CAFFEINE and the BODY

CAFFEINE and the BODY

Heath Effects, Reproductive Issues, and Short-Term Memory
Bennett Alan Weinberg, Esq. and Bonnie K. Bealer.
Mr. Weinberg is a medical and science writer.
Ms. Bealer is a researcher, writer and editor.

Opinion

Editor's Note: The following is excerpted from the book The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug.by Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer (Routledge, 2001).

What is it in man's devious make-up that makes him round on the seemingly more wholesome and pleasurable aspects of his environment and suspect them of being causes of his misfortunes? Whatever it is, stimulants of all kinds (and especially coffee and caffeine) maintain a position high on the list of suspicion, despite a continuing lack of real evidence of any hazard to health.
-Editorial, British Medical Journal, 1976, I:1031       

Coffee and caffeine have long been suspected of causing illnesses ranging from myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gout, and anxiety, to fibrocystic breast disease, various cancers and birth defects, and osteoporosis. No other agent in the human environment has been as frequently associated with such a variety of chronic-degenerative, even malignant diseases.        

-Siegfried Heyden, "Coffee and Cardiovascular Disease," 1993       

Caffeine and, before caffeine was identified, coffee, tea, and chocolate, have been said to cause, exacerbate, palliate, or cure an enormous variety of diseases and have also been said to confer marvelous benefits, including increases in both intellectual and physical capacities. If, like the great majority of people in the world, you use caffeine regularly, you are faced with a complex, confusing, and often apparently contradictory cacophony of traditional and contemporary claims about its effects on human health. ... In the last half of the 20th century, an explosion of general medical knowledge and a large number of controlled experiments have shed scientific light on many of caffeine's effects. It has been often and truly said that caffeine is the most studied drug in history. Yet, because of its nearly universal use, the variety of its modes of consumption, its presence in and effects on nearly all bodily systems, and its occurrence in chemically complex foods and beverages, together with the complexity of the social and psychological factors that shape its use, caffeine may also be one of the least adequately understood. Despite tremendous scientific scrutiny, many central health questions about caffeine remain unanswered or even unaddressed.

Caffeine is like the air. You don't see it and usually hardly notice it, but it's there all the same, and it becomes part of you in a critical metabolic exchange that involves every cell in your body. Considering that the sensorium and biomass of the human race is virtually awash in caffeine, and has been besotted so for hundreds of years, and that an overwhelming majority of people in almost every nation, including young and old, healthy and infirm, rich and poor, has made the regular use of this psychoactive stimulant more popular than the habitual use of any other drug, what do we really know of caffeine? What do we know of what it is doing for us, doing to us, even doing to our unborn children? The answer, as should become clear after reviewing the very impressive record of studies presented in the following chapters and the appendices, and evaluating both the findings and limitations of this research, is, "not nearly as much as we need to know."

The great majority of babies begin life with detectable levels of caffeine in their blood. The lack of adequate information about caffeine's health effects is evident in the disagreements that exist among experts. For example, the FDA, as recently as the late 1980s, reaffirmed its earlier position that medical evidence demonstrated no adverse health consequences from caffeine in soft drinks, and the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council and the U.S. Surgeon General's office agreed that no risk to health had been shown for moderate caffeine intake. In contrast, many researchers, adducing the complexity of caffeine's effects on the human body and the many aspects of these effects that have received limited research attention, argue that such a "clean bill of health" is not fully justified. ...       

Caffeine and Birth Defects       

The nature of caffeine's effects on birth abnormalities and fertility is probably the most urgent unresolved question that remains to be addressed by future researchers...

The consensus of the medical and scientific community is that, to avoid risk to the fetus, women ought to curtail caffeine use during pregnancy, although authorities differ about the nature or extent of the dangers of failing to do so. But the worrisome fact is that, despite this admonition, most women using caffeine continue throughout pregnancy, with an average intake among users of more than 200 mg a day. As a result, the great majority of babies begin life with detectable levels of the drug in their blood. Because fetal exposure to caffeine is so pervasive, any unfavorable effect on the health of the newborn, even one with a very low incidence, could mean tens of thousands of defective births a year in the United States alone. It is therefore critical to investigate the effect of caffeine exposure on the outcomes of pregnancy as exhaustively as possible.       

Two facts about caffeine metabolism increase concern over the harm that could be posed by maternal caffeine use.        

    First, caffeine metabolism dramatically slows during gestation. The metabolic rate drops progressively, falling to one-half normal during the second trimester, and to one-third normal during the third trimester, before returning to normal within the week following delivery. This means that caffeine that is ingested by the woman in the last few months of pregnancy will remain in her system three times longer than usual and, consequently, that the exposure of her unborn child to caffeine will last three times longer.        

Second, the livers of the fetus and newborn are unable to metabolize caffeine. Because of the incapacity of their hepatic enzyme systems, their livers cannot transform caffeine into its metabolites, so the drug lingers in their systems much longer than in either children or adults, until it is finally excreted, virtually unchanged, in the urine. One researcher found the mean elimination time in infants being treated for apnea with caffeine was one hundred hours, 15 times the adult average, and other scientists report a range up to about 350 hours in premature infants. These dramatic metabolic decrements, however, are short-lived. The infant's capacity to metabolize caffeine progressively increases in the first months of life until it reaches the adult level of three to seven hours by the eighth month, though full maturity of the metabolic pathways of caffeine may not be achieved until the end of the first year.    

Caffeine and Memory       

    In recent years, in addition to continuing studies of caffeine's effects on complex mental activities such as reasoning and learning, researchers have paid increasing attention to its effects on short-term memory. Overall, the results show that caffeine improves performance on tasks that require remembering small amounts of information and impairs or leaves unaffected performance on tasks requiring remembering a great deal. An example of a more demanding sort of memory task is a test in which subjects listen to or read long lists of words and are then asked to remember as many as possible. The experimenters note either no effect from caffeine or perhaps even a small impairment. Another way of conceptualizing these effects is provided by the Humphreys-Revelle model, according to which tasks that are primarily dependent on information processing, such as vigilance, simple arithmetic, or reaction time, are improved, because they make relatively small demands on short-term memory, while tasks with a high short-term memory component may be unaffected or adversely affected. Unfortunately, there is much ambiguity in the data that do exist about these effects. When weighing the conclusions of existing research, we would do well to remember a well-designed 1974 memory experiment by researcher V. E. Mitchell and his colleagues, the cautionary results of which were reminiscent of the title of Luigi Pirandello's play Right You Are, If You Think You Are, because they seem to demonstrate that performance was improved by caffeine when and only when the participants were told that they had ingested the drug.       

Caffeine may help you to stay awake, but it won't necessarily improve your intellectual skills. Nevertheless, millions of students use caffeine to fuel "all-nighters." Based on the available scientific evidence, how does this use of caffeine affect studying and test taking? Caffeine helps people to feel less drowsy and less fatigued, be better able to perform some manual or perfunctory tasks, such as typing or calculating, and, under certain circumstances, to be more capable of sustaining rapid thought and to remember more. However, some studies have found that caffeine does not significantly alter numerical reasoning, short-term memory of complex data, or verbal fluency. In other words, caffeine may help you to stay awake, but it won't necessarily improve your intellectual skills.       

