should probably get my blood pressure up higher. Because that way, when I stand up too fast, I won't black out for a little bit. Which happens at least 5 or so times a month. It's never really bothered me before. I just have to stand perfectly still until I can see again and the floor stops moving then I'm normal. But it would probably be a good idea to higher it. Maybe. Because perhaps its just what I am. I could higher it unhealthily and become average, but then I'd be unhealthy even if it is average.

But I'm on the "Borderline Low", meaning that for athletes and children this is normal. But I am not very athlete and nor am I a child. At least, not physically. Mentally? Perhaps every once in awhile.

Here is a chart I found on the internet called Systolic vs. Diastolic Blood Pressure Range and then here is and article discussing blood pressure called Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) in which I am trying to figure out how to healthily increase my blood pressure.

Well, as I am reading this I am figuring out that low blood pressure is not actually measured by the numbers, unless I have the symptoms. Which I might have if only because I stand or sit up and black out a little. One thing to be worried about with low blood pressure is the fact that if "the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidney, the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged". Now I don't know about you, but that does now sound good at all.

Reasons as to why I could have low blood pressure: Option A: less blood is being pumped into the arteries. Option B: the arterioles are larger and more flexible so less resistant to the flow of blood.

Question: Is Low blood pressure bad for your health?
Answer: "People who have lower blood pressures have a lower risk of stroke, kidney disease, and heart disease. Athletes, people who exercise regularly, people who maintain ideal body weight, and non-smokers tend to have lower blood pressures. Therefore, low blood pressure is desirable as long as it is not low enough to cause symptoms and damage organs in the body."

Oh dear. I'm still reading this article and I've discovered that I probably really do have low blood pressure because of the symptoms... and guess what I have a a risk of now? Chest pain or even heart attack (when there is insufficient blood pressure to deliver blood to the coronary arteries). I hope I do not have that. I really hope. But guess what else I've discovered? Shock is a life-threatening condition to a person with low blood pressure. Persistently low blood pressure causes organs such as kidney(s), liver, heart, lung, and brain to fail rapidly.

This is bad. Why? Because I got into shock frequently, at least things that my mind doesn't want to handle and retreats from. See mom? It is a good for my health to ignore things that I know I wouldn't be able to handle. This is all rather interesting to me because last year, during spring break, I had slightly cut my finger freaked out and knew I was going into shock, and once my mom arrived and I knew she could handle it, out I went. Unconscious. And went into complete shock. But that is another story. But apparently, having low blood pressure as I have, I basically had one life-threatening experience in my life.

Well. I read it all and apparently I can be perfectly healthy but with low blood pressure or I can be not so healthy and need to visit the doctors to see if there is anything I can do. The treatment of low blood pressure is determined by the cause of the low pressure.

So that's all about the blood pressure and me.

Next, I've discovered that I am most likely have iron deficiency anemia.

It can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body becomes more deficent in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify. (Iron Deficiency Anemia)

Symptoms may include:
-Extreme fatigue
-Pale skin
-Weakness
-Shortness of breath
-Headache
-Dizziness or lightheadedness
-Cold hands and feet
-Irritability
-Inflammation or soreness of your tongue
-Increased likelihood of infections
-Brittle nails
-Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
-Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or pure starch
-Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia
-Restless legs syndrome - and uncomfortable tingling or crawling feeling in your legs

There is something rather, interesting, about the situation. One complication that can come from being iron deficient are heart problems from rapid or irregular heartbeats as it tries to pump more blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen carried in the blood when you anemic. Now I just have really low blood pressure, so I wonder at how exactly they compound upon one another.

So I more or less plan that within the next year visiting a doctor just to discover if I am really anemic and what I should do about that as well as my low blood pressure.

Once thing to start doing now, that I should be doing anyways, is to exercise. I am just one of the most laziest people you will ever have the great chance of knowing. Ok. Well, physically lazy. I am rather productive while I sit and not move except to eat something. I'll just start to exercise. Small steps. Very very small steps.

Healthy eating. Well. I already do that. I should probably add more meat to my diet besides chicken nuggets and pepperoni from pizza, but the Word of Wisdom does say to eat meat sparingly (D&C 89:12). I should have more herbs. And I already have a lot of fruit, but I miss California where I can easily get them. Vegetables I eat all the time too. Same with grain. I eat a whole lotta grain here.

So yes. The Physical Well-Being of a Lazy Student. That would be me. I'm certainly learning a lot though. A lot that can be applied to my life in many different ways. Love it. and I love writing about it in here, because then I learn more as I look things up. So you are learning right along with me. :D