Question

Does sadness affect blood pressure?

Answer 1

Sadness does affect your blood pressure because when you're sad your body produces a surge of hormones which temporarily increase your blood pressure because your heart beats faster and your blood vessels also narrow.

The best time to check your blood pressure is in the morning when you wake up and also in the evening as your blood pressure is at it's lowest in the early morning hours and in the evening hours.

Also every time you check your blood pressure you should take 2 to 3 readings to ensure the blood pressure reading results are the same.

The time of day that blood pressure is the lowest is late afternoon and evening hours.

However during the night while you're sleeping your blood pressure is the lowest as your blood pressure lowers while you sleep and then rises again a few hours before you wake up.

Normal blood pressure for young people and sometimes older people is (<120/80 mm Hg) although it can vary.

Below is a list of normal blood pressure by age.

Adolescent (14–18 years)    90–120    50–80

Adult (19–40 years)    95–135    60–80

Adult (41–60 years)    110–145    70–90

Older adult (61 and older)    95–145    70–90

The time of the day that your blood pressure is the highest is 12:00 PM which is midday.

During the evening your blood pressure lowers and at night when sleeping your blood pressure lowers then by morning your blood pressure starts to rise again and gets at it's highest by 12:00 PM or midday.

High blood pressure is caused by stress, anxiety, dehydration, smoking, being overweight, obesity, older age, genetics, too much alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity and eating too much salt and fat.

Bananas and beets are foods that help lower blood pressure immediately.

Vegetables that are good for lowering blood pressure are beets, beet greens, spinach, collard greens, kale, turnip greens, arugula and Romaine Lettuce.

The drinks that are best for lowering high blood pressure are water,  tea, skim milk, berry juice, beet juice, tomato juice and Pomegranate juice.

Drinking water does help to lower your blood pressure.

When you're dehydrated your blood pressure can rise and by hydrating yourself with water your blood pressure can lower.

Drinking water regularly and staying hydrated helps to keep your blood pressure lowered and regulated at normal levels as well.

You can eat bananas on blood pressure medication but you should not eat more than 1 or 2 bananas while on blood pressure medication.

Too many bananas could interfere with some blood pressure medications and heart disease or heart failure medication.

Eating bananas is not bad for high blood pressure as bananas can help to lower and regulate your blood pressure.

However bananas can sometimes interfere with some blood pressure medications and heart failure medicines but bananas themselves are healthy when you have high blood pressure.

Bananas can lower blood pressure quickly due to the high potassium levels in the bananas.

According to research studies, two bananas a day for a week can reduce your blood pressure by 10 percent.

Consult your doctor before including bananas in your diet if you suffer from any other health complications.

Bananas are good for high blood pressure as the potassium in bananas helps to naturally lower your blood pressure.

Potassium reduces the effect of sodium on the body.

Hence, eating bananas lower blood pressure due to their high potassium content.

You can try eating 2 bananas per day for one week which may reduce your blood pressure by 10%.

You should not eat bananas for dinner as they may not digest properly at night.

The amount of bananas that will kill you is at least 400 or more bananas.

You would have to eat least 400 bananas or more before it came to the point of killing you.

It's recommended that you should not eat bananas for dinner or after dinner.

Bananas are best eaten before lunch or in the morning or throughout the day as a snack.

You can consume bananas in the morning along with other breakfast foods.

However, you should avoid eating them on an empty stomach.

Eating bananas at night should also be avoided if you have cough, cold, or breathing problems.

For most people eating more than 5 bananas a day is considered too much.

However you can eat more than 5 bananas in a day and be healthy and okay.

In order to get too much potassium from bananas you would most likely need to eat around 400 or more bananas in a day for it to be a problem.

You'd most likely get a stomach ache and diarrhea from eating more than 20 bananas in a day before it became a problem.

So you should eat as many bananas as you want too in a day and you'll be fine.

Practicing moderation is the best way to reap the most benefits from bananas. One to two bananas per day is likely alright for most healthy people.

Make sure your diet is balanced by also including other foods that provide the nutrients that bananas lack.

While banana makes a good snack, consuming more than two bananas can definitely pack up more than 300 calories.

Therefore, it is better to stick to only two bananas, if you are not eating any other fruit through the day.