Students depending on caffeine to extend their study time should also be aware of its possible adverse effects when taken in large quantities and be prepared for the crash after its stimulating powers subside. As Socrates suggested, the best guide for students is to know themselves: From a couple of Vivarin tablets, the sensitive may experience restlessness, anxiety, nausea, headache, tense muscles, and sleep disturbances, or a subsequent letdown, while others, from a much higher dose, might feel fine.

Excerpt from 'ABC's of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus'
by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj

Naturally, the quality of drinking water is most important to health. Water should be water and not just any drink. Asthmatics should observe this instruction to the letter.

Water should be free of chemicals, particularly caffeine and alcohol.

Please bear in mind that caffeine and alcohol are toxic chemicals – addictive drugs – as far as the cells of the human body are concerned. It is true that the manufacturers of these agents have unrestricted permission to contaminate good drinking water with these toxic chemicals and to sell them to the public, but, sooner or later, their detrimental impact on society will also become the focus of attention like the tobacco industry presently is.

It is my sincere belief that many of our society’s problems of ill health can be blamed on the marketing tactics and unceasing pushes of the beverage industry. They tend to cultivate the palates of younger people toward the selection and use of their products in preference to the water that young bodies need to develop naturally and normally. Once teenagers - the target of the industry – became addicted to caffeine, the industry has converted them to cash machines for the rest of their shortened lives! The unfortunate outcome of addiction to caffeine is the “upgrade” effect that forces some children to experiment with harder drugs.

Caffeine is a natural diuretic. It forces more water out of the body than is contained in the caffeinated beverage. Caffeine also acts directly on the brain cells and forces them to use some of their critical energy reserves on trivial actions and whims. It lowers the threshold for triggering an action from cells that would otherwise remain quiet until a more serious engagement is deemed necessary. The effect of caffeine on the brain is energy depletion. Caffeine, if taken repeatedly, eventually exhausts the brain. When the brain needs energy reserves to cope with a crisis, it will be far less effective because it is energy-depleted and depressed. The energy-reserve-depleting effect of caffeine on the brain is one of the primary causes of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Caffeine has another detrimental effect on the brain that should be considered as the second main impact that pushes the brain in the direction of reaching an ADD status. The brain maintains its energy reserves to use for new confrontations, experiences, dangers, and exciting, fresh ideas. This is how it learns selectively and from new experiences. Caffeine not only depletes the stored energy pools in the brain, it also inhibits the enzyme system initiated by PD (phospho-diesterase). PD activity is a vital step in “memory making” by the brain cells.

All seeds that are designed to create the next generation of a plant contain in their covering shell one or other chemical to deter food scavengers, such as ants and beetles, from eating the protein-rich seeds before they sprout. If this were not so, these plants would become extinct. Legumes such as lentils, peas and green beans possess a chemical called CCK (chol-e-cysto-kinin), a digestive enzyme inhibitor that causes a form of indigestion in the systems of critters that eat the seeds. It causes gas formation in humans who eat lentils without soaking them well and discarding the skin, or boiling them briefly first, washing them well, and then boiling them a second time until cooked. This is the way to “de-gas” legumes that would normally produce indigestion. Get rid of the CCK.

Caffeine is naturally designed to produce stupefaction of the brain.  Caffeine is used by a number of plants as a nerve warfare chemical against their predators. The coffee plant produces caffeine in its seeds to defend itself. Caffeine inhibits the nervous system and the memory mechanisms in its “food-chain” predators in such a way that they lose their “wit” and their art of camouflage. They become less alert and less reactive, and thus less able to protect themselves. They become much easier prey for their predators.

This is why the coffee plant is plagued by fewer bugs than most other plants during its growth period. Bugs know better than to eat it. But we humans take the caffeine-containing coffee beans, brew them to our desired concentration, and consume the plants chemical poison as a pleasure-inducing beverage. High soda consumption, in my opinion, is the reason so many kids in American school have reading and learning problems. Despite all the money that is spent on their education, their average standard is far below children in less- privileged societies, whose access to caffeine-containing beverages is much more limited.

The beverage industry grows and thrives on the addictive properties of caffeine. A report published in the magazine, The Nation, April 27, 1998, states: “The most conservative estimates have children and teens guzzling more than sixty-four gallons of soda a year – an amount that has tripled for teens since 1998, doubled for the 6-11 set and increased by a quarter for under-5 tots (from a 1994 survey by the Agriculture Department).” This finding confirms what I published several years ago in my book, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, on pages 104-113. It is also interesting to note that the increased consumption of sodas by infants under five years is most probably why the rate of asthma occurrence in that age group tripled in the years between 1980 and 1994.

The beverage industry’s recent name selection of new brands – Surge, Zapped, Full Speed, Outburst, Josta, laced with caffeine and the pick-me-up herb guarana, that hypes “raw primal power” – is designed to attract children and teenagers to consume more and more sodas. The 12-oz cans of soda that contains high amounts of caffeine include Jolt with 72 mg., XTC with 70 mg., and Pepsi-Cola’s Surge with 51 mg. And you get near double dose when you buy the 20-oz bottles.

At schools, the kids often take sodas in place of milk and the schools profit from the sale of these addictive beverages. They serve the regular 12-oz cans of soda, with Mountain Dew containing 55 mg. Of caffeine per can, Coke containing 45 mg., Sunkist with 40 mg., and Pepsi with 37 mg.

Grown-ups consume so much coffee that coffee bars are growing like mushrooms. It is said that a regular 12-oz cup of regular Starbucks coffee contains 190 mg. of caffeine.


In my professional opinion that caffeine by itself has all the detrimental effects on the brain cells to produce the type of brain physiology that dislocates the brain from stimuli received from outside. In addition, the dehydration caused by extensive caffeine intake produces different health problems, devastatingly and early. Among the symptoms are asthma and allergies. Thus, my protocol for the treatment of asthma excludes any form of caffeine-containing beverage until the body has recovered from caffeine’s unhealthy side effects, particularly on the brain and its nervous system. After that, wisdom will have to take over.  

Critical Water Cure Information

Critical Water Cure Information

Google: People and pets cured with sea salt and water. (See how many get well for pennies.)

The best way to use the water cure is to drink a little water, dissolve sea salt on the tongue (you only have to taste the salt then wash it down. It doesn't have to fully dissolve on your tongue) then finish your amount of water. We also use sea salt liberally on our food. See our Critical Salt Info link. We sometimes use raw sugar or honey to give us energy for our body to function better or when in pain or ill to keep our body from cannibalizing our muscles.

Note: professional sports teams initially noted that an oral saline IV worked as good as, or better than, an IV of salt water in a vein, but later we found out how & why it worked better when we do not put salt in the water.

YOU MUST READ THE WATER CURE RECIPE BEFORE ATTEMPTING IT!

Frequently Asked Questions

1.How much water?

