High blood pressure remedies: Tips and facts
Most people have heard about high blood pressure remedies such as high potassium and low sodium diet. Although these two can make a great deal of difference, there are other ways to treat and lower high BP.
Besides the foods you eat and the kind of exercise you do, you should also pay attention to the mechanisms that affect blood pressure. Especially if you're overweight or under a lot of stress.
If you don't take it serious, maybe the consequences of high BP may encourage you to pay more attention to your blood pressure values. Also, there are some supplements for high blood pressure which may help.
CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High BP puts additional pressure on the walls of the blood vessels and heart muscle as well as on the brain, kidneys, pancreas and other organs.
Over time, it causes damage thereby weakening their function which increases the risk of atherosclerosis, vascular heart disease, heart attack, dementia, stroke, diabetes and kidney failure.
When the condition progresses, as the patient's health deteriorates, it can also lead to heart failure and death.
BLOOD PRESSURE VALUES
In order to justify the use of some high blood pressure remedies, we have to measure our blood pressure values, either with home blood pressure monitors or at doctor's office. There is systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Higher Systolic BP measures the pressure when the heart contracts and pushes the blood from the heart, while lower diastolic BP measures the pressure when the heart relaxes and refills.
These are standard BP readings (Systolic/Diastolic) which are categorized accordingly.
- Less than 90/60 - Low, hypotension
- Around 120/80 - Optimal blood pressure
- Around 140/90 - Mild hypertension
- Around 150/100 - High
- More than 160/110 - Life Threatening
Note: Normal, healthy BP values may deviate a bit, in certain cases. For instance, my normal diastolic BP is around 60, while my normal systolic BP is around 120 because of my enlarged heart muscle. In cases when condition is caused by genetics, high blood pressure remedies will be of little help.
WHAT REGULATES BLOOD PRESSURE
There are several mechanism through which the body regulates blood pressure. However, there are also few herbs for high blood pressure and factors that affect these mechanisms.
Brain and Nervous system. Autonomic nervous system and part of the brain known as medulla oblongata are responsible for regulating blood pressure, by communicating with baroreceptors which are located in the blood vessels. However, they can also increase BP in stressful situations, by releasing certain chemicals.
Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. It all starts with the kidneys which produce renin. Renin converts angiotensin into angiotensin I that is eventually converted to a more powerful angiotensin II.
Angiotensin II tells the adrenals to produce aldosterone. Aldosterone instructs the kidneys to increase re-absorption of sodium and water thereby increasing blood volume, while Angiotensin II and Aldosterone constrict blood vessels which raises blood pressure.
Hormones. Besides aldosterone, cortisol, adrenaline, thyroid hormones and insulin also affect blood pressure. In order to prevent dangerous fluctuations in blood pressure, make sure that hormones work for you and not against you. In situations such as this, adaptogens are one of the best natural high blood pressure remedies.
Peripheral resistance. It is affected by blood volume, vasoconstriction, dilatation as well as by some foods, medications and herbs. For instance, if the arteries are relaxed, you take blood thinner or your blood volume goes down, the blood pressure will go down too, due to weaker peripheral resistance. However, if it's the other way around, blood pressure will go up.
Red blood cells and oxygen levels. If the body needs more oxygen, it will increase respiratory rate and blood pressure which is most obvious in case of exercise. However, anemia caused by iron deficiency, low red blood cell count as well as respiratory problems and high altitude may affect blood pressure. Improving lungs, heart and bone marrow function, while dealing with nutritional deficiencies, can help solve the problem.
Lipids. Although cholesterol and triglycerides don't have direct effect on the blood pressure, they can lead to atherosclerosis. Besides causing narrowing of the arteries, lipids may also cause them to lose their elasticity and ability to expand and constrict which increases the risk of high BP. However, there are many natural high blood pressure remedies which can help with this problem.
Ejection fraction. Cardiac output of the heart muscle, its ability to pump the blood, has an effect on the blood pressure. If the heart muscle is weak, the body will elevate blood pressure, in order to transport the blood to the necessary tissue. It is one of the reasons why most fit individuals have low BP, at rest.
WEIGHT AND BLOOD PRESSURE
If you are overweight, the body will struggle to keep blood pressure inside normal values, even if all the systems which regulate blood pressure are working optimally. One study has noticed high BP in athletes which were over 250 pounds although their body mass index was inside normal parameters.
On the other hand, results of the study could be easily explained, if you consider the fact they could be taking high doses of anabolic or even corticosteroids. However, the bigger you are, whether you extremely muscular, very tall or significantly overweight, the bigger the risk of high blood pressure.
While additional fat we gain requires new blood vessels to form, muscle tissue is even more dense, when it comes to vascularity. That being said, the more blood vessels our body creates, higher the pressure will have to be, in order to transport the blood to all that tissue throughout the body which makes weight loss one of the best natural high blood pressure remedies.
Also, high body-fat increases estrogen and disrupts hormonal balance which may lead to high blood pressure.
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