27May/114
Swollen ankles and low blood pressure what does this mean?
My dad drinks a lot of beer and he smokes but is not a chain smoker. He's 55 but in really good shape,(like he lifts weights every day and can do over 100 push ups in a row) Recently my dad (who normally has higher blood pressure) has had a lot lower blood pressure like 100 over 60 and his ankles have been swelling up what could this mean?
May 27th, 2011 - 17:51
What else does he drink besides beer?
He’s beginning to see the more serious effects of dehydration. Alcohol is a big contributor to dehydration as is soft drinks, tea, coffee and other water "alternatives". These pull out as much as 50 MORE water than they provide. Sucking the water out of the body means that the cells don’t get the nutrients they need, causing them to malfunction – resulting in disease and tissue damage.
Addressing the edema (ankle swelling): There are two different "oceans" of water in the body – one inside the cells and one outside the cells. The water (in conjunction with salt) in the cells is responsible for many function including delivering nutrients, helping to create the hydroelectric impulses that go to every corner of your body, and remove the toxins.
When you don’t drink enough water, the body senses a drought condition and begins to take measures to increase the water content in the outer ocean to make it available to inject into the cells. In order to do this, it needs to retain salt in the extremities because salt regulates water. To correct edema, a person need only to increase his water intake and cut out salt for a day or so until the swelling goes down.
Low blood pressure, too, is caused by dehydration. When the body needs water for the cells, it will often borrow it from the blood since blood is made up of 94% water and salt. This causes the arteries to constrict which leads to high blood pressure.
However, in low blood pressure, the exact same thing happens as in high blood pressure except the arteries don’t collapse. The open space in the arteries where the water was does not allow the heart to build up adequate pressure/
Both problems can be corrected by increasing the water and salt intake. Throw the beer and cigarettes away – they’re only making things worse.
You need to tell your dad that he needs to straighten up his act – his health is important and once it’s gone, there’s no getting it back for any price. This just sounds like an old fogy piece of advice, but believe me – it’s absolutely true. I know what I’m talking about – I’m there, desperately doing the backstroke, trying to correct some health problems that should never have gotten as far as they did. Don’t let him take his health for granted – and don’t you take your health for granted.
May 27th, 2011 - 17:51
kankles
May 27th, 2011 - 17:51
alcohol induced neuropathy which case stagnent blood in lower extremities, and alcohol induced hypotension.
May 27th, 2011 - 17:51
Is he on medication for his blood pressure? Some have the side effect of swollen ankles. If it’s not this he should be going to the doctor for a check up.