Health Articles

One of the most common causes of fatality in the growing population of the world is hypertension. There never has been an exception in terms of age, race and gender so as to speak. Anywhere in the world, what comes into reality is that day by day, the earth loses hundreds to thousands of lives because people tend to take their health for granted.

Lifestyle may define a person’s state of health, and one must consider how great and essential it is to be particular with such. Hypertension, the significant elevation of the blood pressure, is a predisposed medical condition that greatly affects the middle-aged to old aged. But genetic factors have been said to be contributing some percentage of possibility for a person to acquire this condition. It may also be present to people having such factors as insulin resistance, mutation and low birth weight. This risk may be triggered or precipitated with the form of lifestyle that one have, sedentary that is. All others will include stress, potassium and other mineral insufficiencies, obesity. This is the characteristic of essential hypertension.

Secondary hypertension that is, is caused by identifiable conditions and it is important to recognize because of the course of treatment that may vary from the essential one. There are underlying medical conditions that lead to elevation of blood pressure. It is caused by the disruption of homeostasis in the pathophysiological mechanisms such as your hormones and the organs that are responsible in its regulation.

The diagnosis of such is readily done through thorough assessment and history taking to also undergo physical examination. Basically it will require three separate sphygmomanometer measurements at least one week apart. There will be laboratory measurements to create the baseline of the treatment and to help work on a plan of action in treating the condition. Creatinine and additional testing for your protein for your renal function to check if kidney problems are present, glucose sampling to check for the presence of diabetes, electrocardiogram or ECG to evaluate heart insufficiency and chest x-rays to ensure there is no enlargement or damage in your heart and tissues.

Since lifestyle is subjective, change is the best way to get through with this. There is a known guideline that suggests a good line of lifestyle changes, and these are the following:

• Discontinuation and cessation of tobacco and alcohol consumption have been proven effective in lowering the blood pressure. Since these two stimulants have been constricting or narrowing your blood vessels and impeding the blood flow, the stoppage of such will lead to a better circulation of your blood.
• Weight reduction, regular exercise and proper diet improves the heart flow and eliminates the storage of fats and cholesterol which leads to regulation of heart rate and blood pressure.
• Lifestyle modifications, medications and maintenance will help save lives from throwing into waste resulting from negligence and failure to take better care of one self. Ensure your future and be very vigilant and critical when it comes to health care.

Blood pressure medication side effects are one of the main reasons that people find it difficult to keep their BP numbers under good control. The tablets or capsules they get from their doctors are effective – no doubt about that, but the adverse effects or adverse symptoms that arise are sometimes so bad that the person simply gives up and stops the treatment. They’d rather feel well and take their chances with stroke or heart attack than live a miserable life with drug related symptoms.

So is there an answer to this? Is there some way to lessen the need for these drugs? A way to allow people to take fewer of them or smaller doses so that they can have all the known benefits but without the drawbacks and the misery? Well yes, I think there is.

The secret to better BP control lies in mixing natural remedies for high blood pressure with lifestyle changes and diet alterations. For those who follow some simple principles they can expect to feel better in general health terms – and they’ll also find themselves much less reliant on doctor issued drugs.

Now – lets keep a bit of perspective here. It might not be possible to completely avoid the need for conventional medications and even the most thorough change in diet or lifestyle might not be enough for some of us. But if you work at it patiently and keep a close check on things using a blood pressure monitor then you will see steady and convincing improvements as the weeks and months go past. The main thing is to take your time – and to stick at it once you start the process.

Common side effects of BP meds include some of the following.

• Calcium channel blockers like amlodipine tend to cause headaches or swollen ankles.
• ACE inhibitor tablets or capsules like lisinopril or ramipril will often trigger a chronic dry cough or problems with kidney functions.
• Beta blockers like atenolol induce fatigue, bad dreams and cold hands or feet.
• Diuretics or water tablets can cause leg cramps or gout in some patients.

So how do you start on a more balanced approach to things?

1. First up is to buy yourself a home checking device – you can read some blood pressure monitor reviews here. Get in the habit of checking things every day and build up a profile of how your own numbers vary. You might be surprised to see how things change over the course of a day depending on what you’ve eaten or drunk, or on the exercise you take.
2. Second is to take a real hard look at your diet and lifestyle. Salt is the real villain here for most of us. Research shows that salt sensitivity is much more common that was previously realised – and that the amount of salt in our normal daily western diet is enough to trigger dangerous increases in the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. Reducing the level of sodium salt in your diet can make literally amazing differences in your ability to control your BP. Many people who restrict salt are able to either stop or markedly reduce the medicaitons they take for hypertension.
3. The third tip relates to exercise. If you take thirty minutes worth of exercise on a regular basis – preferably daily – then you can expect to lose weight and to see a drop in your BP numbers by about ten points on the scale. That’s a very worthwhile reduction. The good news too is that doctors have now discovered that three ten minute chunks of exercise are as effective as one thirty minute spell. So it’s much easier to fit some fitness into your busy day.
4. Lastly – choose a herbal or natural treatment to supplement your diet. Alistrol is a good choice because it combines a total of four active herbal compounds and has been shown in research studies to be an effective choice for nine out of ten people.