Half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 200 lbs., you will need 100 oz. of water. That is approx. 3 quarts. A quart is 32 oz. A 1.5 liter bottle has 6 servings of 8 oz., which makes it 48 oz.. 


2.How much salt and how do I use it?

There are four suggested ways to take the salt.

1. The first way is to just coat the front part of your tongue with the salt, making sure that you taste the salt, and then drink the water over the salt, washing it down. 
2. You could also just put the extra salt on your food. The only problem with that is acquiring a taste for very salty food.
3. If you are very salt-sensitive then you would get some empty capsules and put the amount of salt you require into the capsules and take it with food.
4. Mixing salt into the water for drinking is not a very good idea. Only young children and seniors that are having trouble remembering things should mix 1/8 tsp of salt into 16 oz of plain water and drink their water this way until they start remembering things again.

3.Why not drink salty water?

A person using the water cure writes:

This is Diana R., I have been doing the water cure for a couple months now. When I first looked at the water cure website to start I read that you were supposed to put the required amount of salt in the water and drink it that way. When I did that I immediately began to retain a lot of fluid. After a couple of weeks of not feeling any better and unable to get the swelling down I contacted Drew Bauman. Drew helped me understand that the salt is supposed to be put on the tongue and washed down with water. My swelling is all gone now and I am finally seeing results.

At the top of our web page we state: The best way to use the water cure is to drink a little water, dissolve sea salt on the tongue, then finish your amount of water. We also use sea salt liberally on our food. See our Critical Salt Info link. We sometimes use raw sugar or honey to give us energy for our body to function better or when in pain or ill to keep our body from cannibalizing our muscles.

Note: professional sports teams initially noted that an oral saline IV worked as good as an IV of salt water in a vein, but later found how & why it worked better when we do not do oral IV/drink salty water.

4.Can I drink decaffeinated coffee?

You must remember that decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine unless it is naturally decaffeinated. It also goes through a process to decaffeinate it with chemicals like formaldehyde. So, you are actually trading a little caffeine for chemicals. Ask yourself, is it worth it? How much arsenic is enough? 

5.What about tea? (Is there a difference?)

Tea, according to Dr. Batmanghelidj is worse than coffee. It not only is a diuretic, but it strips your body of the vitamins and minerals we are trying to put back into our bodies. At the top of the list, as far as teas go, there are black teas (your regular run of the mill teas), which are the worst, containing the most caffeine. Decaffeinated teas are a little better, but still are not as natural as you should have. Naturally decaffeinated teas are the best. 

BUT: I asked Dr. Batman about this, and he said, "An herb is an herb is an herb. Marijuana is an herb, so take it from there." A suggestion is to use in moderation. If you have suffered with asthma or other upper respiratory problems, like myself, be aware of how they make you feel. I have found it difficult to breathe after 2 cups of naturally decaffeinated.

Green tea has 3x's the caffeine. While it is supposed to be a great anit-oxidant, beware of the caffeine. 

6.Where can I get good sea salt?

You can call 1-800-TOP-SALT. (800-867-7258) This is the Grain Salt Society, 273 Fairway Drive, Asheville, North Carolina 28805. This is the best that we have found. It contains 84 trace minerals. Another one is the Redmond Mineral, Inc., P.O. Box 219, Redmond, Utah 84652. 1-435-529-7402. Their sea salt has over 70 trace minerals in it. BE CAREFUL when buying sea salt or Celtic Sea Salt. If it does not list minerals on the back, the odds are that you have just bought expensive, prettier packaged table salt. All salt came from the sea at one point. So it is legal for anyone to label their low grade salt as sea salt. Good Celtic Sea Salt is NOT white or dry. 

7.What exactly will this help?

We have testimonials from all over the world on how the water cure has "reversed", or totally eliminated cancer, MS, MD, asthma, allergies, acid reflux, arthritis, ulcers and other digestive problems, joint pain, headaches, back problems, diabetes, depression, aids in weight loss, scleroderma and other skin problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many more. The watercure is a "preventative measure" to take to obtain optimum health. We were not born with a caffeine or alcohol deficiency. Both of these drugs act the way dry gas does to gasoline in a car. It takes the life essential nutrient-water, out. 

8.What temperature should the water be?

Dr. Batmanghelidj suggests that we drink room temp or cool water. Cold water (with ice) shocks the stomach lining and disrupts our digestive system. Instead of drinking coffee in the morning, Dr. Batman drinks hot water. Give it a try. It's really very good and gives you that warm feeling you are looking for. 

9.Can I drink water or anything else with my meals?

To prevent our digestive juices from becoming diluted and weak, it is suggested to drink two (2) glasses of water one half (1/2) hour BEFORE meals. It is O.K. to sip water with meals, but not drink a lot. This also helps in weight loss. 

10.When I drink water, I feel nauseous. Is this normal? What do I do?

If one is severely dehydrated and used to only their caffeine or alcohol intake, this may be a problem. Try drinking small sips of water throughout the day. Drink only an amount that will not upset your stomach. Nausea can be caused by an acidic condition. You need to bring up your alkalinity level. By taking a pinch of sea salt along with the sip of water will help to neutralize your stomach acids. In most cases, it takes about a week before you can drink the proper amount of water. Don't give up. 

11.I understand that the water cure will help me to wash out the toxins in my body.

ABSOLUTELY!! We've seen people totally lose alcohol cravings in 24 hours because the toxins were washed out. Water is the "roto rooter" of the body.

Will it also wash out the vitamins and minerals as well? (Potassium)

It will if way overdone, and if not enough sea salt was used. 

12.Will I be running to the bathroom a lot?

When you first start the watercure, it does seem like you are running a lot. As your body hydrates, this will slow down. Like a dried out plant, if you pour a glass of water on it, what will happen? The water will run right out of it. But if you pour it on slowly, it will hydrate, and not lose so much. Remember that your sea salt intake is vital. This will help you to retain what your body needs. 

13.I don't like the taste of water. Can I add something to it to give it some flavor?

Yes, but when you do, it changes the molecular structure. H2O is H2O. When you add too much orange juice or lemon juice or something else to it, it becomes a food, not water as intended. 

14.If I need 2 quarts of water daily, how am I supposed to consume this?

Again, start out slowly if you are not used to drinking water. One can not become hydrated properly if you drink half the amount you are to take at breakfast and then the other half at dinner. Your body will release more than you will retain. Plus, you will be washing out vitamins and minerals unless taken in slowly. Your urine should be a light lemonaid color, not clear. In some cases, it is suggested to drink out of a 3 oz. bathroom size cup. Anyone can handle drinking 3 oz of water every half hour. 

15.Where can I find people who have been helped with my situation? Can I contact them?

We have phone numbers or e-mail addresses on most testimonials on our web site. More and more testimonials are coming in from across the world. In that case, e-mail addresses are included. If you have trouble contacting someone, let us know by e-mail, and we will see what we can do. 

16.How can I help spread the word of the water cure in my town?

