University Dally Kansan, June 6, 1981
Page 7
Students join registration line-up
MARTI FRUMHOFF/Kansas Stu
Prospective summer students at KU lined up at Friday's and paper work added to the discomfort of attending classes, but most found sum-
mer courses worthwhile.
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Biofeedback relieves student hypertension
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Bonnie Didiate少在 a lift-back chair, her legs comfortably propped up on a footrest and her eyes focused on the small thermometer taped to her right big toe. The Topkea woman was the temperature in her toe as part of her back training she receives to control her dangerously high blood pressure.
The temperature of her toe is the feedback Bonnie needs to monitor and control the blood circulation in her foot, a good indication of stress.
"When you increase circulation in the hands and feet, then you can turn down the body's stress response," Fahrion said.
Working under the direction of therapist Steve Farion, Disidore has learned to maintain a low blood pressure while wearing a sleeve as the thermometer to tame her toe.
Disidiree glanced at the thermometer's thin red line to make sure it remained at about 93 degrees.
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Fahir, who has conducted biofeedback experiments at the Meninger Foundation's Voluntary Controls Program in Topeka, said that when a person was under stress, the vessels carrying blood to the hands and feet tended to constrict, causing higher blood pressure. If a person is under continued stress, hypertension can become chronic, Fahir said.
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Although more than 30 million Americans suffer from hypertension, many people, like Disidore are not aware of the problem until a doctor detects it.
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"I always thought I was a relaxed person," Disidore said.
Martin Wollmann physician and director of health services at the University of Kansas" Watkins Memorial Hospital, said, "Hypersension does not produce symptoms until it explodes."
Wollmann said that the hospital treated 200 students a year for hypertension.
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Dean Kerkman, a psychologist at Watkins Hospital, said that stress-related problems such as hypertension, ulcers, tension headaches, and back
"Four thousand students uprooting their lives each year, coming from a range of situations and having to adjust to the pressures and to be under stress," Kermann said.
aches were widespread among KU students.
Because stress is inevitable, Kerkman said the student's response to stress was more important than the stress itself.
Disdire, although not a student, has plenty of tension to deal with as the mother of 10 children, seven of whom have spent their time with her and her husband Raymond.
"Restrained action is the problem in stress," he said. "It's like getting into a car and jamming the brake and the accelerator down at the same time."
"Iused to be like a racehorse all the time," Disidie said. "I didn't know I was just spinning my wheels."
Fahrion said that the analogy of hypertension to a car spinning its wheels is accurate.
One of every four Americans die from hypertension-related diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, Fahsion said. Although hypertension is more common among women than men, people were definitely not immune
When Disiore's doctor discovered her hypertension, he prescribed medication to keep the problem under control.
Wollmann said that the treatment of hypertension with drugs started only 15 years ago. The drugs are diuretics, which reduce the fluid in the blood, and dilating drugs, which prevent blood vessels from constricting. They are effective but expensive and unpleasant, Wollmann said.
Fahrid said that the drugs would cost the average patient about $1,000 a year, and the drugs must be taken for life. Biofeedback training is both more cost-effective and more beneficial than treatment with drugs, he said.
Side effects such as dizziness, lack of appetite, drowsiness and impotence cause many hypertensive patients to stop the drugs, he said.
"Most pills simply don't deal with the causes or the sources of the problem."
In Fahirin's most recent experiment, 46 out of 52 hypertensive patients reduced their blood pressure to normal levels while they gradually stopped taking their prescribed drugs, in an average of 20 training sessions.
Kerkman said. "Just relying on pills ends up creating another problem."
Individual treatment in the biofeedback program costs about $1,000, and group treatment costs $400.
Fahirion said that the techniques did not have to be re-learned or renewed. It is like learning to ride a bicycle - you don't forget to relax." Fahirion
Disdidore tried to explain the technique she learned for relaxation. "I stretch out and close my eyes. Then I talk to myself and tell myself to relax.
"I was fascinated that I could control my blood pressure by thinking about it," she said.
Doris Beardsley, another group member and a consultant nurse for the Kansas Crippled Children Program in Topeka, said, "Even though I was taking all these pills for hypertension, I still felt horrible."
Don Bray, a group member, said, "The key is realizing you can do something about high blood pressure without medication."
Other members of Disidore's group enjoyed the feeling that they could control their symptoms themselves.
Beardsley said she felt more in control of her life since she learned the relaxation techniques and stopped taking drugs.
Besides the hand- and foot-warming exercises, Fahron also teaches patients to reduce muscle tension with a device that measures that amount of tension in the frontalis muscle of the forehead.
Because the patient can see a number that indicates the amount of tension, stress that would have gone unnoticed becomes obvious. Bray said.
"I used to get very anxious when I had to wait in line at a bank or grocery store." Bray said. He now uses the time spent to practice relaxation techniques.
Other members of Disidore's group mentioned their increased awareness of stress, either as a part of their jobs
"As a nurse, I have always been rushed," Beardsley said. "Now I take the time to think about relaxing."
or when unexpected annoyances occurred.
The change in awareness that Fahrion tries to foster has benefits besides reducing hypertension, the therapist said.
"Often, I notice that other skin related symptoms such as peptic ulcers or migraine headaches are reduced by the training." he said.
"All that's necessary is a brief period of deep relaxation each day," Fahir said. "You don't need to maintain your temperatures all the time."
After the 20-week program is over, patients still keep a daily diary of their blood pressure, but they do not need to keep thermometers taped to their toes or electrodes tapped to their frontalis muscles.
"We can't cure hypertension with medication, but we can prevent it from becoming life-threatening," Wollmann said.
"We didn't know how effective it would be." he said.
Diidore said her doctor was skeptical, although her blood pressure is now at normal levels without drugs.
Fahrion said he was a little surprised by the programs success.
Many physicians, including Wellmann, are skeptical of the treatment of hypertension with biofeedback training.
Grad student dies
Memorial services for Virginia
Sullivan Lucas, a KU doctoral
candidate in psychology and counseling,
and a Ph.D. in a.m. Wednesday in the
Danforth Church.
Lucas was born in Ryan, Iowa. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and her master's degree from Iowa State University.
Survivors include her three children: Mark, 12; Beth, 9; Keith, 7; and Lucas' mother, two sisters and brother.
Lucas, 36, died of cancer June 3 at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Med Center's cancer research program.
LEARN TO SAIL THIS SUMMER
- Intensive Beginning Learn to Sail Classes
- Beginning & Intermediate Learn to Sail Classes
- Fleet of 10 Boats
- Five NEW training boats
- Intercollegiate racing team
- Campouts & Parties!
You've been meaning to learn to sail, so why not do it this summer?
It's an inexpensive way to have fun, meet people and acquire a valuable skill!
So join us at our Summer Introductory Meeting: Wednesday, June 10th
See ya there!
7:00 P.M.
Forum Room
of the Union.
Call the classified department at 864-4358
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