Heart Attack in Bathrooms -- The Sitting Toilet Connection

[Satanta]

http://www.toilet-related-ailments.c...rt-attack.html

You might wonder why there is a section devoted to heart attack. The answer relates to the work of a remarkable Israeli physician, Dr B. A. Sikirov.


Dr Sikirov's Discoveries

More than 20 years ago, Dr Sikirov did several studies on the role of toileting habits and posture in hemorrhoids and diverticulosis cases. In 1987, he published his findings concerning the effectiveness of squatting in clearing up hemorrhoids in 18 out of 20 patients.

(Dr Sikirov's study on squatting and hemorrhoids.)

Diverticulosis and sitting toilets A year later, in 1988, Dr Sikirov wrote an article for Medical Hypothesis ["Etiology and Pathogenesis of Diverticulosis", May 1988, 26(1):17-20] in which he described how straining for bowel movements on a sitting toilet can also cause diverticulosis (box on left).


Sitting Toilets Can Trigger Heart Attacks?

Two years later, in 1990, Dr Sikirov again singled out the Western toilet as a contributing factor in bathroom heart attacks.

Writing in the Medical Hypothesis, Dr Sikirov stated that the same straining which is responsible for hemorrhoids and diverticulosis can also increase the risk of fatal heart attacks in people with weak hearts.
SIDENOTE
==========================================
In his 1987 study on squatting and hemorrhoids, Dr B. A. Sikirov found that the magnitude of straining in a sitting posture is at least three times more than in a squatting posture.
==========================================

The following is the summary of Dr Sikirov's article "Cardio-vascular Events at Defecation: Are They Unavoidable?" [Medical Hypotheses, Jul 1990; 32(3):231-3]:

"Heart attacks which occur during defecation are, in many cases, the result of using the (unnatural) sitting posture for waste elimination.

"Excessive straining, through the use of repeated Valsalva Maneuvers, is needed for emptying the bowels in the sitting position. The Valsalva Maneuver adversely affects the cardio-vascular system, and can cause fainting and death.

"The cardio-vascular system of a healthy man can cope with intensive and repeated straining on a sitting toilet. But with a weakened vascular system, straining on a sitting toilet may result in fainting or even death.

"By squatting for waste elimination, the straining required, if any, is much reduced, which would help prevent many of these tragic (heart attack) cases."

(Abstract of Dr Sikirov's article.)

Although the use of sitting toilets could trigger a heart attack, many people may not be able to do anything about it -- even if they wish to use the squatting position. About one third of humanity who live in the Westernised countries do not have access to squatting toilets.

There are many ways to go around this problem. One practical solution is to use a toilet squatting platform.

There you go, don't strain too much while pinching a loaf.

My dad knew this...it must be why he would spend hours and hours and hours in the bathroom on Sunday.

with a newspaper.

[Marthanoir]

Sat, your one ****ed up bunny

[Satanta]

Sat, your one ****ed up bunny

Hey, I'm just trying to take care of everyones health and well-being.

Pass the carrots.

[RunningMan]

True story: back several years ago, a family friend and retired plant worker in his late sixties would help out with odd jobs. My Dad and Brother stopped and ate dinner with him at a local restaurant and parted for the night. When they did not see him by late the next morning as expected, they tried calling and eventually drove the few miles up to his small place in the country. His truck was there, so they knocked repeatedly, and then started looking in windows. Nothing. So they called the local Sherrif and got in. He was indeed stone cold dead still in his garb from the previous night, sitting on the toilet and slumped over. Heart failure. Helluva a nice guy.

I never ate in the restaurant again after that. They say he ate the linguine.

[Shooting Star]

Didn't Elvis die on the toilet?

[Gercarson]

Didn't Elvis die on the toilet?

Yes . . . the king died sitting on his throne.

[dogmanan]

oat meal every day may be a prenative action to take.

[undead]

what the heck is a squatting toilet?

[33dInd]

through the years I responded to numerous un attended deaths where we found the elderly DRT in the bathrooms from this very thing.
More than enough to get my attention.

[DustMusher]

Didn't Elvis die on the toilet?

Ayup secondary to drug use which contributed to constipation.

However, the same effect of triggering a heart attack can be done by just standing and holding your breath and straining the abdominal muscles -- called Valsalva Maneuver, this is taught to people who occasionally have a fast heart rate (tachycardia).

Doing this can also detach retinas so not something to play with -- dead and blind.

