On September 29, World Heart Day, organisations across India hold camps to help the public"know their numbers" blood pressure (BP), blood sugar and body weight. A BP of 120/80 mmHg (millimetre mercury) or below is considered normal. More than 140/90, signifying Stage 1 hypertension, and more than 160/100, signifying Stage 2, can damage the brain, eyes, heart and kidneys. When studying blood pressure, scientists have been intrigued by the giraffe, the gentle giant of Africa. How does it pump blood through its body that rises to 18 feet? With what force does it pump blood up the six-foot-long neck to its brain? What protects the giraffe from giddiness as it bends down to drink water and then lifts its head up? Despite standing almost all the time, why doesn't a giraffe faint? The answers to these questions hold answers to protect human beings from brain haemorrhage due to high BP and fainting due to low BP. The giraffe's strong heart generates a pressure of 300 mmHg needed to pump blood all the way up its long neck. Yet, when scientists measured the BP in its brain, it was a constant 120/80 mmHg. A network of blood vessels in the upper neck helps reduce the BP. The network and valves in major veins maintain a constant pressure in the giraffe's brain even when it stoops to drink water and lifts its neck up to its full height. Human beings lack this stabilising mesh and need to protect the brain by other means, avoiding tobacco, consuming less salt, coping with stress, taking medicines and above all by detecting hypertension through periodic check-ups. The giraffe doesn't have these complications! Standing still for long, weak leg muscles and the effects of some medicines can cause pooling of blood in the legs, lowering the BP. Getting up from bed suddenly, stiff arteries and reduced water intake can sometimes cause a significant drop in BP on standing up. Whatever the cause, dizziness due to low BP is often relieved by allowing blood to flow freely into the brain by making the patient lie flat on the ground. Lifting the legs facilitates the flow of blood.
Context of Health Recommendations for Human Brain Protection
This question asks us to identify the specific context in which the writer mentions the actions: "Avoiding tobacco, consuming less salt, coping with stress, taking medicines". The provided text discusses the remarkable blood pressure regulation in giraffes and contrasts it with the challenges faced by humans.
Understanding Giraffe Physiology and Human Health
The passage begins by highlighting the high blood pressure ($BP$) required for a giraffe to pump blood up its long neck, noting its heart generates a pressure of approximately $300 \text{ mmHg}$. Despite this, the giraffe's brain maintains a constant, normal pressure of $120/80 \text{ mmHg}$ thanks to a specialized network of blood vessels and valves in its neck. This natural system prevents issues like giddiness or fainting.
The text then transitions to human health, pointing out that humans lack this natural "stabilising mesh". Consequently, humans need external methods to protect their brains from conditions related to blood pressure fluctuations, such as brain haemorrhage from high $BP$ (hypertension) or fainting from low $BP$.
Analyzing the Mentioned Health Practices
Following this comparison, the writer explicitly states: "Human beings lack this stabilising mesh and need to protect the brain by other means, avoiding tobacco, consuming less salt, coping with stress, taking medicines and above all by detecting hypertension through periodic check-ups."
Let's examine the options based on this statement:
- Option 1: Humans need to do these to protect their brain. This aligns perfectly with the text. The writer introduces these actions as necessary measures for humans to protect their brains, given their physiological differences from giraffes.
- Option 2: Doctors tell us this. While doctors do advise these measures, the text presents them as actions humans *must undertake* for self-protection, not specifically as advice from doctors. The context is preventative health and self-care.
- Option 3: Giraffes do not do all these. The text implies giraffes rely on their natural adaptations, suggesting they don't need these specific human interventions. However, the *mention* of these actions is directly linked to human brain protection, not as a point of comparison about giraffe behavior.
- Option 4: All these are social evils. The text does not categorize these health practices as social evils. Avoiding tobacco and reducing salt intake are health-conscious decisions, managing stress is a mental well-being strategy, and taking prescribed medicines is a medical necessity.
Therefore, the writer mentions "Avoiding tobacco, consuming less salt, coping with stress, taking medicines" in the direct context of necessary actions for humans to protect their brains from blood pressure-related issues.
Similar Questions
- Why did John remain steadfast in his traditional farming methods?
- What can we infer about John's character from the story?
- What was the name of the old farmer in the story?
- What did the young farmers do when they came to the village?
- What would be an appropriate title for this story?
- Select the most appropriate word to fill in blank no. 5.
- Why does dizziness due to low BP occur?
- If one has a blood pressure of 150/90, what stage would it be?
- Which of the following key measurements of health is NOT included in the phrase "knowtheir numbers"?
- Which of the following does NOT puzzle scientists about the giraffe?
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
- Which framework globally guides national policies on Community Centered Disaster Risk Reduction?
- In the context of disaster governance, which principle emphasizes empowering local to take the lead in risk mitigation strategies?
- What distinguishes participatory disaster management from top-down approaches?
- Which of the following is a major barrier to effective local disaster risk reduction implementation in developing countries?
- How can technology most effectively support community-based disaster resilience?
