Archives: December 2024
What is Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure?
Every time you go to the doctor’s office, a nurse or MA will take your blood pressure to keep tabs on your cardiovascular health. They might say your blood pressure is a little high, which is often the case in the doctor’s office for several reasons. But while we all shoot for 120/80, what do those two numbers mean, and why is it important?
Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps it throughout the body. It’s recorded as systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number).
Sleep Apnea and Its Effects on Heart Rhythm & Afib
Ever wake up gasping for breath or feel extremely tired all day, though you slept all night? Maybe your partner has complained about your snoring for weeks, months, or years. If this describes your reality, you may have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea, which involves repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, is one of the most common but underdiagnosed sleep disorders. The pauses in breathing that punctuate sleep apnea can last seconds to a minute, and as a result, your body wakes frequently to get more oxygen. This causes an interruption to your sleep cycle. It’s no wonder you’re tired and grumpy the next day despite having seemingly slept plenty.