DM

[Dozdoats]

http://www.mymerhaba.com/Toilet-Habi...urkey-106.html




Toilet Habits


 There are two kinds of toilets in Turkey, oriental and western.
The oriental style toilet is the traditional toilet which has two platforms on which to put your feet and a hole in the middle in which to do your business. There is also a small tap on the wall; use this to fill the provided bucket with water, and then pour the water into the hole, essentially ‘flushing’ the toilet. How to use the oriental toilet: place your feet on the platforms, squat down and try to adjust yourself over the hole. The most important point to remember is to pull your pants or skirt out of the way, so as not to wet them. Though challenging for most foreigners to use, these oriental style toilets are actually quite hygienic.

In the large cities, western toilets are found almost everywhere, but throughout the countryside, at gas stations and road side stops, oriental toilets are the norm. There are almost always separate sections for men and women; sometimes you have to pay to use public toilets, although the charge is minimal. Generally, near each mosque there is one public toilet. However public toilets are always better in hotels and restaurants. The small water pipes coming from the back of the western style toilets dispense water and it is used as a simplified bidet, for cleansing purposes. Toilet paper is used for drying oneself, and it is worth noting that toilet paper is often non-existent in public facilities, so bring your own supply.

In the pastin houses with oriental toilets (as well as in hamams), it was customary to wear and nalın (clogs) into the toilets. Clogs were put on with shoes or slippers; the idea was that you would not be wandering around the house with the same shoes or slippers that you had worn into the toilets.

[medic38572]

For you Sat new technology from the TSA! Enjoy!

[Troke]

When Ike had his first heart attack, heart doctors held their breath until it was announced he had survived his first bowel movement. First time I heard such was important. Since then have heard of more than one known weak heart that died in the bath.

This is no joke.

[medic38572]

When Ike had his first heart attack, heart doctors held their breath until it was announced he had survived his first bowel movement. First time I heard such was important. Since then have heard of more than one known weak heart that died in the bath.

This is no joke.

I have worked many codes off the commode doing their morning duty, Truth.

[almost ready]

Was warned about straining many years ago by an RN friend. She said it can cause an aneurysm. Start when young with good practice.

Lots of liquids, much water, herb teas, whatever doesn't have soda (full of salt) or caffiene. If you're drinking sodas and caffinated beverages, drink the others as well.

Lots of fiber - daily choices just choose the item with more fiber. After a few weeks of this, you'll know which of the foods you like has the extra fiber and won't have to mull the choices. So many delicious choices

and if you need to strain, lean forward and press your feet hard on the floor instead.

If this isn't enough, get a little stool like the kiddies use to reach the sink and put your feet on that. You can set the newspaper on it.

Problem solved. These tips will help and become more important the older we get.

[FireDance]

Doing this can also detach retinas so not something to play with -- dead and blind.
DM

Would you care?

After Elvis died this became "real" to me. I avoid the toilet - LOL. I always wonder about those people that can sit on the toilet for hours. HOW do you do that? Just a few minutes makes me crazy. FD is happy she doesn't have to squat to go.

[Border Guns]

what the heck is a squatting toilet?

primarily the toilets used in the Middle East and parts of Europe. They have two shoe prints and a hole between for
the products of your labor.

[wab54]

LOL!!! Ive been to quite a few DRT's myself.

When you "strain", it causes a "vaso-vagal" response of your heart. The heart rate will slow down and sometimes you will pass out or can die.
It is not the toilet, resturant or food you eat that causes the problem, just the act of "straining".


WAB

[Dusty Lady]

What Wab, Medic and 33rd said, btdt. What really sucked was when the pt was doa and stuck between the toilet and bathtub and over weight to boot. Oh my aching back.

[Broken Arrow]

Its caused by straining and putting pressure on the vague nerve in your backside, which is connected to your heart. When I worked ambulance we called them s**t coronaries. The usually wedged themselves between the toilet and wall. Always so much fun trying to pull them out in a dignified way infront of the family.

[Shea Grey]

Hey, I'm just trying to take care of everyones health and well-being.

Pass the carrots.

okay......good info...appreciate it, a free wheeling vibrant discourse is always healthy, so lets move this discussion to the next logical area it should go.........using viagra, in conjunction, with a weakened heart....opinions? advice? ball breaking? snide and sarcastic asides?
testimonies?....anyone?

[Countrybumpkin]

No thoughts on the Viagra-still reminding myself to eat more fiber...

[PghPanther]

Ayup secondary to drug use which contributed to constipation.