You must have your own testimonial or a relative or close friend that made an amazing recovery otherwise you will have little credibility.  Also refer people to www.watercure.com and www.watercure2.org. 

17.How can the water cure cure so many problems?

According to the research of F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., about 85% of all health, mental, emotional, poor grades, sports performance, cancer, M.S., M.D., diabetes, alcoholism, and behavioral problems, (including violent behavior) are caused by lack of water and/or salt in the body. If this is true, then the only thing that can cure them is water and/or salt. Whatever improves after going on the watercure is obviously caused by lack of water and/or salt. I have seen it work countless times. 

18.How long will it take to get relief from my symptoms?

That is a good question.  Water cure results vary person to person and even depend upon a persons level of using the entire program.  There have been people who have seen some type of results in as little as 4 days.  I felt different within 4 days but my cancer was gone at 6 months into the program and I used it reasonable rigidly.  Without knowing your case history and complaints-I cannot predict results.  Even after you send me your questionnaire and after you read the files I am sending, and you start the program-results will depend upon how well you follow Dr. Batman's recommendations.  We (myself and other water cure coaches) have seen outstanding results from many people with many various-even serious - problems.

Why does the water cure work so quickly?

If a person is suffering from lack of water, then it's no different than having a lawn turn brown because of lack of water. After you water the lawn, how long does it take for the grass to turn green? Dehydrated people and all living things recover so quickly when their water shortage is corrected. But, in some cases, if you are so terribly dehydrated, it may take a while before you fully appreciate and see a difference. 

19.Why do you say that health care is a common sense deficiency disorder?

Because if the 2nd and 3rd most essential nutrients are water and salt in the body, (the 1st being oxygen), wouldn't common sense tell us to check those levels first? Does your doctor ask you about your water/salt intake? ....caffeine/alcohol intake?

20.Why can't we drink sea water if salt water is so good for us?

Because there is too much salt in ocean water. If a person keeps putting salt into a glass of water it will just keep getting stronger and stronger because the salt will dissolve into the water. Sea water will kill a person. Saline in the hospital is one liter of water (about a quart ) and 9 grams of salt ( 1- 1/2 tsp of salt) Anything stronger then that will not be good. Read Dr B's book ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus. Read page 144-150 and should get Dr B's lecture on CD (water and salt) for more inforOur siteion.

21.If I am salt sensitive, what can I do about it?

It is detailed in the recipe. You need to quit the salt for two days & gradually reintroduce it.

22.What about these ionizer machines that are being sold to get water into an alkaline state. Isn't this sea salt in the water basically the same thing?

In Dr Batman's book ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus on page 31 at the bottom and the top of 32 Dr B warns about not using or making a person's drinking water alkaline with drops or using a machine to create alkaline water. It's water and sea salt and eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

23.Why drink before meals?

According to Dr. Batmangheligj' research, it is about the wate rcirculating before eating to prompt the body to produce the hormones leptin aand motillin which stimulate the body to make hydrochloric acid for the stomach to digest food properly and the pancreas to produce the bi-carbonate necessary to alkalize the styomach contents (chyme) moving into the small intestine to prevent burning and ulcers so the 3 portions of the small intestine can distribute the nutrients from the digested foods and supplements to the body appropriately. This is bio-chemistry.

People eat in varying times between immediately, 15 minutes, and a half hour depending on how long we as individuals hold the water in our body for the cells to utilize it properly for metabolism. We seek to hold water 2 hours before urinating after drinking to stay hydrated and maintain optimal health and protect the kidneys.

Water Cure Recipe And Nutrition
Update 2/11/09

Important Tips To Know Before Starting The Water Cure Program
Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly. Scroll down to asterisks (*****) below for 
complete information.


You must be sure your kidneys are working ok. This means liquid in results in liquid out.  For example: the amount of water or other beverages taken in should be urinated during the day.

Here are Dr. Batman’s recommendations:

The “rule of thumb” for water is half your body weight in ounces taken throughout the day. A little less or even a little more is ok.
The “rule of thumb” for salt is to dissolve 1/8 tsp of salt on our tongue per 16 oz ( ½ liter ) of water that we drink - 1/16 tsp sea salt per 8 oz. of water we drink.
If you have any swelling of your feet, ankles, legs, arms, fingers, eyelids you must stop all salt for 2 to 3 days and just drink the water.  The exception to this would be swelling from an injury/accident.
You probably just rolled your eyes to the back of your head saying, “Are you nuts… that’s a lot of water to drink”. Actually, it’s quite simple to accomplish this when taken in say… 8 glasses of water spaced throughout the day.

For example, lets take a 192 pound person. Half their body weight is 96 pounds. Change that to 96 ounces. Divide that by 8, for the number of glasses you are going to drink, which equals 12 ounces. You would be drinking 8 (12 ounce) glasses of water per day. Now… wouldn’t you agree that drinking the water this way it is easy to do?

If you do not drink this much water right now, you must start adding the extra water very slowly. This gives your body time to adjust to the added water intake. If you don’t, the water will act like a water pill (diuretic), pulling necessary minerals from your body, possibly causing more harm than good. Senior citizens and children MUST start adding the extra water slowly. 

Here’s how to increase your water intake slowly. Using the above example, start out with (3) – 8 oz glasses of water your first day. The next day add one or two glasses. Keep doing this until your required glasses per day is reached. Now start increasing the ounces until your total per glass is reached.

Please keep in mind; it’s only a rule of thumb on half your body weight in ounces of water and 1/8 tsp of salt for every 16 oz of water.  Some people will require a little more water where others will require a little more salt. 

After a while, the body’s requirements can change for a little more water and salt because of hot weather, cold weather or exercise.  Each person must find his or her body’s requirement at this time. 

Never drink more than 33.8 oz  (1 liter) of water maximum at one time (or sitting).                        

Children ages 2 and up will need 75% of their body weight in ounces of water per day, because their bodies are growing all the time and every cell in their expanding body needs this extra water (mytosis).
Children that are active or playing sports can require up to 100% of their body weight in ounces of water per day.
The water cure program does not apply to newborns up to 2 years of age.
Iodized table salt will work in a pinch, but unrefined non-oven-dried sea salt is best, because of the extra trace minerals found in it. Sea salt also tastes better. 

There are four ways to take the salt:

1. The best way is to just dissolve the salt on your tongue - let it dissolve as much as you can and drink the water after the salt, washing it down.

If you are very salt-sensitive then you would get some empty capsules and put the amount of salt you require into the capsules and take it with food.

When you put some salt on your food-be careful not to overdo it - if you use TOO much in addition to dissolving it on your tongue, you will acquire a taste for very salty food.

When ill or having a problem, you can do a "quick fix" by dissolving 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water. Swish, gargle and spit one mouthful of the salt water at a time and swallow just the last mouthful.

NOTE:  A water cure "coach" can help you with this as well as learn to use several other possible "quick fix" solutions.*

Please note that it is not advised to drink salt water for a continued period of time. DRINKING SALT WATER CAN CAUSE FURTHER DEHYDRATION. 

