I have had this condition for several years but I still don't understand it, and I mean that literally: reading a scientific explanation makes me anxious, causing my blood pressure to rise, so I don't do it. I have never gotten further than knowing it's got something to do with blood pumping into the heart and out of the heart and how much there is when you're resting and how much when you're--actually, that's all I know. And how would it help me to know? The disease is called a "silent killer" since there are allegedly no symptoms, but I can always tell when mine is soaring: I get the subtle but distinct feeling of a train rumbling into the station, and the station is my head.
The causes of high blood pressure include anxiety, yelling and screaming, salt consumption and defending Rush Limbaugh to rabid lefties. My treatment plan includes prescription meds, drinking lots of water, deep breathing and exercise. I try hard to stay calm, but my condition is exacerbated by:
1. Rufus, my aging, arthritic, half-blind miniature schnauzer refusing to go outside for a walk, eschewing dog food, begging for people food at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table, begging for treats the rest of the time, barking for no reason, licking his genitals while I am eating and constantly demanding attention.2. My 15-year-old cats fighting like common alley toms over who will occupy my lap, wailing at the basement door day and night to go down and visit the mice, meowing for food and then throwing up that very same food, purring in my ear all night, so loudly that it infiltrates my dreams, which are often about construction work or dental drilling, and constantly seeking love.
3. People insisting that George W. Bush is an idiot because he pronounces the word nuclear as "nucular," even though those very same people say "supposably" and "jewlery" and "for all intensive purposes."
When I woke up this morning my BP was 175/115; now it's 113/75. Writing this helped, and that tranquilizer didn't hurt.
You just have to remember that you can't change people's opinions, so don't worry about it. It only brings up your blood pressure and for what? They didn't know that you were upset with them, so it is pretty much a wasted feeling.
ReplyDeleteEating out can be hazardous to your health, but if you do it in moderation and pick carefully....maybe. I agree, way too much salt in foods. That is why you should rotate with friends on who is hosting this week's Friday or Saturday dinner.
Crafts are a great way to relax....you paint and write.
GL
Great post! Love the cat paragraph.
ReplyDeleteJackie