However, the same effect of triggering a heart attack can be done by just standing and holding your breath and straining the abdominal muscles -- called Valsalva Maneuver, this is taught to people who occasionally have a fast heart rate (tachycardia).

Doing this can also detach retinas so not something to play with -- dead and blind.

DM

You are correct..........the movement is also used when in irregular vagal afib as an attempt to convert back to normal beating................

In regards to heart attacks most occur in the morning as you body begins to rise in blood pressure and heart rate upon awakening...........add to that a morning movement in the bathroom and you can have a double wammy so to speak.

and that valsalva manuever is one to be avoiding when lifting weights or straining to move an object..........always take some good breaths during a negative range (lower in a weight) and exhale as you move a weight in the positive direction.....away from gravity that is....

Never ever hold your breath when lifting weights or moving heaving objects.......

[FireDance]

Med types: what's the dz that the kids have that's relieved by squatting - has something to do w/the heart. Obviously one of those "huh. Very interesting" moments for me because I can't recall what it is off the top of my head. My brain only kicks the above out with "and had to do with the great vessels." But I do not trust my brain for this type of application. It can pull out all sorts of things like electrical cable lengths on the space shuttle and add it into anything - KWIM? Goofy thing.

[NancyJo]

many drs will not close the bathroon door due to this. Just eat oatmeal and quit the crap foods eats natural and eat as much raw as you can. Never strain to get it out

[NancyJo]

its the the vega

[medic38572]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagus_nerve

The vagus nerve (play /ˈveɪɡəs/ US dict: vā′·gəs), also called pneumogastric nerve or cranial nerve X, is the tenth of twelve (excluding CN0) paired cranial nerves. Upon leaving the medulla between the medullary pyramid and the inferior cerebellar peduncle, it extends through the jugular foramen, then passing into the carotid sheath between the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein down below the head, to the neck, chest and abdomen, where it contributes to the innervation of the viscera. Besides output to the various organs in the body, the vagus nerve conveys sensory information about the state of the body's organs to the central nervous system. 80-90% of the nerve fibers in the vagus nerve are afferent (sensory) nerves communicating the state of the viscera to the brain.[1]

The medieval Latin word vagus means literally "wandering" (the words vagrant, vagabond, and vague come from the same root). Sometimes the branches are spoken of in the plural and are thus called vagi (/ˈveɪdʒaɪ/, US dict: vā′·jī). The vagus is also called the pneumogastric nerve since it innervates both the lungs and the stomach.

The motor division of the vagus nerve is derived from the basal plate of the embryonic medulla oblongata, while the sensory division originates from the cranial neural crest.

The vagus nerve includes axons which emerge from or converge onto three nuclei of the medulla:

The Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve - which sends parasympathetic output to the viscera, especially the intestines
The Nucleus ambiguus - which sends parasympathetic output to the heart (slowing it down) and
The Solitary nucleus - which receives afferent taste information and primary afferents from visceral organs

Right and left vagus nerves descend from the cranial vault through the jugular foramina, penetrating the carotid sheath between the internal and external carotid arteries, then passing posterolateral to the common carotid artery. The cell bodies of visceral afferent fibers of the vagus nerve are located bilaterally in the inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve (nodose ganglia).
Vagus nerve - dissection

The right vagus nerve gives rise to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the right subclavian artery and ascends into the neck between the trachea and esophagus. The right vagus then crosses anteriorly to the right subclavian artery and runs posterior to the superior vena cava and descends posterior to the right main bronchus and contributes to cardiac, pulmonary, and esophageal plexuses. It forms the posterior vagal trunk at the lower part of the esophagus and enters the diaphragm through the esophageal hiatus.

The left vagus nerve enters the thorax between left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery and descends on the aortic arch. It gives rise to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, which hooks around the aortic arch to the left of the ligamentum arteriosum and ascends between the trachea and esophagus. The left vagus further gives off thoracic cardiac branches, breaks up into pulmonary plexus, continues into the esophageal plexus, and enters the abdomen as the anterior vagal trunk in the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.

The vagus nerve supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to all the organs except the suprarenal (adrenal) glands, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon. The vagus also controls a few skeletal muscles, notable ones being:


Cricothyroid muscle
Levator veli palatini muscle
Salpingopharyngeus muscle
Palatoglossus muscle
Palatopharyngeus muscle
Superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors
Muscles of the larynx (speech).

