The HEALTH thread

[Tobra]

You have a few systems circulating fluids around your body. Arterial, venous and lymphatic. The plumbing for each of these systems is as stout as it needs to be based on pressure it has to withstand. Arteries are under fairly high pressure, they have thick, muscular walls and the ability to stretch and return to their original size, like a snake eating a bunny. They carry the blood out to the body from the heart. The veins have much thinner walls, only pressure they get is from the muscles they run through giving a squeeze when the muscle contracts, carry the blood back to the heart. The lymphatics are even thinner walled than the veins, and while important, are not getting much play in this explanation.

The veins have relatively thin walls, and in a lot of places have valves to prevent backflow, particularly in the lower legs. The walls are thin, so they are relatively easy to stretch beyond their elastic capacity, their ability to bounce back to original shape. If they do get stretched o ut, it compromises the ability of the valves to prevent backflow. Gravity is relentless, and water flows downhill. This being the case, it is best to keep the original equipment plumbing working as intended for as long as possible. When the elastic goes in your socks, they won't stay up. When the elastic goes in your veins, your feet and ankles swell. If this condition goes on long enough, the fluid part of the blood starts to leak out of the veins, and get into the interstitial spaces, not inside a blood vessel or cell, where it does not belong, or the blood inside the vessels moves too slowly and turns into something like jello. When this happens, you tend to become acutely dead when the jello breaks loose from your leg, goes to your lung and prevents them from being perfused.

Hence the suggestion to take the baby aspirin and wear the support stockings when you are going to be sitting any significant length of time.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

Yes Baz you are maybe not old enough to justify it but for the last ten years I have been taking a baby aspirin a day plus my bp meds. I believe the aspirin thins the blood and reduces the chance of a heart attack. So far so good...

My doc put me on the 80mg baby aspirin for a couple of years and now took me off. Recent findings are that the benefits don't outweigh the risks. I had a nose bleed that almost would not stop when I was on the aspirin.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by hcoles

My doc put me on the 80mg baby aspirin for a couple of years and now took me off. Recent findings are that the benefits don't outweigh the risks. I had a nose bleed that almost would not stop when I was on the aspirin.

Interesting. Obviously not for everybody. Tobra might want to comment on this?

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Handy helpful Hint for health.

I had aching lower legs, feet plus hands and wrists. And thought darn my arthritis is back. I used to have it very badly as a kid. Well, I had a magnesium supplement and I'm fine.

Never heard of that, what is the brand of magnesium supplement you are using?

I'm also on low dose aspirin (doctor recommended) and have started wearing support socks to bed, I have type 2 diabetes. Freaked my wife out at first but she seems to have gotten used to it.

We also switched from cow milk to almond milk.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by hcoles

My doc put me on the 80mg baby aspirin for a couple of years and now took me off. Recent findings are that the benefits don't outweigh the risks. I had a nose bleed that almost would not stop when I was on the aspirin.

Back in the winter of 2009 I had an issue with nose bleeds. Once I cut out pain medication with caffeine in it (they all have it) and cut back to 1/2 cup of coffee from 2-3 cups a day the nose bleeds went away.

https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/mdo/presentation/conditions/condition_viewall_page.jsp?condition=Condition_Nos ebleed.xml

Caffeine (coffee, tea, soda drinks) will dry the body including the nasal mucous membranes, increasing the chance of bleeding.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Never heard of that, what is the brand of magnesium supplement you are using?

A brand called red seal. I don't think you guys get this brand. It's only supermarket quality, so any brand will work as well as this one. The pill size is 400 IU.

[hcoles]

Anyone getting regular (yearly) carotid ultrasound? I've had two now.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by hcoles

Anyone getting regular (yearly) carotid ultrasound? I've had two now.

I have had one

And lets not forget the colonoscopy

[Jandrews]

Originally Posted by Tobra

You have a few systems circulating fluids around your body. Arterial, venous and lymphatic. The plumbing for each of these systems is as stout as it needs to be based on pressure it has to withstand. Arteries are under fairly high pressure, they have thick, muscular walls and the ability to stretch and return to their original size, like a snake eating a bunny. They carry the blood out to the body from the heart. The veins have much thinner walls, only pressure they get is from the muscles they run through giving a squeeze when the muscle contracts, carry the blood back to the heart. The lymphatics are even thinner walled than the veins, and while important, are not getting much play in this explanation.