Bananas contain a number of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin B6: A medium banana gives you about a quarter of the vitamin B6 you should get each day.
Vitamin C: You should shoot for between 75-90 milligrams per day.
Magnesium:This mineral helps control your blood pressure and blood sugar and keeps your bones strong.

Health Benefits of Bananas include.

Control High Blood Pressure.
Promote Weight Loss.
Good for Pregnant Women.
Boost Energy and Increase Stamina.
Keep Bones Strong.
Superfood for Endurance Athletes.
Improve Gut Health and Digestion.
Improves Mood and Mental Health.

Answer 2

The most powerful drug for depression is escitalopram as well as paroxetine, venlafaxine and mirtazapine.

Although for severe or treatment resistant cases of depression, the drugs for severe or treatment resistant depression include ketamine, aripiprazole even lithium due to their high efficacy.

What most doctors prescribe for depression is SSRIs also known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors as the first line treatment medications for depression as they are considered very safe and effective in treatment of depression.

Common examples of the SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors include Celexa also known as citalopram, Lexapro also known as escitalopram, Prozac also known as fluoxetine and Zoloft also known as sertraline.

The type of depression that is not treatable is TRD or Treatment resistant Depression, which is depression that does not respond to standard depression treatments, and is often defined as failing to improve after trying 2 or more antidepressants.

Although it's considered untreatable, TRD or Treatment resistant Depression is not technically untreatable, but it's instead resistant to conventional medication, and requires alternative approaches such as stimulation therapies, therapy and medication changes.

With Treatment resistant Depression, the symptoms persist despite the use of at least 2 antidepressant medications at adequate doses and duration and it can involve long term, chronic or severe symptoms that don't improve or keep returning and people with co-occurring mental health issues like bipolar or anxiety, severe stress or psychotic features including hallucinations and delusions are also more likely to experience these symptoms.

Although standard depression drugs fail to treat Treatment resistant Depression, other options are available like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, ketamine/esketamine  psychotherapy can be effective.

Most other types of depression including major depression are treatable.

5 signs of major depression are having feelings of worthlessness or guilt, sleep disturbances, fatigue or lack of energy, loss of interest or Anhedonia and Empty Mood or persistent sadness.

A person that experiences major depression often experiences excessive and even inappropriate self blame or a sense of worthlessness.

The person with major depression may also experience insomnia or difficulty sleeping or hypersomnia which is sleeping too much almost everyday.

Major depression can also cause persistent tiredness, lethargy or feeling slowed down most of the day, which can make even small tasks difficult to perform.

Having major depression can also cause markedly diminished interest or pleasure in nearly all activities as well as hobbies and social interactions that the person once enjoyed before.

Major depression can also result in a consistent and long lasting feelings of sadness, emotional emptiness and even hopelessness.

Other common symptoms of major depression are weight and appetite changes, trouble concentrating, physical slowing and restlessness and even having recurrent thoughts of suicide or death.

Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder is a serious and common mood disorder that lasts 2 weeks and hinders daily functioning.

Causes of major depression or major depressive disorder are complex interactions of your brain chemistry, genetics, trauma and even chronic illness.

Major depression and major depressive disorder is treated with medication, therapy and lifestyle changes.

Diagnosis for major depressive disorder requires at least 5 or more symptoms, which include either having a depressed mood or loss of interest for at least 2 weeks.

Symptoms of major depressive disorder include persistent sadness, hopelessness, irritability or feelings of worthlessness and or guilt.

Fatigue, insomnia or hypersomnia, weight and appetite changes, and unexplained aches as well as cognitive and behavioral issues like difficulty concentrating, slowed movement and speech, social withdrawal and recurrent thoughts of suicide or death.

Imbalances in neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, a first degree relative with depression, trauma, abuse, divorce or financial problems, chronic pain, cancer, heart disease, alcohol and drug misuse can also cause and make major depression and major depressive disorder worse.

And major depression and major depressive disorder is also more prevalent in women, often due to hormonal factors or social stressors.

The types of major depressive disorders include.

Major Depressive Disorder (Single or Recurrent Episode): The standard, acute form.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): Less severe but lasts for at least two years.

MDD with Seasonal Pattern: Depression tied to seasons (formerly Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Peripartum/Postpartum Depression: Depression during or after pregnancy.