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Symptoms may be very noticeable, but sometimes you can have the disease and not have any symptoms. Chest pain or discomfort (angina) is the most common symptom. You feel this pain when the heart is not getting enough blood or oxygen. How bad the p...
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Coronary artery disease is a narrowing or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the heart. It is caused by atherosclerosis , an accumulation of fatty materials on the inner linings of arteries. The resulting blo...
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Coronary artery disease is a stenosis (narrowing) or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygenated blood to the heart . It is caused by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), an accumulation of fatty plaque on the inner lining...
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Pain is an unpleasant sensation triggered in the nervous system that can range from mild
discomfort to unbearable agony. Pain receptors located throughout the body send
electrical impulses via the spinal cord to the brain.
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Nonspecific back pain refers to pain in the back due to an unknown cause. See also: Low back pain
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Back pain may occur in the upper, middle, or lower back; it is most often experienced in the lower back. It may originate from the bones and ligaments forming the spine, the muscles and tendons supporting the back, the nerves that exit the spinal column, or even the internal organs.
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Instead of looking for a quick fix, try to develop a longer view. Healing takes time and is a gradual process. By doing daily stretching and stress-management exercises, the time it takes to heal your back will be shortened.
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Back pain has many sources. It can originate in the joints, muscles, or ligaments of the back itself or be caused by problems in other parts of the body.
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As your body changes during pregnancy, your back must work in new ways. This can be painful if your back isn’t prepared.
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Four out of five adults suffer back pain sometime in their lives, experts say. And most of that back pain is in the lower back. That's because the low back bears most of the weight and is the most common site of poor posture.
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These exercises will strengthen your back and buttocks muscles.
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Ice reduces muscle pain and swelling. It helps most during the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury.
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More than half of American adults seek medical treatment for back pain at some point in their lives.
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Up to eight in 10 Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. For most people, back pain resolves, but for 5 to 10 percent, low back pain becomes a chronic condition.
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in one year, more than 10,000 children ages 5 to 14 see doctors with backpack-related complaints.
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Back pain is something you don't want to repeat. Recovering properly from a back injury and taking preventive measures can help you reduce your risk of going through it again.
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Smoking damages your arteries, and it’s thought that the damaged arteries in the discs and joints in your back may lead to pain and injury.
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Think through each move before you make it, so you'll use the right muscles for the job. If you practice these safe moves now, they may come naturally to you by the time your baby's born.
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People who work in certain occupations, such as nursing, are likely to have back pain. But so can folks who work in an office every day if they don’t take proactive steps to protect their backs.
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Back pain is a common complaint: Nearly everyone will have low back pain that interferes with work or daily activities at some point in his or her life.
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To heal your back and make your spine healthy, it's essential to build up and nurture the back muscles. This is accomplished by systematic stretching of not only the muscles in the back, but the other muscles in the body as well, since virtually all muscles in the body affect the back in one way or another.
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Learning the proper ways to bend, lift, and carry objects may help relieve back strain. It will also help you protect your back after your baby is born. Remember, if you’re having trouble protecting your back, it’s okay to ask the people around you for help!
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Back pain can be caused by many illnesses and conditions, including stress or injury, being overweight, improper lifting, pregnancy, and diseases such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
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Four out of five people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
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Your back is important to almost every move you make, but you probably won't realize that until you hurt it.
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Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
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If the pain occurs because of an accident or injury, or fever is present, you should see your health care provider immediately. Pain not accompanied by fever or not associated with an accident or injury may not need immediate treatment.
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Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
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If you have loss of bowel or bladder control, seek emergency help at once. Paralysis of the bowel and bladder could result if not attended to promptly.
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Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
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Is back pain in children common? What should you do if your child has back/low back pain?
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The cause of most back pain cannot be identified specifically, and is likely due to a conbination of factors. Imaging tests are not very useful and do not improve the outcome of treatment.
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You likely position yourself differently now than you did before you were pregnant. Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
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Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.
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New onset chest pain always requires evaluation by your doctor. If the pain is severe, you should seek immediate medical care.
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Doctor-patient communication can improve the treatment outlook for those with chronic chest pain.