You must also make sure you are getting at least 350 mcg of iodine in your multi-vitamins each day, up to a maximum of 450 mcg of iodine each day.

You may want to look at www.drbrownstein.com. Dr. Brownstein further researched Dr. Batmangheligj' teaching that "we require iodine since there is none in sea salt". This research in very interesting and informative.

You need to read the “histamine article” so you can better understand how to tell when you need more salt, more water or more potassium (which is found in most foods).

It is very important for you to have one of Dr. Batman’s books.  A suggestion would be “ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus” or his latest book “Obesity, Cancer and Depression”.  The ABC book contains a lot more than what the title says. 

There are 6 pages in each book on why a person needs salt and what it does in the human body. 

CAUTION ON SWELLING
If you have any swelling of your feet, ankles, legs, arms, fingers, eyelids or excessive diarrhea you must stop all salt for 2 to 3 days, just drink the water.  The exception to this would be swelling from an injury/accident. Note: Too much salt can cause diarrhea.

Then begin taking the salt again, but add it back slowly. You should use no more than

1/8 tsp ( ¾ g ) of salt per 16 oz ( ½ liter ) of water.

Dr. Batman says drinking plain water by itself will flush out all the extra salt the body was holding in the cells and help clean out the system. The water will run through you very quickly pulling very important minerals from the body.  It is suggested you take a multi-vitamin with all three main meals to replace what minerals might have been pulled out.

When the swelling is gone, you can restart the program of drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. This time however, you will take it in small amounts throughout the day, slowly increasing the amount of water until up to half your weight in ounces of water has been reached.  Also start taking the salt with the water.

You must also make sure you are getting at least 150 mcg of iodine in your multi-vitamins each day, up to a maximum of 450 mcg of iodine each day.

***** Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly.

If you are peeing (urinating) sooner than 2-3 hours after drinking your water, you should stop drinking plain water and switch to drinking orange juice, lemonade, grape/cranberry juice or any other juice. One point of caution… asthmatics should never drink orange juice

Note: When drinking orange juice, you should add 1/8 tsp of salt per 8 ounces.

If drinking juice does not work, the next thing to try is experimenting with drinking your juice while eating a bagel. This means:

·         Drink and eat the bagel at the same time… or

·         Eat the bagel first then drink your juice

·         Optional – increasing the salt to 1/4 tsp salt per 8 ounces, when you are eating the bagel may help retain the water longer

You can put cream cheese, real butter or jam on the bagel.

After using a whole bagel for a day or two, then you can cut down to using half a bagel, then a quarter and just stop the bagel and use your food to take with the juice. 

Here is how you should slowly go from drinking juice to going back to drinking plain water again. After a few days you should try drinking 2 ounces of plain water a half hour before eating food.  Then you can increase the water to 4 ounces a half hour before eating food.  Next it would be 6 ounces, then 8 ounces and so on until up to your required amount.

Water should stay inside your body for 2-3 hours so your body has time to use the water properly. (See Water Cure Tips under Critical Water Cure Information).

The information and recommendations on water intake presented on this site are based on training, personal experience, very extensive research, and publications of F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. on the topic of water metabolism of the body.

This site does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use or the discontinuance of any medication as a form of treatment without the advice of an attending physician, either directly or indirectly.

The intent of Dr. B., based on the most recent knowledge of microanatomy and molecular physiology, is to offer information on the importance of water to well being and to inform the public and medical professionals of the damaging effects of chronic, unintentional dehydration to the body from childhood to old age.

This information is not intended as a replacement for sound medical advice from a physician. On the contrary, sharing of the information on this site and in his books with the attending physician is highly desirable. An individual undertakes the application and recommendations described herein at one’s own risk. Adoption of the information should be in strict compliance with the instructions on the website and in Dr. B.’s material.

Very sick people with a past history of major diseases who are under professional supervision, particularly those with severe renal disease, should not make use of the information contained herein without the supervision of their attending physician.


All the recommendations and procedures herein contained are made without the guarantee of Dr. Batmanghelidj or anyone associated with this blogsite and disclaim all liability in connection with the use of the information presented herein. 

SUGGESTED PROGRAM FOR WATER & SALT INTAKE
This information comes from the books Dr. Batmanghelidj wrote.

The formula for water intake is half your weight in ounces of water divided by 5 or 6 for the number of times you can drink the water throughout the day and the size of the container or amount of water you drink each time.  IMPORTANT: When you drink your water, get it down in 5-6 minutes, “Don’t nurse it”.  

EXAMPLE:  For a 300 lb. person – half is 150 ounces divided by 5 equals a 30 oz. bottle

Use a 32 oz. bottle 5 times a day or a 24 oz. bottle 6 times a day

SALT: Sea salt is best: it has one of the highest mineral contents. Use a measuring teaspoon. The rule of thumb is to dissolve on your tongue 1/16 tsp for every 8 oz. of water you drink, 1/8 teaspoon of salt for every 16 oz. of water you drink; eat 1/4 teaspoon for every 32 oz (1 quart) you drink; eat 1/2 teaspoon for 64 oz. you drink, or eat 1 full teaspoon for 1 gallon you drink. (Some people will need less salt, others more). Remember not to drink more than 33 ounces at any one time when you drink. This is a starting point, not a set rule. Your dose of water and dose of salt will vary by wether or not you hold urine 2 hrs after drinking. You can also additionally salt your food to taste. 


NOTE: ONLY add 1/2 tsp. of salt to just 8 ounces of water if you are using a quick fix described on the front page- shake or stir it. The best way to use salt is to just place the salt onto your tongue- let it dissolve then drink water._* Different individuals have different water and salt needs depending on urination, blood pressure and swelling. Get with a water cure coach from our site to ask for help.

“FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, DRINK WATER!”

1. Water – (amount required)_________oz. 
 Note Time.
Wait  - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.

Eat  - Breakfast.  Start Timing.

Wait  - 2 to 2.5 hours (nothing goes in your mouth).


 2. Water  - (amount required) _________oz.  
Note Time.
Wait  - now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating

Eat  - Snack.  Start Timing.

(Snack optional, but still wait the 2 – 2 ½ hrs)

Wait  - 2 – 2 ½ hours ( nothing goes in your mouth, not  even gum, mints, etc.)            

 3. Water  - (amount required) _________oz.  
Note Time.
Wait  -  now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.

Eat -  Lunch.  Start Timing.

Wait - 2 - 2 1/2 hours (nothing goes in your mouth).


* Half your weight in ounces is the minimum amount of water, but a good starting point.    If you’re working outside, exercising, doing sports or in an air conditioned or heated room, extra water & salt is needed to prevent dehydration.

4. Water – (amount required) __________oz.  
Note Time.
Wait  -  now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.

Eat  -  Snack.  Start timing.


Wait  -  2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).

 5.  Water -  (amount required) _________oz.  
Note Time.
Wait -  now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.

Eat -  Evening meal.  Start timing.

Wait -  2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).

After eating, don’t go to bed until you’ve had your next portion of water which helps you digest the food.  Try to go for a short walk.  If short on time, just skip food and do water.