The veins have relatively thin walls, and in a lot of places have valves to prevent backflow, particularly in the lower legs. The walls are thin, so they are relatively easy to stretch beyond their elastic capacity, their ability to bounce back to original shape. If they do get stretched o ut, it compromises the ability of the valves to prevent backflow. Gravity is relentless, and water flows downhill. This being the case, it is best to keep the original equipment plumbing working as intended for as long as possible. When the elastic goes in your socks, they won't stay up. When the elastic goes in your veins, your feet and ankles swell. If this condition goes on long enough, the fluid part of the blood starts to leak out of the veins, and get into the interstitial spaces, not inside a blood vessel or cell, where it does not belong, or the blood inside the vessels moves too slowly and turns into something like jello. When this happens, you tend to become acutely dead when the jello breaks loose from your leg, goes to your lung and prevents them from being perfused.

Hence the suggestion to take the baby aspirin and wear the support stockings when you are going to be sitting any significant length of time.

Thanks Tobra. So do you where support stockings everyday? Or every night? Or once in a while? Is there a recommended brand? I assume fit is important?

Thanks,

JA

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have had one

And lets not forget the colonoscopy

I'm not forgetting. I'm overdue and not looking forward to the prep. It's getting higher on my to-do list.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Baz

This morning's breakfast......

Instant Maple/Brown Sugar flavour Oatmeal (reduced sugar: 4g vs. 9g) with skim milk and sprinkle of cocoa powder and protein shake with skim milk, banana, and teaspoon of cocoa powder.....



At some point later in the morning will have an apple and an orange. Same thing in the afternoon.


==========

Interested in hearing what others are doing to provide healthy living and lifestyle?

Inthe shake use peanuts or almonds or cashews instead of the protien powder.

Just nuts, milk, banana and some cocoa powder.

The nuts (or nut butter) will give you plenty of protien and healthy fat without all of the sweetener and other crap that those things usually have.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Never heard of that, what is the brand of magnesium supplement you are using?

I'm also on low dose aspirin (doctor recommended) and have started wearing support socks to bed, I have type 2 diabetes. Freaked my wife out at first but she seems to have gotten used to it.

We also switched from cow milk to almond milk.

We don’t drink much regular milk. If we could easily get raw milk we might drink more.

For a better milk substitute than almond milk, try a mix of almond and coconut milk. They two combined are, to me, much more milk-like than either one individually. We make our own, but there’s even a brand around here in most of the grocery stores. I think it’s this one.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jandrews

Thanks Tobra. So do you where support stockings everyday? Or every night? Or once in a while? Is there a recommended brand? I assume fit is important?

Thanks,

JA

Yes, enquiring minds want to know.

[Tobra]

Yes I do

You do not really need to wear them to bed

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Yes I do

You do not really need to wear them to bed

I wear hiking shocks at work because I like the padding, do they make a padded support sock?

The socks I wear to bed are not really support socks but tight fitting running socks, I'm type 2 diabetic and my feet get cold at night.

[Tobra]

Wear the support stockings with the hiking socks over the top of them. If you were my patient, I would tell you to put an extra blanket over the foot of the bed, rather than wear socks to bed, and never wear tight socks to bed.

Everyone is different WRT to how strong the anti-platelet effect of ASA is on them. It lasts a week, so technically you could take one a week. For some people, it is a bad idea, but that is probably a pretty small group.

[Jandrews]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Yes I do

You do not really need to wear them to bed

How many mmHG do you recommend for everyday use for someone who thinks they don't need them? Any particular brand?

JA

[Baz]

Thanks for all the postings thus far......

Since I almost never wear long pants......I guess I'll have to wear those support stockings around the house where no one can see me....

Thanks for the technical background on this, Tob!

[OK-944]

...and don't forget to get up and MOVE on a regular basis! Helps all of the above work.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by OK-944

...and don't forget to get up and MOVE on a regular basis! Helps all of the above work.

Well said.

A decent fitbit will remind you when to start moving and when to eat. The total number of steps you take in a day are measured. I aim for 10,000 steps a day or about 5 miles a day although when it is cold that is hard to do. Californians should have no excuse as the weather is so moderate there.