The main message here is to be persistent and to stick to a simple plan. If you simply take a slow, patient and plodding approach then you’ll be amazed at the differences you can achieve.
Doctor Gordon Cameron is a specialist doctor based near Edinburgh in Scotland. He has a long standing interest in the treatment of high blood pressure – partly because he suffers from it personally and partly because he sees dozens of people each week who struggle to cope with it.

High blood pressure is a huge problem for many millions of people around the world. Drug side effects are common and many turn towards a more natural type of cure. But will that approach suit you?

Introduction
Globally more than 1.5 billion people have Hypertension or High Blood pressure. It is a chronic medical condition and often called a silent killer since it can cause a lot of damage to the affected before the disorder is identified. Usually when the heart beats, it creates force which gets transferred to the blood. The blood takes the force to the arteries and creates pressure within the arteries which is known as blood pressure.

Systolic pressure and diastolic pressure
During each heartbeat the blood pressure varies between a maximum or Systolic and a minimum or Diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the part of the normal cardiac cycle when the heart contracts and blood flows out of the heart while Diastolic pressure is that part of the cycle when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. Blood pressure readings measured via the “sphygmomanometer” correspond to the Systolic pressure and diastolic pressure readings. The abnormal elevation in either or both of these measurements will lead to hypertension. Below 120/80 is the normal value of systolic and diastolic pressures, 139/89 value represents pre hypertension and 140/90 or above value is considered as High Blood pressure.

Types and Causes of Hypertension
There are two types of Hypertension, Primary or essential and secondary.

• Almost 90-95% of those diagnosed with Hypertension are affected by Primary or essential Hypertension. There are various causes for this condition.

• Individuals who consume excess salt in their diet – specifically more than 5.8 grams a day, are more prone to high BP
• Obesity
• lack of physical activity
• Aging
• Genetic propensity
• Excessive alcohol indulgence for those sensitive to alcohol

Secondary Hypertension is less common and affects only about 5% of the patients. This hypertension develops due to a disorder of any specific organ or blood vessel, hence called Secondary Hypertension. Secondary hypertension can be caused by endocrine diseases, kidney diseases, specific medication, tumors and sometimes occurs during pregnancy.

Long term and Short term effects of Hypertension
Heart Attack and Heart Failure – When there is excessive pressure, the heart begins to function harder, which increases risk of heart attack. The heart muscles are thickened by the additional pressure leading to heart failure.
Stroke – Any interruption in the flow of blood in the brain will cause stroke. The important parts in the brain get damaged due the disturbance in the blood flow. Stroke also occurs when there is any blockage in the blood vessels. Hypertensive patients are at high risk of stroke and brain hemorrhage.
Kidney disease – The primary function of the sensitive filters in the kidney is to regulate the fluid in the body; Hypertension and irregular blood flow can damage sensitive kidney filters. High Blood Pressure patients are at high risk of developing kidney problems.
Eyes – Hypertension can damage the tiny vessels in the eyes resulting in loss of vision.
Hypertension or high blood pressure may lead to bone mass density loss, sexual dysfunction as well as epistaxis (nose bleed) or uterine bleeding.

Lifestyle changes which help in management of Hypertension
Diet – Add Fish, lean meat, chicken, fruits, nuts, vegetables, legumes and whole grains in diet. Avoid unsaturated fats in your diet.
Reduce Weight – Reduce the excess weight, since excess of visceral and abdominal fat may worsen Hypertension and can also lead to other diseases like diabetes
Salt Intake – Maintain a low salt diet. Use low sodium salt and restrict your daily salt intake to less than 5.8 grams
Exercise Regularly – Exercise will help maintain proper circulation, burn calories and strengthen the heart

Home Remedies for managing Hypertension

• Vitamin C helps in reducing hypertension. A teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with honey and water is a very beneficial for those suffering from hypertension
• Amla or Indian Goose Berry is very beneficial for High BP. One tablespoon full of fresh Amla juice mixed with honey and taken every morning is beneficial in managing high BP
• Fenugreek seeds can be taken with water in morning and evening on an empty stomach

