Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Normal blood pressure for an adult is considered to be a pressure not exceeding 140/90 mm. Hg st. The first digit shows the systolic pressure, i.e. pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts. The second digit shows diastolic pressure, i.e. when the heart muscle is relaxed between two contractions. A pressure above 140/90 already indicates hypertension (high blood pressure) when the risk of heart disease and strokes increases. Modern electronic devices measuring blood pressure give a slightly high pressure reading compared to old, traditional tonometers with a switch. Electronic tonometers use a fundamentally different principle of pressure measurement – oscillometric (they are more sensitive due to the use of modern electronic pressure sensors) and this must be taken into account when choosing (buying) a tonometer. Modern automatic devices where the cuff is attached to the wrist or finger have a high measurement error and are not suitable for hypertensive patients. Tonometers are still more reliable, where the cuff is fixed traditionally on the shoulder.
In old age (about 65 years), the walls of blood vessels thicken, their lumen narrows, resulting in many people develop the so-called primary hypertension.
Other hypertension differs from hypertension resulting from vasoconstriction. Blood pressure increases with increased blood viscosity, for example, with improper nutrition. It occurs due to fat deposits on the walls and is characterized by high cholesterol levels. Blood pressure is high and stable. It is observed much less frequently and is characteristic of phlegmatic persons. Before treatment, the body must be cleaned (fasting days with a single meal or fasting from 1 to 3 days are useful). When treating such hypertension, dairy products, butter, eggs and high fat foods should be avoided. Useful red pepper, garlic, hawthorn berries, medicinal plants motherwort. Licorice is contraindicated. Hypertension in melancholic is unstable in nature and is often accompanied by nervous disorders. After overwork, overstrain, anxiety and insomnia, blood pressure may suddenly rise and just as suddenly fall. Pulse irregular, changeable both in frequency and filling. Hypertension often accompanied by nervous disorders. Such hypertensive garlic is especially useful. Purification with castor oil is recommended. In choleric and sanguine persons with hypertension, the face is red, eyes are inflamed, and severe headaches, photophobia, nasal bleeding, burning sensation, irritability and anger are often noted. This condition is often in disorders of the liver. Useful bitterness, including aloe juice, barberry. Recommended cleansing with the help of bitter laxatives – senna, rhubarb, aloe.
Physical and emotional stress, such as anger and anxiety, cause a reduction in blood vessels with a temporary increase in blood pressure. Virtually any stressful situation, such as public speaking, a visit to the dentist or just a doctor (the phenomenon of “white coat”) increases anxiety and tension in a person, resulting in increased blood pressure. A temporary increase in pressure during small episodic stresses is physiologically normal. But when a stressful situation puts pressure on you for a long time, the brain is in constant overstrain, the vessels are in a spasmed state, unable to relax and recover, then the pressure becomes constantly elevated. One of the main causes of hypertension is the wrong way of life, inability to overcome stress. The second reason is improper nutrition. The third reason is the age factor. Fourth – concomitant diseases of other organs (kidney, liver, endocrine glands, etc.)
If an increase in blood pressure is temporary, for example, with a temporary stressful situation, rest and relaxation usually normalize it. Even with a persistent increase in blood pressure, it is not necessary to begin treatment with chemicals. Each such drug, even the most modern, expensive and effective, besides the list of positive properties (indications), has a not less long list of contraindications and side effects. Natural remedies without negative side effects – such as diet, phytotherapy and aromatherapy, exercise, psychotherapy – may be enough to cope with hypertension. But first, do not forget to consult a doctor.
Now let’s take a closer look at the recommendations of traditional medicine, which has accumulated rich experience in dealing with hypertension.