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If hospitals become accredited as "chest pain centers," it could make deciding where to go for treatment easier, and also increase recovery rates.
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Every now and then I get a sudden, sharp pain on the left side of my chest, like a knife. I get a little dizzy, and then it disappears as quickly as it came on. Even though the test results were fine, it still scares me. Should I be concerned about this?
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A new drug has been approved to treat angina, though it is intended for those who have not had success with other angina medications, and is meant to be used in combination with another such drug.
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What would cause me to have chest pains when I eat a full meal?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about when chest pain may be heartburn, and when it may be a sign of something more serious.
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Women who suffer from chest pain but show clear arteries on an angiogram may have a different type of blocked artery, where plaque builds up evenly on the inner surface or bulges outward.
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The benefits of chest pain regarding acute coronary events.When it comes to exercise, that old chestnut “No pain, no gain” is passé. But it may still apply to heart attacks. People who have chest pain (angina) with activity in the months or weeks before a heart attack tend to have smaller heart attacks, better survival, fewer heart rhythm problems, and better recovery of heart function than those without chest pain. In May, a team that included cardiologists from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that angina protects against the muscular remodeling of the left ventricle that can follow a heart attack and lead to heart failure. It didn’t seem to help people with diabetes, though.
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Hypertension is the term doctors use for high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as 2 numbers. For example, 140 over 90 (written as 140/90. The top number is your systolic pressure, the pressure created when your heart beats. It is considered high if it is consistently over 140; The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, the pressure inside blood vessels when the heart is at rest. It is considered high if it is consistently over 90. Either or both of these numbers may be too high. Pre-hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89 on multiple readings. If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure at some point. See also: Blood pressure
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Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. Like air in a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity- and just as too much air pressure can cause damage to a balloon, too much blood pressure can harm healthy arteries.
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Also known as high blood pressure, a condition in which too much force is exerted by the blood as it travels through the body ' s arteries. There are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary.
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High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.
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Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
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Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.
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Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don’t take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?
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High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
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The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900, high blood pressure, or hypertension, was not generally recognized as a health problem.
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Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?
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A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?
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While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.
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A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.
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Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?
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What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.
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High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don’t know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.
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Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.
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For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.
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In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.
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This HealthSheet was discontinued in quarter 1 of 2006. (also 83203 Spanish) Replaced with: (same title) 85660 English – 85661 Spanish
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Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?
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The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.
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High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries.
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A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.
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Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
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The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure . Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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If your blood pressure has been very good for most of your life and then suddenly rises to a dangerous level, could there be an infection or some other medical condition that caused the sudden jump?
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Definition and classification Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as " an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about pain as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of cancer-associated pain are discussed.
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Pain, medically termed "nociception," is a response to noxious stimuli that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons . The discomfort signals actual or impending injury to the body.
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Communicating About PainResourcesAmerican Pain Foundation888-615-7246www.painfoundation.orgAmerican Chronic Pain Associationwww.theacpa.orgThe National Pain Foundation www.painconnection.orgYou have a right to have pain treated. Untreated pain can...
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Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
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Measuring Your PainA pain scale helps you rate pain intensity. In the scale, 0 means no pain, and 10 is the worst pain possible.
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Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
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Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by nerves in the body. Pain arises from any number of situations.
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This comprehensive report describes the many causes of pain, the latest treatments, and the best preventive strategies.
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I have recurring sores in my mouth, most generally on the sides of my tongue, and the tip of my tongue gets very tender and sore. Do I have a vitamin deficiency? What else could be the cause of this?
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Examines the role of forgiveness in personal health and happiness, ranging from reduced stress to improved relationships.
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Children who experience verbal abuse are at as much risk for developing anxiety or depression as those who are abused physically or sexually. This may be due to the fact that verbal abuse is likely to persist over a lengthy period of time.
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C-reactive protein is a test that measures the amount of a protein in the blood that signals acute inflammation.
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I had a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test that was 38.6, which my doctor said was quite high. My cholesterol was fine. A heart scan and stress test were normal. When my doctor repeated the test, my hsCRP was 6.1. What can cause such variations?
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