Fresh papayas, eaten on an empty stomach can be beneficial. Papayas are rich in Carpain – a cardio supportive enzyme

There are many natural ways to lower your blood pressure without having to take prescription drugs. Really in my opinion taking prescription drugs for the rest of your life should be a last resort. Also if you are taking a prescription it should be only temporary, just until you can change your diet and lifestyle to lower your blood pressure through natural means. We all have a grand mother or grandfather who has to take a whole fistful of pills everyday. I remember my grandfather having those pill organizers with the different compartments so you can keep track of all the pills and what days to take them all! I always said to myself “I never want to be like that” As they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Hypertension is one of the most preventable conditions but it still contributes to over 15% of deaths in the united states. Although hypertension has no symptoms, It does certainly increases the risks of leading diseases such as heart attack, stroke, aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure. 28% of adults in American have high blood pressure and don’t even know it.

The good news is through some simple changes in your lifestyle and diet you can lower your blood pressure through natural ways.

• First you can go for walks. People who walk at a quick pace generally found that their pressure was reduced 6 to 8 points. Exercise 30 minutes a day helps your heart work more efficiently so it can pump blood easier which lowers your blood pressure.

• Relax. Reducing stress in your life will significantly reduce hypertension. Meditation or slow breathing exercises have been shown to really help in reducing stress and thus improving your overall health.
• Reduce your salt intake. Salt or sodium is well-known to cause hypertension. So not only do you need to stop adding salt to your food but also remember to read food labels and only eat foods low in salt or with no salt is even better. 1500 milligrams. Per day is the recommended allowance per day.
• Eat dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa. Research shows dark chocolate contains flavanols which increase the elasticity of the blood vessels thus decreasing your pressure.
• Drink alcohol. Research has shown 1 to 2 drinks per day is actually good for your heart function and relaxes you thus reducing stress and your blood pressure as well.
• Cut caffeine out of your diet. Some studies have shown caffeine can raise your blood pressure by constricting your blood vessels and worsening the effects of stress on your body.
• Work less. Studies have shown that working more than 40 hours a week actually raises your risk of developing hypertension 15%. We tend to not workout, eat right or take good care of ourselves when we are over worked. We tend to be much more stressed out too.
• Listen to relaxing music. Music has always been known to have a calming effect on people. As they say music calms even the savage beast. So put on some soft relaxing music.

These are a few examples of steps we can take to easily and naturally manage our hypertension. There is much more information available at the link below. I have had great success since I implemented these practices and highly recommend that you too take advantage of this easy to follow program which will certainly help you to manage your blood pressure and maybe even save your life. Natural Ways to Lower your Blood Pressure.

Have you been told to quit smoking in order to Lower Your Blood Pressure? This may feel like it is an impossible task for some of you. At the end of the day, if you are truly serious about improving your health as well as wanting to Lower Your Blood Pressure, eliminating the smoking habit is of utmost importance.

Today there are so many different methods available to assist you with quitting that there is something to suit everybody. You can no longer use the excuse to continue as you could spend a lifetime trialling the various methods. Ultimately, in order to have success and give away the habit for good, you need to believe in your mind and your heart that you are a non-smoker. Once you can convince yourself of that fact, the battle is almost won.

As well as contributing to high blood pressure, smoking has been said to cause heart disease, cancer and even things like gangrene and emphysema. None of these sound particularly pleasant. Rotten teeth, bad breath, blindness and poor circulation have also been known to be caused by smoking. If the only problem you have at this stage is the need to lower your blood pressure then you really should quit while you’re ahead.

A fantastic book that has been on the market for many years and has helped people worldwide to quit smoking is “The Easy Way To Stop Smoking“, written by Allen Carr. Several years ago when hypertension was a problem in my life, a friend of mine who had also been in the same position lent me this book. I personally found this to be a successful method to assist me with losing the habit, as have a number of my friends since then. This method appealed to me as you are allowed to continue smoking until you have read the book in its entirety. If you need to Lower Your Blood Pressure and plan to do it by stopping smoking then I highly recommend this book.

If you are not a reader, or believe that your smoking habit is too chronic to be resolved by a book, then you need to reach out for help. Worldwide there are many organizations that exist to help you kick the habit. There are over the counter products available from most pharmacies or drug stores, depending on where you are located in the world. If these solutions still don’t provide you help, then you should speak with a doctor or medical practitioner. If you have been told to quit smoking to lower your blood pressure you need to take this advice seriously.

