Hypertension, Life style factors, Support and Prevention.

 Introduction

The pressure exerted by your blood on the walls of your arteries, after it has been pumped out is known as blood pressure. It is vital for sustaining oxygen as well as nutritional supplies to every cell of your body. Measured in mmHg(millimeter of mercury),it should read normal between 120 systolic and 80 diastolic(120/80mmHg)on majority of instances. Any reading taken by sphygmomanometer( an instrument for measuring your blood pressure) 140/90 mmHg or above persistently should be regarded as hypertension(high blood pressure), or being hypertensive.

The hypertension management involves therapeutic measures and certain drastic life style changes. Once you are diagnosed for hypertension, you have to quit some harmful habits of past whereas adopting certain positive and healthy routines. These will not only prevent hypertension but will help bringing your blood pressure in good control, if you  already have it. Following are some very effective life style adaptation you can make to manage and prevent hypertension;

Ÿ  Healthy weight means reducing work load on heart. Start with loosing up to ten pounds(lbs) of your existing weight. Your aim should be keep your BMI to under 25 of standards. As it will be informed to you by your doctor, that, this will ensure reduction in your blood pressure. It will also minimize fat content of your body.

Ÿ  Eat a meal that is low in sodium. More fruits and fresh vegetables should be part of your diet plan. Even if you choose snacks, take low calorie with reduced salt. Your diet should also include whole grain high fiber, beans, poultry meat without skin and salmon fish, as it contains omega-3 fatty acids. To curtail effects of excess sodium, increase your potassium intake. The food items which can give you sufficient potassium are, orange, peas, potato, banana, tomato, grape fruit and its juice, tuna and apricot. These dietary constituents are included in D.A.S.H(dietary approaches to stop hypertension) plan.  

Ÿ  Exercise on regular basis. This not only keeps your cardiac status healthy, helps to maintain an ideal weight for height and acts as stress reliever. All these positive supportive measure will bring you hypertension under good control.

Ÿ  Quit smoking if you are and try your best to avoid second hand or passive smoke. Which means just by quitting smoking you will not only manage and prevent hypertension and its complication but also minimize risk for other heart and lung diseases.

Ÿ  Your stress has an indirect link to your hypertension. It has been observed that when you are under mental stress you may indulge in eating without caring of composition, you may even start smoking. It will be advisable for you to chalk out your daily work and recreational schedule. Take breaks between your long hours of office work or driving long distance.

Ÿ  Breathing exercise will help you to relax tensed up body and circulation. It will surely assist in your hypertension support management. Slow inhaling, holding breath, then exhaling is the simple technique to do breathing exercises.

Ÿ  Alcohol in moderation is advisable if you have been drinking in excess. This will reduce your base line values of blood pressure. In case you need help to quit this habit, your health care provider is the best person to guide you. Keeping your alcohol intake to two drinks/day is the limit for men and one drink/day for women.

Coping and support

Hypertension can be easily managed if you stay compliant with all the treatment. It will be a life time self care and healthcare problem.

Ÿ  Keep regular check on your blood pressure at home. Let your doctor be up dated with  your status of hypertension control.

Ÿ  Make routine visit to your doctor as advised. You will be examined for blood pressure. He may ask and look for any effects of hypertension or of the drugs you are being given. If deemed necessary some laboratory test may be advised, like lipids profile or cardiac status screening. You should feel free to ask any question in relation to your progress and things you can do to improve upon your life style.

Ÿ  You should under no circumstance modify the drug or combination of drugs yourself. Your doctor is the right person to decide this part of your hypertension treatment. Be compliant to medicine regularly. Stopping anti-hypertensive may harm you seriously.

6.0     Natural Treatment For Hypertension

Calcium

The intake of calcium as a treatment for hypertension goes a long way back - to 1924. In his study, Addison concluded that calcium inevitably lowered blood pressure during hypertension (W. L. T. Addison, Can. Med. Assoc. J. 14: 1059-1061). Researchers today concur with Addison and add that patients of hypertension who were given dietary calcium supplements were known to develop lower, better blood pressure levels (J Lab Clinical Med. 1989 Oct;114(4):338-48). The Journal of Human Hypertension (August 2006) also verifies the same. How exactly does it work in your body? The answer is, calcium relaxes the blood vessels and is vital in the overall relaxation and contraction of muscles (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, February 2009). It can be found in whole food sources (beans, broccoli, salmon and sardines), sesame leaves and sesame seeds and dairy products. Calcium supplements reduce your blood pressure equally effectively(Journal of Human Hypertension August 2006).