 6.  Water -  (amount required) _________oz.  
Note Time.

Wait -  now you wait 30 minutes (ideally) before eating.

Eat -  Snack.  Start timing.

Wait -  2 – 2 ½ hours (nothing goes in your mouth).


Go for a short walk and then go to bed.  (Any time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom, drink ½ glass of water and put a grain or two of salt on your tongue, then go back to bed).  You can drink water anytime you feel you need it. 

NOTE: Remember - if you urinate sooner than 2 hours after drinking water--do the bagel magic fix under the "Critical Water Cure Information" link on our front page and or eat sooner after drinking rather than wait the half hour to help hold your water for 2 hrs.. An average child over 3 yrs old old needs 3/4 their body weight in oz. of water - daily total in 6-8 doses. 

Check with a coach for more information-children require more water and salt as they are more active and have higher metabolisms.


Elderly (above 65) or very ill or dehydrated persons should begin the suggested program slowly; for example, start by taking 8 oz. of water with salt 2 times a day; one a.m. and one p.m. Then, after a couple of days, add another glass or two to your daily intake. Keep adding a glass to your daily intake until you are drinking half your weight in ounces as suggested at the top of this page.

NUTRITION
THINGS TO STOP:

Coffee, tea, soda, smoking, alcohol, chocolate & ginseng (ginseng works like caffeine). Caffeine and alcohol act as a diuretic by forcing water out of the body.

CAFFEINE:

• Robs the body of vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, vitamin C, zinc, potassium & other important minerals

• Interferes with DNA replication (how cells repair & reproduce in the body)

• Can be highly toxic (the lethal dose estimated to be around 10 grams)

• Can interfere with learning and memory (ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder)

Daily intake adds up over a year. Caffeine accumulates in the body’s fat tissues and is not easily eliminated. The amount of caffeine that is staying in the body depends on the amount of caffeine intake. One cup of coffee contains an average 80 mg of caffeine. Mountain Dew soda has 120 mg. Starbucks 8 oz coffee has 160 mg.

Read more about caffeine in:
“ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus” – pgs 166 – 168

“Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” – pgs 227-230 

DAILY FOOD REQUIREMENTS

At Breakfast, Lunch and Evening meal choose one of the following food groups:

At least 2 eggs every day.

Beans - red, white, kidney, pinto, green, lentils, lima - If sick, 4 or more eggs. Raw, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, scrambled etc.

Nuts - 1 or 2 handfuls. pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews or brazil nuts.

Cottage cheese (4%)

Yogurt – Yoplait Original or Stonyfield are the best. Do not use artificial sweeteners.

Now add the following 2 food groups:

Fresh fruits - cantaloupe, apple, peach, pear nectarine, melon, banana etc.


Fresh vegetables – broccoli, green beans, snow peas, celery, carrots, squash, cabbage, ETC.. (raw, sliced broccoli stems with dressing OK).

SUGGESTED DAILY SUPPLEMENTS

 Acidophilus or a good pro-biotic – Good bacteria needed by intestines. Take one with each meal. (pill form) 4 billion per pill is best.

Beta Carotene - Eat one or two medium raw carrots, with skin, per day.

B-6 – 100mg after breakfast and evening meal. The body uses up B-6 every day.

Zinc - 50mg after breakfast and evening meal. This is for stress. The body uses up zinc every day. Males also take 50mg after noon meal also. When body is low in zinc, it borrows it from the prostate.

Vitamin C – 500 mg after breakfast, lunch and evening meal. Time released with rose hips are best.

Vitamin E – 400 IU with 100 micrograms of selenium. (You can buy the capsules that combine the two together. Take 1 after breakfast and evening meals.

Flax Seed Oil – 6 -9 grams. Two capsules after breakfast, lunch and evening meal. This does not apply to young children or to the underweight elderly.

Multi-Vitamin – Take one good multi-vitamin tablet 2 times a day or Swanson whole food multi--1 three times daily with meals.

Kelp (Iodine) – 150 mcg - 1 per day if it is not in your multi-vitamin.


Chlorophyll – Take 1 tablespoon of liquid 2-3 times daily. You can buy DeSouza’s liquid chlorophyll at a low cost from www.vitacost.com. chlorophyll morning and evening or Swanson Vitamins chlorophyll capsules.

WHAT TO EXPECT

 Going to the bathroom after one week of doing the water and salt – your stool will become light yellow, brown or light green, float, have little odor and can be 1-2 feet in length. You should be using very little paper.

Going to the bathroom (#1) will have little color except after eating meals or taking vitamins. You will be going #1 a lot, but the time will get longer in between visits to the bathroom. Water taken first time in morning will be passed quickly.

If your eyelids, ankles or fingers swell, then you’re getting too much salt. Drink your next couple glasses or bottles of water without using salt. Suggestion: when you restart the salt, reduce a little from the original amount. However, if you get muscle cramps, you need more salt. Add a little salt to your fruit or take extra salt on your food.

 EXERCISE

Walk morning & evening (mall, treadmill, around the block).

Get at least 15 minutes of sunlight 2 times a day. Expose as much skin as possible.
(continued on next page).

You should strive to drink at least (1) 8 oz glass of Orange Juice every morning. “No pulp” and “not from concentrate” is the best. You need 1/8 tsp (3 g) of salt per 8 oz Orange Juice so that your body can utilize the potassium in the orange juice.

(If a person has any breathing problems such as asthma, they should limit their orange juice intake to one, at most, two glasses a day.)


NOTE: If you’re tired, take a glass of water and eat some salt. If you still feel tired 10-15 minutes later, then take a glass of orange juice with salt as described above. Any time you feel you need water, drink some. If you feel hungry (when it’s not your scheduled time to eat), first drink some water and eat the salt and wait ½ hour. If you still feel hungry, have something to eat.

Low blood pressure (hypotension)

Low blood pressure (hypotension) would seem to be something to strive for. However, for many people, low blood pressure can cause symptoms of dizziness and fainting. In severe cases, low blood pressure can be life-threatening.

Although blood pressure varies from person to person, a blood pressure reading of 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or less systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) or 60 mm Hg or less diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is generally considered low blood pressure.


The causes of low blood pressure can range from dehydration to serious medical or surgical disorders. Low blood pressure is treatable, but it's important to find out what's causing your condition so that it can be properly treated.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure in your arteries during the active and resting phases of each heartbeat. Here's what the numbers mean:

Systolic pressure. The first (top) number in a blood pressure reading, this is the amount of pressure your heart generates when pumping blood through your arteries to the rest of your body.

Diastolic pressure. The second (bottom) number in a blood pressure reading, this refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest between beats.

Current guidelines identify normal blood pressure as lower than 120/80 mm Hg.

Although you can get an accurate blood pressure reading at any given time, blood pressure isn't always the same. It can vary considerably in a short amount of time — sometimes from one heartbeat to the next, depending on body position, breathing rhythm, stress level, physical condition, medications you take, what you eat and drink, and even time of day. Blood pressure is usually lowest at night and rises sharply on waking.

Blood pressure: How low can you go?