Many people have hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. I myself have mild hypertension. Hopefully I’ll never need to go on medication, and there are several ways to lower blood pressure besides medication.

• Eating a balanced diet is one. Low in saturated fat, with lots of fruits, veggies, fiber, and whole grains is often recommended, and the DASH diet is one example. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. For those of us who love to eat, this can be tough, but your diet doesn’t need to be perfect to make a difference.
• Exercising regularly will lower your blood pressure, even simply walking 30 min several days a week. Exercising is simple to do, although getting into the habit can be tough. Once you get into the habit it’s not tough, and you may find you even look forward to your daily exercise. I know I do.
• Keeping alcohol intake low helps with hypertension. I have a problem with this as I’m a wine lover. Medical professionals recommend no more than two drinks a day. My doctor has suggested trying close to zero alcohol for a month to see what affect it has, and I am trying that now.
• Reducing stress in your life. This can be tough depending on your life situation. I have a high stress job, a high stress wife, and three little kids, but every little bit helps.
• Weight, keeping it close to your ideal weight. Of course many of the above suggestions help with weight a lot, like exercise, limiting alcohol, and eating a balanced diet. Unfortunately I fight with my weight a lot like many do, and it goes up and down, but averages much lighter than it used to fortunately!
• Not smoking. If you don’t smoke, obviously do not start. If you do smoke, quitting is ideal if possible. It’s easy for some folks and next to impossible, perhaps actually impossible, for some. If you cannot quit, cut down. My friend Grim Jon has cut down to a pack a day from an amazing three and a half to four packs a day!
• Reduce your salt intake. In fact it’s the sodium in the salt that affects blood pressure. Numerous studies have shown that limiting salt has an often significant effect.

There are many ways to potentially reduce your blood pressure other than medication, and I’m working on them, even though mine is only borderline high.
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The abnormal changes in the usual blood flow to kidneys cause renovascular hypertension. It is a type of the secondary hypertension. It is quickly discovered in patients with kidney ailments, for normal people it is normally diagnosed through a period of examination and tests. It can also can get worse if the proper treatment is not followed.

The renal arteries provide the kidneys with a stable blood flow that has to be cleaned and sent back to the normal flow of the body. As the filtering work of the kidney are mostly powered by the pressure. The kidneys are pretty good at feeling the change in the blood pressure. If the kidney feels that the pressure is going low to power the filtration, they react by discharging hormones to raise the level of the pressure. The troubles take place when the decreased blood flow is not due to low pressure. The kidneys raise the pressure to a very high level so that they are able to push more blood in the narrowed arteries.
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The patients with high blood vessel or kidney ailments, a sudden development of high blood pressure is a big signal that this form of hypertension is the problem. Generally, the diagnosis needs a meticulous investigation and tests. Some causes that indicate this hypertension are:

1. High blood pressure in people less than the age of 30

2. A sudden increase in the pressure in people above the age of 55

3. Blood pressure that does not react to medicines

4. Pressure that stops responding to the former medicines

Blood tests are carried out when the condition is suspected, but a definite method of diagnosing is to in fact look at the narrowing of the arteries. This can be done through a CT scan or an MRI, though at times a further investigation can be called for. In such cases, a small catheter is inserted in the groin into the renal artery, small quantities of dye is released through the catheter. Images are taken to see the course of the dye that would display the narrow spots in artery.

The treatment of renovascular hypertension is different from the treatment of the common hypertension. The treatment is planned according to the cause of the narrowing of the renal artery. Though the goals of the treatment are same, to widen the artery and restore the normal blood flows. The first step to the treatment is to try drugs that dissolve the deposits. If it is found to be ineffective then physically expanding the artery might be required and that involves surgery known as stenting. The treatment of this disease is a little tough than other diseases, but the success rates are high. If it is planned correctly then one should have no problems in getting well soon.

What is normal range blood pressure? What can be considered healthy? You’d think that there would be a range considered “normal” and that anything outside of that is either too low or too high. The reality is quite different.

High Blood Pressure

The easiest place to start is to realise what is high blood pressure. In most countries this is considered to be anything over 140/90 mmHg.

So does that mean that anything below this figure is either normal or low? Not quite.

Prehypertension

In fact, there is an additional zone called “prehypertension” which is between 121/81 and 139/89 mmHg. If you lie in this range then even though you are not classified as “high”, you are still at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease than you would otherwise be if it were lower.

Best Blood Pressure

Really you should be thinking not in terms of “normal” but in “best”. The best figure to have for your bp is between 115/75 and 120/80. This is really the ideal bp where it is not too low but at the same time you have minimized your risks. This should be everyone’s target.