CoQ10

Those who have tried and tested all sorts of medications that just didn’t work on them need not look further. CoQ10 is natural substance just for you. With energy production as it’s chief role, CoQ10 is found in the mitochondria of every cell in the body. It works as an antioxidant and saves cells from damage during hypertension ("Pharmacology and Therapeutics"; Role of CoQ10 in Cardiac Disease, Hypertension and Meniere-like Syndrome; Adarsh Kumar, et al.; 2009). It decreases the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (Journal of Human Hypertension, April 2007). A biomedical research carried out by the University of Texas has also reached the aforementioned conclusion (Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15 Suppl:S265-72). Whole grains, salmon, tuna and organ meat are wonderfully rich in CoQ10.

Fish oil

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil is extracted from all kinds of fish (though smaller fishes are recommended) or via fish oil supplements. Its function in hypertensive patients is that it lessens inflammation and reduces heart disease risk (University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids). Omega-3 fatty acids are known to decrease the risk of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) and “decrease triglyceride levels, slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque and lower blood pressure” according to the American Heart Association.

Garlic

For 6000 years, garlic has been used as what they call a “miracle herb” for several diseases. However, when it comes to hypertension, the intake of garlic lowers diastolic blood pressure levels, serum cholesterol and triglycerides (Br J Clin Pract Suppl. 1990 Aug; 69:3-6). For that, it is recommended that garlic be taken in powder form. Though  if taken in other forms, it will still be helpful. Eating raw garlic will give more benefits as cooking causes loss of important ingredient allicin. It can also be taken in supplement form. As precaution, if you are diabetic, keep monitoring your blood sugar. It is known that garlic can cause lowering of your sugar levels. Hence you should be adjusting your dose of insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic agents.

Grape seed extract

Rich in polyphenols, grape seeds are known to lower blood pressure since long. Polyphenols also contain antioxidants which dilate blood vessels, causing a smoother blood flow and reducing pressure in turn. Available in capsules, tablets and tinctures, grape seed extracts relieve the many symptoms of venous insufficiency (Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2005:309–325).

L-argenine

Found in soy, spinach, watermelon and nuts, L-argenine reduces systemic blood pressure (J Nutr. 2004 Oct;134(10 Suppl):2807S-2811S; discussion 2818S-2819S). It relaxes by blood vessels by increasing the production of nitric oxide which eases blood flow and in turn, reduces pressure (October 2004 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition").

Lycopene

A substance rich in cooked tomatoes, guavas, watermelon and parsley, among other foods, lycopene helps have a better control over blood pressure. It does this by improving the heart function (December 2010 issue of "Maturitas"). Lycopene works better on patients with mild to moderate hypertension (American Heart Journal 2006 Jan;151(1):100).

Magnesium

Magnesium is famed to be a natural cure for arrhythmia, increased heartbeat and irregular contraction. It is widely found in seeds, beans and halibut. This micro mineral has the ability to relax muscles, which is directly related to the better function of heart muscles. Apart from that, it maintains normal nerve function and regulates blood pressure (National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium).

Pomegranate

Rich in vitamin C, the pomegranate contains more antioxidants than any other fruit in the world. These antioxidants, in turn, are known to shield the heart from the symptoms of hypertension. The intake of pomegranate juice reduces arterial blood pressure (Phytother Res. 2010 Jun;24 Suppl 2:S196-203). However, it is not recommended that pomegranate juice be taken if you are taking medications for blood pressure too as it may lower the blood pressure too much (MedlinePlus: Pomegranate).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, found in oranges, maintains nitric oxide levels which help blood vessels uphold normal blood pressure. Although supplements can be taken, it is always better that minerals and vitamins be taken in their raw, original form. In this case, fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C (apart from oranges) such as guava, red and green chilies and bell peppers, leafy green vegetables, strawberries, papayas, kiwi fruits and herbs should be added to your diet if you are hypertensive (Published April 2012, Prevention). Pulmonary arterial hypertension may also result due to low nitric oxide levels in the body so the intake of this vitamin is further recommended in patients with hypertension (Chest. 2012 Jul;142(1):225-7. doi: 10.1378/chest.11-1857).

Vitamin D

Present popularly in seafood and cod liver oil, fortified dairy products and cereals, mushrooms, ham and sausages, vitamin D is essential to the human body. It’s deficiency is a wide-known cause of arterial hypertension. Vitamin has anti-inflammatory, vasculoprotective and renoprotective properties (Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 Nov;8(11):1599-608).

The management of hypertension is based on three modalities. The ant-hypertensive given by your doctor, positive life style changes you adopt for controlling your raised blood pressure. Along  with this, taking diet rich in elements which can bring your hypertension to satisfactory control. These substances are available in abundance naturally. They can be taken as supplements to ensure their needed concentration in your body. When you make use of combined life style modification with use of natural ingredients ,you will have better control on your high blood pressure(hypertension).