This means that the vagus nerve is responsible for such varied tasks as heart rate, gastrointestinal peristalsis, sweating, and quite a few muscle movements in the mouth, including speech (via the recurrent laryngeal nerve) and keeping the larynx open for breathing (via action of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, the only abductor of the vocal folds). It also has some afferent fibers that innervate the inner (canal) portion of the outer ear, via the Auricular branch (also known as Alderman's nerve) and part of the meninges. This explains why a person may cough when tickled on the ear (such as when trying to remove ear wax with a cotton swab).

Parasympathetic innervation of the heart is controlled by the vagus nerve. To be specific, the vagus nerve acts to lower the heart rate. The right vagus innervates the sinoatrial node. Parasympathetic hyperstimulation predisposes those affected to bradyarrhythmias. The left vagus when hyperstimulated predisposes the heart to atrioventricular (AV) blocks.

At this location, neuroscientist Otto Loewi first proved that nerves secrete substances called neurotransmitters, which have effects on receptors in target tissues. In his experiment, Loewi electrically stimulated the vagus nerve of a frog heart, which slowed the heart. Then he took the fluid from the heart and transferred it to a second frog heart without a vagus nerve. The second heart slowed down without an electrical stimulation. Loewi described the substance released by the vagus nerve as vagusstoff, which was later found to be acetylcholine. Drugs that inhibit the muscarinic cholinergic receptor (anticholinergics) such as atropine and scopolamine are called vagolytic because they inhibit the action of the vagus nerve on the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs. Anticholinergic drugs increase heart rate and are used to treat bradycardia (slow heart rate). Atropine is no longer indicated for the treatment of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) or asystole per the 2010 ACLS guidelines, as it has not been shown to improve outcomes in these clinical scenarios.

[bluetick]

Here you go - http://squattypotty.com

There is information on how you can do things better!

[The Mountain]

"Squat toilets" are common here in India as well, and the ones here have a cistern so they can be flushed. And yes, they're healthier both because they put you in a more "correct" position, and because you get a better assist from gravity. You can improve a western toilet by using a low stepstool, at about 3", for your feet.

"Sh*t coronaries" are going to become more common in the near future because of the new "comfort" toilets that sit even higher than the normal western style, and which are generally marketed to the elderly and/or infirm as they are supposedly easier to get up from after you're done. They require even more effort to use.

[Flippper]

Just eat oatmeal and quit the crap foods eats natural and eat as much raw as you can. Never strain to get it out

A sign of low thyroid is constipation, and no amount of oatmeal or fiber will help. Before I began Armour I could drink an entire quart of prune juice and go about my day, I love the stuff so it was all good. When I'm on my thyroid meds, I can still drink quite a bit of it, but it does usually affect me now.

I have been waiting to use this picture for a while now, I just knew someone here would make it possible.

[carioca]

"Sh*t coronaries" are going to become more common in the near future because of the new "comfort" toilets that sit even higher than the normal western style, and which are generally marketed to the elderly and/or infirm as they are supposedly easier to get up from after you're done. They require even more effort to use.

I guess that's one way to keep healthcare costs down.

We'll probably never get ads that say 'Improve your inheritance, buy grandpa a comfort toilet' but I wouldn't bet against it happening.

[knepper]

Flipper,
I could have lived the rest of my life just fine without the mental image you now planted in my brain!

[imaginative]

I have worked many codes off the commode doing their morning duty, Truth.

Maybe its best to hold it till noon?

[Penguin Zen]

almost readyIf this isn't enough, get a little stool like the kiddies use to reach the sink and put your feet on that. You can set the newspaper on it.

That is what the nurses told me after my C-section

[m.anderson]

Wow and not one what a crappy way to die joke out of 34 post.
I'm really proud of you guys

[shinerbock]

Wow and not one what a crappy way to die joke out of 34 post.
I'm really proud of you guys

It is ironic that Elvis died in such a fashion: "Viva Las Vagus (sic)"

[TCPatriot]

People worry about when the S will HTF. I've always said that the SHTF will be like a heart attack. It will happen when you least expect it.......... Like when setting on the toilet.

[Beelbill]

I was sitting on a toilet one day when a train whistle sounded just like a trumpet. For a moment, I thought it might be the Rapture. Then I thought "oh no." I could just imagine for the rest of eternity people asking me what I was doing when Jesus came back and I would have to tell them having a bowel movement. Then I sat there and calculated how many Christians there were in the world and how many would on average be sitting on a toilet at any given moment. There are a lot of people that will go while they are going.

[Sysman]

Sopranos fans know this is true...

.

[m.anderson]

too funny Shiner