sympathetic nervous system
Chris Iliades, MD
If you go to Amazon or search Google for weighted blankets, you will find many options with average prices ranging from twenty-five to one hundred dollars. There is nothing very technical about a weighted blanket. It is just a blanket with more weight evenly distributed into the banket so it … Read More
Chris Iliades, MD
If you monitor your blood pressure at home, you may notice that your pressure is usually higher in the early morning. This is normal because your blood pressure has a normal variation that follows your body’s biological clock, also called your circadian rhythm. Blood pressure is higher a few hours … Read More
Chris Iliades, MD
It is well known that a short period of pain – called acute pain – can raise your blood pressure. Several studies show that people with long-term pain – called chronic pain – may develop long-term high blood pressure called hypertension. In more ways than one, pain can cause high … Read More
Chris Iliades, MD
If you have ever experienced “butterflies in your stomach” or felt like your guts were “tied up in knots” while under stress, you have experienced the gut-brain connection. [1] According to the Cleveland Clinic, stress can cause diarrhea, it can also cause other symptoms of GI distress like bloating, belly … Read More
UHN Staff
Close your eyes and sit up straight. Take a deep breath while you count to five, then count to five again as you exhale. Go ahead and try it right now for six breaths. It feels good, doesn’t it? Breathing to lower blood pressure can be an effective strategy. Here’s … Read More
UHN Staff
Fatigue is a common symptom in people with medical conditions like cancer and diabetes, mood disorders like depression and anxiety, and even in people who are otherwise “healthy.” Yet despite how prevalent it is, medical researchers still do not completely understand what happens in the body to cause fatigue. They … Read More
UHN Staff
If you’ve ever screeched to a halt to avoid an accident and felt your heart race and your breathing quicken, you’ve felt some of the effects of norepinephrine, a key player in the fight-or-flight response. But that’s not all norepinephrine does. This neurotransmitter (in the nervous system) and hormone (in … Read More
Chelsea Clark
I love music; I listen to it while driving, working, doing chores, relaxing, and even when I am exercising. And while not everyone likes the same kind, most people would agree that listening to music is a pleasant and oftentimes mood-boosting experience. In fact, music can have such a profound … Read More
Leonaura Rhodes, MD
At some point in life, you may have experienced dizziness while standing up. Dizziness includes three subtly different symptoms: Lightheadedness, where your head feels light, as if you may feel faint Vertigo, where you feel that the room or world is spinning Unsteadiness, where you feel like you are unstable … Read More
UHN Staff
Does your teen stay up late every night? While teens are predisposed to stay up late, most teens do not get the eight to nine recommended hours of sleep each night, which is essential for optimum health.[1] New research shows that sleep deprivation in teens is associated with inflammation; this … Read More