What's considered low blood pressure for you may be normal for someone else. Most doctors consider chronically low blood pressure too low only if it causes noticeable symptoms.

Some experts define low blood pressure as readings lower than 90 mm Hg systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic — you need to have only one number in the low range for your blood pressure to be considered lower than normal. In other words, if your systolic pressure is a perfect 115, but your diastolic pressure is 50, you're considered to have lower than normal pressure.

A sudden fall in blood pressure also can be dangerous. A change of just 20 mm Hg — a drop from 110 systolic to 90 mm Hg systolic, for example — can cause dizziness and fainting when the brain fails to receive an adequate supply of blood.

And big plunges, especially those caused by uncontrolled bleeding, severe infections or allergic reactions, can be life-threatening.

Athletes and people who exercise regularly tend to have lower blood pressure and a slower heart rate than do people who aren't as fit. So, in general, do nonsmokers and people who eat a healthy diet and maintain a normal weight.

But in some rare instances, low blood pressure can be a sign of serious, even life-threatening disorders.

Conditions that can cause low blood pressure

Some medical conditions can cause low blood pressure. These include:

Pregnancy. Because a woman's circulatory system expands rapidly during pregnancy, blood pressure is likely to drop. This is normal, and blood pressure usually returns to your pre-pregnancy level after you've given birth.

Heart problems. Some heart conditions that can lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart valve problems, heart attack and heart failure.

These conditions may cause low blood pressure because they prevent your body from being able to circulate enough blood.

Endocrine problems. Thyroid conditions — such as parathyroid disease — adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and, in some cases, diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.

Dehydration. When you become dehydrated, your body loses more water than it takes in. Even mild dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can all lead to dehydration.

Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues. If untreated, severe hypovolemic shock can cause death within a few minutes or hours.

Blood loss. Losing a lot of blood from a major injury or internal bleeding reduces the amount of blood in your body, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.

Severe infection (septicemia). Septicemia can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. This condition can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.

Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex. Anaphylaxis can cause breathing problems, hives, itching, a swollen throat and a drop in blood pressure.

Lack of nutrients in your diet. A lack of the vitamins B-12 and folate can cause a condition in which your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells (anemia), causing low blood pressure.

Medications that can cause low blood pressure

Some medications you may take can also cause low blood pressure, including:

>Diuretics (water pills), such as furosemide (Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Oretic)

>Alpha blockers, such as prazosin (Minipress) and labetalol

>Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others) and timolol

>Drugs for Parkinson's disease, such as pramipexole (Mirapex) or those containing levodopa

>Certain types of antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants), including doxepin (Silenor), imipramine (Tofranil), protriptyline (Vivactil) and trimipramine (Surmontil)

>Sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis), particularly in combination with the heart medication nitroglycerin
Types of low blood pressure

Doctors often break down low blood pressure (hypotension) into different categories, depending on the causes and other factors. Some types of low blood pressure include:

Low blood pressure on standing up (orthostatic, or postural, hypotension). This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting position or if you stand up after lying down.

Ordinarily, gravity causes blood to pool in your legs whenever you stand. Your body compensates for this by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels, thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain.

But in people with orthostatic hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and blood pressure falls, leading to symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision and even fainting.

Orthostatic hypotension can occur for a variety of reasons, including dehydration, prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large varicose veins and certain neurological disorders.

A number of medications also can cause orthostatic hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat high blood pressure — diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors — as well as antidepressants and drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and erectile dysfunction.

Orthostatic hypotension is especially common in older adults, with as many as 20 percent of those older than age 65 experiencing orthostatic hypotension.

But orthostatic hypotension can also affect young, otherwise healthy people who stand up suddenly after sitting with their legs crossed for long periods or after working for a time in a squatting position.

Low blood pressure after eating (postprandial hypotension). Postprandial hypotension is a sudden drop in blood pressure after eating. It affects mostly older adults.

Just as gravity pulls blood to your feet when you stand, a large amount of blood flows to your digestive tract after you eat.

Ordinarily, your body counteracts this by increasing your heart rate and constricting certain blood vessels to help maintain normal blood pressure. But in some people these mechanisms fail, leading to dizziness, faintness and falls.

Postprandial hypotension is more likely to affect people with high blood pressure or autonomic nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Lowering the dose of blood pressure drugs and eating small, low-carbohydrate meals may help reduce symptoms.

Low blood pressure from faulty brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension). This disorder causes blood pressure to drop after standing for long periods, leading to signs and symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and fainting.

Neurally mediated hypotension mostly affects young people, and it seems to occur because of a miscommunication between the heart and the brain.

When you stand for extended periods, your blood pressure falls as blood pools in your legs. Normally, your body then makes adjustments to normalize your blood pressure.

But in people with neurally mediated hypotension, nerves in the heart's left ventricle actually signal the brain that blood pressure is too high, rather than too low.

As a result, the brain lessens the heart rate, decreasing blood pressure even further. This causes more blood to pool in the legs and less blood to reach the brain, leading to light-headedness and fainting.

Low blood pressure due to nervous system damage (multiple system atrophy with orthostatic hypotension). Also called Shy-Drager syndrome, this rare disorder causes progressive damage to the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and digestion.

Although this condition can be associated with muscle tremors, slowed movement, problems with coordination and speech, and incontinence, its main characteristic is severe orthostatic hypotension in combination with very high blood pressure when lying down.

Symptoms. 

 For some people, low blood pressure can signal an underlying problem, especially when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs and symptoms such as:

Dizziness or lightheadedness
Fainting (syncope)
Lack of concentration
Blurred vision
Nausea
Cold, clammy, pale skin
Rapid, shallow breathing
Fatigue
Depression
Thirst

When to see a doctor

In many instances, low blood pressure isn't serious. If you have consistently low readings but feel fine, your doctor is likely to monitor you during routine exams.

Even occasional dizziness or light-headedness may be a relatively minor problem — the result of mild dehydration from too much time in the sun or a hot tub, for example. In these situations, it's not a matter so much of how far, but of how quickly, your blood pressure drops.

Still, it's important to see your doctor if you experience any signs or symptoms of hypotension because they sometimes can point to more-serious problems. It can be helpful to keep a record of your symptoms, when they occur and what you were doing at the time.

RISK FACTORS

Low blood pressure (hypotension) can occur in anyone, though certain types of low blood pressure are more common depending on your age or other factors:

>Age. Drops in blood pressure on standing or after eating occur primarily in adults older than 65. Orthostatic, or postural, hypotension happens after standing up, while postprandial hypotension happens after eating a meal.

Neurally mediated hypotension happens as a result of a miscommunication between the brain and heart. It primarily affects children and younger adults.

>Medications. People who take certain medications, such as high blood pressure medications like alpha blockers, have a greater risk of low blood pressure.


>Certain diseases. Parkinson's disease, diabetes and some heart conditions put you at a greater risk of developing low blood pressure.

COMPLICATIONS

Even moderate forms of low blood pressure can cause not only dizziness and weakness but also fainting and a risk of injury from falls.

