The daily pattern for blood pressure readings usually peaks in the afternoon, falling at night and slowly rising from the time a person awakens. Blood pressure usually starts to drop once again in the late afternoon and early evening.

High blood pressure, also known has hypertension, contributed to the deaths of 410,000 Americans in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the time leading up to surgery, your doctor might ask you to make small modifications to your lifestyle to help maximize your health and the success of the surgery. For example, your doctor might request that you stop taking vitamins and other supplements in the weeks before surgery.

When your doctor implants an intrauterine device to prevent pregnancy, he will provide you with after-care instructions, including when you can resume normal exercise. As soon as the IUD is in place, the FamilyDoctor website reports, you can resume swimming and your normal exercise routine.

Numerous conditions or factors can cause low levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol. According to MayoClinic.com, HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol, acts as a cholesterol scavenger, transporting excess cholesterol in the blood back to the liver where it is metabolized, or broken down.

Creatinine is a waste product of muscle metabolism. When muscles work, they break down proteins, including the amino acid creatine, to produce energy. Most creatine is consumed but about 2 percent enters the bloodstream as creatinine. The kidneys remove most creatinine.

According to Princeton University Health Services, approximately 85 percent of the population is sensitive to urushiol, the active ingredient in poison ivy, and will break out in a vesicular rash within 48 hours of exposure. Home remedies may be helpful for relieving symptoms.

Pine tar, derived from pine trees, is actually impure turpentine, originally obtained by distilling the resins from the split fatwood of pine tree roots. Modern methods of obtaining the resins also include using steam pressure. Pine tar is a thick, brown liquid that carries the scent of pine.

You expected your baby’s gummy smile to transform into a toothy toddler grin but were surprised to discover that his baby teeth weren’t exactly pearly whites. While baby teeth are usually off-white or ivory, a variety of factors can cause babies’ teeth to grow in--or eventually become--discolored, says the Mayo Clinic.

Catchphrases about milk abound in popular culture, thanks to advertising, and while many point out that milk is good for you, they're sometimes vague about the facts.

Bowel surgery may be necessary if you have polyps, colon cancer, ulcerative colitis or diverticular diseases. Bowel surgery requires colon cleansingand fasting before surgery and dietary progression to allow your digestive tract to heal after your surgery.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a spirochete -- a type of bacteria that looks like a corkscrew. Syphilis-causing spirochetes may be passed between individuals via direct contact during sexual intercourse, although this infection may be passed from a mother to her child during pregnancy.