In an alarming story titled “Avid runner’s stroke blamed on his energy drink habit” published by the East Bay Times Wednesday, the following was reported about an anonymous man:
He was healthy and fit at 54, an avid runner with no vices — he didn’t smoke, drink or do drugs. So when he suddenly experienced left-sided weakness, numbness and difficulties with balance, walking, swallowing and speech, a family member rushed him to a stroke clinic.
His blood pressure was sky high—about 254 over 150 millimeters — yet when you looked at him you’ve never know it, because he looked so well. That’s why we call hypertension the silent killer,” said Dr. Sunil Munshi, a consulting physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom.
Munshi is the senior author of a case report about the man, a warehouse worker from Sherwood, Nottingham, whose name was withheld to protect his privacy. The paper was published Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120 over 80 mm HG (millimeters of mercury). Blood pressure of 180 over 120 or higher is considered a medical crisis that requires immediate emergency care.
“His left side was numb, and scans showed he had a stroke in the deeper part of the brain, the thalamus, which explains the unsteadiness,” Munshi said. “He was admitted, and we treated him with five different medications until his blood pressure dropped to 170.”
When he was back home, the man’s blood pressure continued to climb, reaching 220 despite numerous drugs.
Munshi and his team searched for answers for weeks, running extensive tests that turned up negative. Then one day the man told Munshi about his energy drink habit.
“Each day he consumed eight highly potent energy drinks to stay alert for his job — two cans at four different times during the day,” Munshi said. (The brand name was withheld from the study.) “Each of the drinks contained 160 milligrams of caffeine. Suddenly the diagnosis was clear…”
Just weeks after stopping his consumption of the energy drink, the man’s blood pressure returned to normal. Today, years after the incident, he is healthy but still lives with the aftermath of his stroke.
“I obviously wasn’t aware of the dangers drinking energy drinks were causing to myself,” the man told his doctors. “(I) have been left with numbness (in my) left hand and fingers, foot and toes even after 8 years.”
His blood pressure was sky high—about 254 over 150 millimeters — yet when you looked at him you’ve never know it, because he looked so well. That’s why we call hypertension the silent killer,” said Dr. Sunil Munshi, a consulting physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom.
Munshi is the senior author of a case report about the man, a warehouse worker from Sherwood, Nottingham, whose name was withheld to protect his privacy. The paper was published Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120 over 80 mm HG (millimeters of mercury). Blood pressure of 180 over 120 or higher is considered a medical crisis that requires immediate emergency care.
“His left side was numb, and scans showed he had a stroke in the deeper part of the brain, the thalamus, which explains the unsteadiness,” Munshi said. “He was admitted, and we treated him with five different medications until his blood pressure dropped to 170.”
When he was back home, the man’s blood pressure continued to climb, reaching 220 despite numerous drugs.
Munshi and his team searched for answers for weeks, running extensive tests that turned up negative. Then one day the man told Munshi about his energy drink habit.
“Each day he consumed eight highly potent energy drinks to stay alert for his job — two cans at four different times during the day,” Munshi said. (The brand name was withheld from the study.) “Each of the drinks contained 160 milligrams of caffeine. Suddenly the diagnosis was clear…”
Just weeks after stopping his consumption of the energy drink, the man’s blood pressure returned to normal. Today, years after the incident, he is healthy but still lives with the aftermath of his stroke.
“I obviously wasn’t aware of the dangers drinking energy drinks were causing to myself,” the man told his doctors. “(I) have been left with numbness (in my) left hand and fingers, foot and toes even after 8 years.”
Wow right? This story is a great illustration of why it’s so important to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Sadly though, energy drinks aren’t the only things we take in that will harm us though. Which is the very reason we must be on guard for hidden dangers that can leave us with lasting consequences.
You see, the Bible clearly tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies belong to God and, therefore, we are to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits. This is something we do by guarding our temple doors or gates… our ear gates, our eye gates, and our mouth gates. And we do this in the same way we guard the Temples that we worship in.
Think about it this way? If you were standing guard at the door of your church building to protect it, would you let someone in carrying buckets of paint they were going to throw on the carpet and the walls? Of course not! And I bet you wouldn’t let someone in with a jackhammer with the intent of breaking up the floors either right? See where I’m going with this?
"The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both." Proverbs 20:12
We are to protect our godly temples in the same way we protect our places of worship, making sure that nothing enters our gates that will harm us physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. And it’s up to us to know and be able to spot what these harmful things are. Which means, in guarding our ear gates, we must check the lyrics of our music and the messages of our podcasts (among other things). We must continually ask ourselves, "Does what I'm listening to align with the Word? If the answer is no, then we don’t listen to it.
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 NIV
A temple falls into disrepair when it’s continually neglected—which is the reason we must be on guard and vigilant in its upkeep.
So, guard your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, by carefully and meticulously guarding your gates my friend. Being unaware of the dangers of what we eat, watch and listen to will be no excuse since we have the Bible as our guidebook. Read it, study it, and abide by it so that your temple will not fall into disrepair but will bring God glory.
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that it’s of utmost importance for us to maintain our bodies where the Holy Spirit resides. Help us to understand that anything that we take in that’s contrary to your Word is poison that will kill is over time. Help us to be good stewards of our bodies and spirits Lord that we might honor You, the One who made them. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
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