High blood pressure, or hypertension, is an extremely common condition; in the United States, it is estimated that one out of three adults suffers from it. However, many people are entirely unaware of their condition, as the symptoms, at least early on, are not apparent. If the condition becomes acute, the sufferer may experience dizziness, headaches, and nosebleeds.
A routine physical check-up will determine your blood pressure, and your doctor can then advise you on an appropriate course of action. Your blood pressure reading will be given as two numbers separated by a slash; the first number indicates systolic pressure (the amount of pressure exerted on blood vessels while the heart is beating), and the second number diastolic pressure (the pressure exerted on vessels in between heartbeats). A normal reading is 120/80 or below; hypertension begins at around 140/90, and stage 2 hypertension at 160/100.
A number of factors that you can control might lead to hypertension. If you are overweight, your body tissue needs a greater quantity of oxygen and nutrients, causing your heart to pump faster and putting more pressure on your artery walls. You should lose weight. Likewise, inactivity tends to increase your heart rate, so regular exercise will help bring your heart rate, and blood pressure levels, back to normal. Chemicals commonly found in cigarettes damage your artery walls. Too much salt in your diet causes you to retain fluids, putting additional pressure on your blood vessels. Drinking too much alcohol also increases your exposure to heart disease (not to mention liver malfunction). The risk of hypertension also increases with stress, and with age. And it is often congenital, so check your family history.
Apart from changing your lifestyle habits, there are a number of home remedies that can be used to help treat or at least alleviate high blood pressure, but since hypertension can be an early sign of heart disease or some other serious condition, it is critical to follow the advice of your doctor. Hypertension can be linked to kidney disease, thyroid disease, and other problems that are beyond the help of home remedies. If you plan to use any of the techniques described below, you need to tell your doctor, so that he or she can advise you whether your proposed technique is advisable, given the particulars of your case.
One of the most common substances used to alleviate mild hypertension is garlic. Various tests with garlic supplements showed reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which has been encouraging. However, garlic also tends to thin the blood, and can sometimes interact with medications (particularly blood thinners) and supplements, so be sure to consult with a health care practitioner.
Hawthorn is an herb that has been used traditionally by practitioners of herbal medicine, and testing has shown that patients taking a hawthorn extract enjoyed a reduction in their diastolic blood pressure, as opposed to those taking a placebo. The herb dilates the arteries and can widen blood vessels, improving flow. Normal dosage might be 300 milligrams, three times daily.
There has been much research with fish oil, and results suggest that fish oil can alleviate not only high blood pressure but a variety of cardiovascular ailments. If you are healthy, eating oily fish a few times a week will help you stay that way. If you already suffer from hypertension or heart disease, it is recommended that you consume about one gram daily (combined) of two acids that are prevalent in fish oil, eicosapantaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are available in most common fish oil supplements.
A number of other common household foods can help relieve hypertension. Drinking twelve ounces of apple juice has been shown to reduce LDLs (“bad” cholesterol) by as much as 20 percent; LCLs are known to trigger plaque formation on artery walls. Cayenne pepper (capsicum) creates the heat in chili peppers, and has been used as folk remedy to stimulate circulation. Cayenne also relieves atherosclerosis, or thickening of the arteries. And one study showed that a few tablespoons of essential oil from onions lowered blood pressure in nearly 70 percent of people tested, all of whom suffered from moderately high blood pressure. (Essential oil from onions is not commonly available in stores, but simply increasing the amount of onions you eat might have the same positive effect.)
There are many other home remedies you can try, to lower your blood pressure. But be sure to consult with a doctor or health care practitioner beforehand, and remember that, for moderate hypertension, lifestyle changes are most effective.
