Dr Manesh Saxena explains new blood pressure injection
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High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke, which is known to alter all the senses, including taste and smell. But there is evidence that olfactory changes can occur before a stroke occurs. According to the findings of one study, olfactory changes are more common in individuals with high blood pressure than they are in those without the condition. These changes may occur in the form of phantom odour perception, researchers believe.
Phantom smell perception occurs when an individual experiences brief episodes of smelling something that isn’t there.
This usually occurs if an individual has incurred damage to the temporal lobe in the brain or has suffered some form of head trauma.
The health platform JAMA explains: “Phantom odour perception is an olfactory disturbance in which individuals perceive order in the absence of a stimulus.
“People with phantom order perception may have a neural signalling imbalance that allows nonsense olfactory to reach the central nervous system.”
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The cause of the condition remains unknown, but it has often been seen alongside other underlying conditions.
People with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, may have a higher risk of phantom odour perception, according to one study.
The 2020 study, published in the journal Laryngoscope, found that stroke was associated with a 76 percent higher likelihood of phantom order perception.
“Congestive heart failure and anti were associated with three times and 2.8 times the odds of phantom odour perception among adults 40 to 50 years and 60 years and older, respectively.”
Adults with diagnosed, but controlled, high cholesterol reported phantom odours more frequently than those without high cholesterol, according to the findings.
The researchers also found that adults with diagnosed but controlled, high blood pressure reported phantom odours more frequently than those without high blood pressure.
“We observed a threefold greater odds of phantom odour perception among adults aged 60 years and older with diabetes, but only among those who use both insulin and oral medications,” they added.
Because high blood pressure is inextricably linked with lifestyle factors, making the correct adjustments can significantly lower a reading.
Foods that comprise nitrates are recommended for their ability to relax the arterial walls, allowing more blood to flow through the veins.
In fact, several studies suggest that nitrates acutely relieve symptoms of high blood pressure in healthy humans.
The British Heart Foundation explains: “Essentially, nitrates dilate – that is, widen or relax the arteries and the veins not only in the heart but also elsewhere in the body.
“By diluting the blood vessels to the heart, nitrates can reduce the stress on the heart by improving blood flow to the heart muscle.”
But to sustain these results, regular exercise is also recommended.
“It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
Foods that make blood pressure go up usually contain high volumes of salt, which prompts the body to hold extra water, adding pressure to the blood vessel walls.
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