02/08/2019 / By Jessica Dolores
Scientists have discovered that the body’s mechanism for ensuring oxygen supply to tissues may be compromised by high blood pressure.
Say “oxygen” and your mind thinks of happy moments. People are exercising to their hearts’ content. They’re sniffing fresh, clean air, and getting life-giving oxygen from the air into their heart and other important organs of their body. Nothing comes in the way between their body and the entry of the all-important oxygen that keeps them alert, and their muscles strong. They’re active, and ready to face the world in their own terms.
What happens when the reverse is true?
People who can’t get enough oxygen into their body are a sorry sight to see. They huff and puff as they climb stairs, or even walk a few steps. Some feel shortness of breath when they’re just sitting in front of the television or surfing the Internet.
Chances are, these people are hypertensive.
They can’t get enough oxygen from the air, or other sources because their blood vessels are weak. They have hypoxemia, or a low level of oxygen. Their heart is working overtime, to protect body tissues and organs. So they easily get tired.
A research team at Fluminense Federal University and the University of Copenhagen discovered that the body doesn’t increase the blood flow to organs and tissue in middle-aged men with hypertension. Because of this, their brain and skeletal muscles have an inadequate oxygen supply. The study showed that weak blood vessels and “increases in neural signals from the hypoxic brain to the circulation” could have brought about this problem.
The study is important since it explains why hypertensive people are short on oxygen.
Low oxygen level is just one of the many issues hypertensive people must face, though. Other challenges that can develop include:
Scary? Yes. But preventable.
Here’s how:
Sources include:
Tagged Under: cardiovascular health, chest pain, heart health, high blood pressure, hypertension, irregular heart rhythm, oxygen, oxygen supply