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Page 47
| Heart and Circulation |
| Keeping the heart healthy is important with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so that sufficient quantities of oxygen-laden blood are pumped to all the cells, including the brain. A common problem with CFS, probably due to insufficient oxygen in the blood and possibly to adrenal and other imbalances, is heart palpitations. The heart can beat so fast it seems to jump out of the chest, especially during and after exercising, even when it is not strenuous. To someone with CFS that can mean no more than walking up the driveway to get the mail. |
| A recent study conducted at Johns Hopkins found that a number of people with CFS had low blood pressure caused by a defect in how the nervous system regulates blood flow. The researchers think that this type of low blood pressure might be a previously unrecognized trigger for CFS. Adrenal hormones kick-start this response in which a confused nervous system tells the body to slow the heartbeat and lower blood pressure as if it is resting when it is actually standing upright. Thus the patient becomes dizzy and confused, especially after exercising, standing for long periods of time or feeling overheated. In the Johns Hopkins study, such symptoms were relieved in over three-quarters of the volunteers within a month when they went on a high-salt diet and took |
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