And severely low blood pressure from any cause can deprive your body of enough oxygen to carry out its normal functions, leading to damage to your heart and brain.

No special preparations are necessary to have your blood pressure checked. You might want to wear a short-sleeved shirt to your appointment so that the blood pressure cuff can fit around your arm properly.

Don't stop taking any prescription medications that you think may affect your blood pressure without your doctor's advice.

Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot to discuss, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

>Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet for a blood test.

>Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to low blood pressure.

>Write down key personal information, including a family history of low blood pressure and any major stresses or recent life changes.

>Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that you're taking.

>Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.

>Be prepared to discuss your diet and exercise habits. If you don't already follow a diet or exercise routine, be ready to talk to your doctor about any challenges you might face in getting started.

>Write down questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For low blood pressure, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?

What are other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?

What kinds of tests will I need?

What's the most appropriate treatment?

What foods should I eat or avoid?

What's an appropriate level of physical activity for me?

How often should I be screened for low blood pressure?

I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?

Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?

Should I see a specialist?

Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing for me?

Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask any other questions you may think of during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

When did you begin experiencing symptoms?

Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?

How severe are your symptoms?

What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?

What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?

Have you been diagnosed with any other health conditions?

What medications are you currently taking?

What is your typical daily diet?

How much exercise do you get in an average week?

Do you have a family history of heart disease?

The goal in testing for low blood pressure is to find the underlying cause. This helps determine the correct treatment and identify any heart, brain or nervous system problems that may cause lower than normal readings. To reach a diagnosis, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests:

Blood pressure test. Blood pressure is measured with an inflatable arm cuff and a pressure-measuring gauge.

A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), has two numbers. The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (systolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).

Blood tests. These can provide information about your overall health as well as whether you have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), high blood sugar (hyperglycemia or diabetes) or a low number of red blood cells (anemia), all of which can cause lower than normal blood pressure.

Electrocardiogram (ECG). During this painless, noninvasive test, soft, sticky patches (electrodes) are attached to the skin of your chest, arms and legs. The patches detect your heart's electrical signals while a machine records them on graph paper or displays them on a screen.

An ECG, which can be performed in your doctor's office, detects irregularities in your heart rhythm, structural abnormalities in your heart, and problems with the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart muscle. It can also tell if you're having a heart attack or if you've had a heart attack in the past.

Sometimes, heart rhythm abnormalities come and go, and an ECG won't find any problems. If this happens, you may be asked to wear a 24-hour Holter monitor to record your heart's electrical activity as you go about your daily routine.

Echocardiogram. This noninvasive exam, which includes an ultrasound of your chest, shows detailed images of your heart's structure and function.

Ultrasound waves are transmitted, and their echoes are recorded with a device called a transducer, which is held outside your body. A computer uses the information from the transducer to create moving images on a video monitor.

Stress test. Some heart problems that can cause low blood pressure are easier to diagnose when your heart is working harder than when it's at rest. During a stress test, you'll exercise, such as walking on a treadmill. You may be given medication to make your heart work harder if you're unable to exercise.

When your heart is working harder, your heart will be monitored with electrocardiography or echocardiography. Your blood pressure also may be monitored.

Valsalva maneuver. This noninvasive test checks the functioning of your autonomic nervous system by analyzing your heart rate and blood pressure after several cycles of a type of deep breathing: You take a deep breath and then force the air out through your lips, as if you were trying to blow up a stiff balloon.

Tilt table test. If you have low blood pressure on standing, or from faulty brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension), your doctor may suggest a tilt table test, which evaluates how your body reacts to changes in position.

During the test, you lie on a table that's tilted to raise the upper part of your body, which simulates the movement from horizontal to a standing position.

In a tilt table test, you lie on a table that adjusts your body position from horizontal to vertical to simulate standing up. The test can tell your doctor if faulty brain signals are causing low blood pressure.

Low blood pressure that either doesn't cause signs or symptoms or causes only mild symptoms, such as brief episodes of dizziness when standing, rarely requires treatment.

If you have symptoms, the most appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause, and doctors usually try to address the primary health problem — dehydration, heart failure, diabetes or hypothyroidism, for example — rather than the low blood pressure itself.

When low blood pressure is caused by medications, treatment usually involves changing the dose of the medication or stopping it entirely.

If it's not clear what's causing low blood pressure or no effective treatment exists, the goal is to raise your blood pressure and reduce signs and symptoms. Depending on your age, health status and the type of low blood pressure you have, you can do this in several ways:

Use more salt. Experts usually recommend limiting the amount of salt in your diet because sodium can raise blood pressure, sometimes dramatically. For people with low blood pressure, that can be a good thing.

But because excess sodium can lead to heart failure, especially in older adults, it's important to check with your doctor before increasing the salt in your diet.

Drink more water. Although nearly everyone can benefit from drinking enough water, this is especially true if you have low blood pressure.

Fluids increase blood volume and help prevent dehydration, both of which are important in treating hypotension.

Wear compression stockings. The same elastic stockings commonly used to relieve the pain and swelling of varicose veins may help reduce the pooling of blood in your legs.

Compression stockings, also called support stockings, compress your legs, promoting circulation. A stocking butler may help you put on the stockings.

Medications. Several medications, either used alone or together, can be used to treat low blood pressure that occurs when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension).

For example, the drug fludrocortisone is often used to treat this form of low blood pressure. This drug helps boost your blood volume, which raises blood pressure.

Doctors often use the drug midodrine (Orvaten) to raise standing blood pressure levels in people with chronic orthostatic hypotension. It works by restricting the ability of your blood vessels to expand, which raises blood pressure.

LIFESTYLE AND HOME REMEDIES

Depending on the reason for your low blood pressure, you may be able to take certain steps to help reduce or even prevent symptoms. Some suggestions include:

Drink more water, less alcohol. Alcohol is dehydrating and can lower blood pressure, even if you drink in moderation. Water, on the other hand, combats dehydration and increases blood volume.

Follow a healthy diet. Get all the nutrients you need for good health by focusing on a variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean chicken and fish.

If your doctor suggests using more salt but you don't like a lot of salt on your food, try using natural soy sauce or adding dry soup mixes to dips and dressings.

Go slowly when changing body positions. You may be able to reduce the dizziness and lightheadedness that occur with low blood pressure on standing by taking it easy when you move from a prone to a standing position.

Before getting out of bed in the morning, breathe deeply for a few minutes and then slowly sit up before standing. Sleeping with the head of your bed slightly elevated also can help fight the effects of gravity.

If you begin to get symptoms while standing, cross your thighs in a scissors fashion and squeeze, or put one foot on a ledge or chair and lean as far forward as possible. These maneuvers encourage blood to flow from your legs to your heart.

Eat small, low-carb meals. To help prevent blood pressure from dropping sharply after meals, eat small portions several times a day and limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.

Your doctor also may recommend drinking caffeinated coffee or tea with meals to temporarily raise blood pressure. But because caffeine can cause other problems, check with your doctor before drinking more caffeinated beverages.