thegirlsclub

broinnfinn · Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:07 pm Post subject: Fighting with hypertension

Okay - this is a question for you old gals like me out there. I was recently diagnosed with Stage 1 hypertension - apparently not uncommon during perimenopause. My heart looks lovely, but I don't seem to regulate salt well, so I have been put on meds. If I can lose a bit of weight and get a bit fitter (working on it), I may go back off them, but right now they are a necessity.

Unfortunately, they make me incredibly heat intolerant. Since we are having record heat in in the Delta (101 outside, actual temp, high humidity), this has made it virtually impossible for me to suit up and play much at ALL this summer. The chances of dehydration just increased considerably for me.

Anyone else had to deal with this? Suggestions?

Bri.

Cunian · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:10 am Post subject:

I know there is some kind of freezy vest thing that a few guys were swearing by at Pennsic a couple years back. You kept it in a cooler at night. I think it's mentioned on the Armourarchive. Otherwise Max may pipe up here. I think he was one of those that got one. Maybe in the meantime, pre-drenching a gambeson with cold water?

Isabella E · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:18 am Post subject:

I have to watch my salt and hydration as well and I'm a few years younger than you are. A couple of years ago though I started having problems with periodic bouts of tachycardia and hypertension due to not regulating my electrolytes well. Also, I've had too many bouts of heat exhaustion so I have to watch it. We have been having temps up in the 115 range and since I am a firefighter I have to really regulate my food and water intake in the summer time because I never know when I am going to be spending long periods of time in my gear. Last summer we had like 3 weeks in a row where we ran fires in the middle of the day when it's hottest so I got pretty good at keeping myself in good shape.

The better physical shape you're in, the better off you're going to be cardiovascularly, which kind of goes without saying but a lot of people neglect it anyway.

I don't know what you do diet wise, but I am now an avowed label reader and I watch my electrolyte intake pretty closely, particularly salt because it will make you retain water and drive your BP up. I cut out soda almost completely and only have them as a treat every now and again and I only drink a couple cups of coffee in the morning because caffeine will make you get rid of fluid and important salts with it. The rest of the day I just try to stay hydrated which can be challenging in such high temps anyway.

When I'm at work or on days when I know I'm going to be fighting or doing a lot of physical activity I start out the day with that in mind. Hydrate early, drink a low or no sugar electrolyte drink. I make sure I eat a good lean breakfast and lunch. I also try to eat something that is more carbs before fighting. I am cutting back on carbs in general for regular meals, but you need the energy if you're going to be burning a lot of calories. During practice or at work I also always have at least some kind of electrolyte drink and mostly water with me so I can manage hydration during physical activity. I usually have a protein bar with me for afterwards as well.

I'm not sure if any of that will help at all but I have to be pretty militant about it in the summer. Otherwise when we get back from a fire I will be next to useless and feel horrible.
_________________
It's not the most powerful animal that survives. It's the most efficient. -Georges St-Pierre
http://windyvalleybanners.blogspot.com/

broinnfinn · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:04 pm Post subject:

Cunian · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:35 am Post subject:

I think it was this:

http://www.glaciertek.com/

Or if you google cooling vest, you get a lot of different brands of essentially the same thing.

I don't wear a gambeson either, but I know a fair number of guys who drench them. I've done it very happily with slightly padded coifs. I think it would help with a tunic.

maxntropy · Club Member Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 103 : Items

Since Cunian invoked my name in a summoning...

I do have a military-grade phase-change cooling vest (Duke Cuan and I were the only ones I really saw out there using them... and I really only used mine for the woods battle). It does, in fact, significantly lower your body temperature. It'll last a few hours. It refreezes (phase change) when submersed back into cold water (which is why it's so useful in the field -- doesn't actually need to be frozen to freeze). That said, they are EXTREMELY bulky, so unless you have armour capable of having maybe 2" added around almost your entire circumference, it ain't gonna work. They're also far from cheap. I totally like it for the few more than a couple've hour battles, and now living down here in swampy-tropical Fort Lauderdale, I may use it more often... but for me it has limited utility.

I believe Isabella has it largely right. Blood pressure is really a matter of fluid volume (i.e., mostly blood) in the circulatory system. The more fluid in your system, the higher your blood pressure. Of course that's not *just* a matter of fluid intake (drinking) and outgo (sweating and urinating), but also a more sophisticated matter of the biochemistry of homeostatic fluid regulation. Thus, a range of chemicals that act as vaso-constrictors which constrict the veins and arteries (thus reducing the diameter of the "pipes" in which the fluid is flowing and thus increasing the pressure through the pipes) can significantly increase the pressure in the system. Salts/Electrolytes also play a role in the fluid management system.

I would talk to your Doctor about thinks like potassium pills and such as possible tools to help regulate your fluid balance under high heat and humidity (and exercise) conditions.

Another thing to consider might be to have a portable blood pressure cuff in your armour kit -- so you can check your status in down-times.

Bottom line... go ask your Doctor. You can take some suggestions to him as fodder for his/her opinion, but you should really rely on his/her opinion.

My $.02.

Summoning over, I return to the miasmic chthonian depths of the Florida swamp.

Max Von Halstern

broinnfinn · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:16 pm Post subject:

broinnfinn · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject:

Isabella E · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:59 pm Post subject:

We should all be asking you for advice! Laughing

_________________
It's not the most powerful animal that survives. It's the most efficient. -Georges St-Pierre
http://windyvalleybanners.blogspot.com/

broinnfinn · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:12 pm Post subject:

Isabella E · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:30 pm Post subject:

Well, I don't have the same level of education but I deal with hypertension and heat related injury in the field a lot, AND I am stuck having to manage it myself for work (which helps me with fighting at the same time). So the only advice I have is the same thing we tell our patients and try to do on the job which is work on improving diet and overall health, and manage hydration better. It's worked well for me and now I don't gas out in the first 15 minutes all geared up at a fire like I used to. That's my pretty much subjective personal experience. When I started having problems I was almost 200lb (which is heavy for me) and I was waking up in the morning with a pounding, racing heart and feeling awful for no apparent reason. Losing 20lb and radically altering my diet and water intake has made a huge difference.
_________________
It's not the most powerful animal that survives. It's the most efficient. -Georges St-Pierre
http://windyvalleybanners.blogspot.com/

Slaine · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:43 am Post subject:

My mom had the same thing happen to her when she was just a little older than I am now. I wonder if it is my fate as well.

Cunian · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:38 pm Post subject:

Having gotten into random high-tech cooling products, (and now Amazon thinks I want some), there are also these and a whole slew of their like:

http://www.amazon.com/Chill-Its-6602-Cooling-Towel-Blue/dp/B001B5I57I/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_ps_t3_t_3

One could make a tunic of them probably and they seem substantially cheaper and less bulky than the vest with inserts thing.

broinnfinn · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:38 pm Post subject:

Thought about trying underarmor, but I have been working to cut DOWN on the modern stuff in my kit, and it seems a step back.

Of course - not that many medieval Rus had to deal with temps near 100 degrees.

Bri.

Tibbie Croser · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject:

If you don't want UnderArmour, would a lightweight linen undertunic and coif help?