How To Reach The Ideal

Drug companies, their lobbyists and doctors will tell you that drugs are the way. Recently in the UK, the media made a big story of a study that recommended that everyone over 55 should take blood pressure lowering drugs. They are trying to position them as the next big thing since statins. Quite frankly, this is irresponsible advice.

The side effects from such drugs are debilitating and well known. These drugs are not easily tolerated and are often prescribed in all sorts of combinations in a failed effort to control side effects.

This is all needless because natural methods alone such as changing your diet, taking supplements (e.g. taking herbs for bp), getting a little exercise (not much) and looking at your stress levels are sufficient to bring you down to 115/75 without using any drugs whatsoever.

High blood pressure (otherwise known as hypertension) is a chronic problem facing Americans and those all over the world. Our lifestyles are very different from those of our grandparents, or great-grandparents. We are much more sedentary, eat too many calories, eat poor quality food (fast food, pre-packaged products, few fruits and veggies), and we are much too stressed and overworked. All of these factors combine in multiple ways to constrict our blood vessels, creating high blood pressure.

Here are 6 natural healing remedies you can implement today to help lower your blood pressure naturally!

1. Exercise. Yes, the dreaded “E” word! We’ve heard this a thousand times – eat less, exercise more – for improved overall health. Exercise decreases hypertension by causing blood to pump strenuously through the vessels, stretching vessel walls and maintaining elasticity. Regular exercise also decreases appetite and burns calories, so your weight is likely to go down – another way to lower your blood pressure.

2. Eat garlic! Not only does garlic traditionally keep the vampires away, it reduces your blood pressure by thinning your blood, making it easier for your heart to pump. Always check with your doctor before adding garlic supplements to your diet.

3. Niacin or Vitamin B3 helps to lower hypertension by providing vasodilator effects – that is, it allows the vessel walls to open and expand, allowing more blood through. Again, check with your doctor prior to beginning Niacin supplementation. A very common side effect is “flushing”, i.e. – feeling red, hot, prickly skin mostly around the face and neck, but also on the upper torso and arms. To reduce this effect, ease into niacin supplementation gradually or buy flush-free formulations.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar – 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) mixed in about a cup of water or juice, drunk 3 times a day, has been shown to dramatically reduce hypertension in just a few weeks. It should be raw, unfiltered ACV, available in health food stores and many groceries.

5. Yoga – we all know that stress can contribute to many ailments, including hypertension. Adding a mind-body exercise such as yoga can help you to relax and reduce your stress levels, thus reducing your blood pressure.

6. Eat more fish! Preliminary studies suggest fish oil may help lower blood pressure. While fish oil contains both the beneficial EFA and DHA fatty acids, it is the DHA which seems to be effective in lowering blood pressure. This can also be taken as a capsule.

When I first found out I had high blood pressure, I was told right away I would have to lose weight. Actually, it wouldn’t have taken anyone 12 years of medical school to come to this conclusion. Some semblance of eyesight would do the trick.

Still, from a hypertension standpoint, a medical connection was made. I had high blood pressure, I was overweight and if I remained so, my blood pressure would never reach a normal level. So, as I reached out for a diet to help me lower my weight and blood pressure, I needed one question to be answered before I embarked on my weight loss regime.

Will Any Diet Do?
The question is: “Is any diet good enough to lower my blood pressure as long as it gets my weight into the recommended range?” The answer I found after much reading and talking to professionals about it was a surprising yes; with just one caveat.

High blood pressure and high sodium levels have an inner connection. Whenever you are told your blood pressure is elevated, the next thing you hear will be “stop eating salt.” So really, the only restriction I found for designing my diet was to not design one that would raise my sodium intake and preferably design one that would lower it. That was pretty much it.

How About the Atkins Diet?
A doctor actually told me a high protein, high fat type of diet would be okay for me to use as long as I lost weight. “If you get your weight down,” he said, “it will be better for your health in the long run.”

As it turned out, I didn’t choose a high protein diet because this type of diet tends to make me irregular, gives very little choice over what I can eat and buying all that meat all the time costs a fortune. Still, it was an option I didn’t think I’d be given.
Tips to control high blood pressure
You should ask your doctor which diet he thinks would be best for you because your medical situation may be different from mine. The problem I had was being just plain too fat. Still, I did want to share with you the fact that in a hypertension controlling situation, the medical community seems to place a higher value on lowering your weight than it does on exactly how you do it. This is, if your weight loss plan is within reason, of course. I don’t think they’d approve of “The 1,600 calorie a day root beer diet.”
Jason Falson