Blood Pressure, High

As Blood circulates through the body, it presses against the walls of the arteries. The force of this action is called blood pressure. When the pressure is too high, the arterial walls become distorted—they may narrow or thicken—and an extra burden of stress is placed on the heart.

Blood pressure may temporarily rise from exercise, stress and emotions ranging from joy to anger. Usually, the pressure returns to normal once the situation has passed. In many people, however, blood pressure is high all the time. More than 50 million Americans have high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), including almost half of those over the age of sixty-five. The disorder can lead to very serious conditions, including stroke, heart disease, diabetes, eye damage, and kidney problems, so it is considered one of the country’s leading health problems.

Sometimes there are symptoms of high blood pressure. You may have unexplained headaches, nosebleeds, or spells of dizziness or sweating. But most of the time high blood pressure is completely asymptomatic, so it’s vital that you have it checked regularly. The disorder can strike anyone at any age, but it is most common among the elderly, African Americans, and people of all races living in the southeastern United States. If you fall into any of these risk categories, or if you have a family history of hypertension, you should be doubly sure to have a routine checks and to take preventive measures.

About 90 percent of all cases of high blood pressure are called primary or essential hypertension, meaning that there is no underlying disease and no obvious cause. Most likely, a cluster of lifestyle factors is to blame: diet, lack of exercise, stress and smoking have all been linked to an increase in blood pressure. If another disease or condition, such as cardiovascular disease or kidney, adrenal, or thyroid disorders causes the problem, it is called secondary hypertension. A very small percentage of people suffer from malignant hypertension, in which blood pressure can suddenly soar to extremely dangerous levels.

Essential hypertension can often be controlled with home treatment, but if you have any kind of high blood pressure, you must be under the care of a doctor. Talk to him or her about the strategies you want to employ for wellness.

** All of these prescriptions below have been proven effective; level of effectiveness depends on the individual. Please consult your doctor when taking any and all supplements.

Symptoms

High blood pressure does not usually produce symptoms. If, however, you experience any of the following, see a doctor:

Root Causes

TREATMENT

Diet

The western diet has a lot to do with hypertension. Following the suggestions here will make a real difference in your blood pressure and your overall wellness.

Recommended Food

A diet high in fiber is an excellent way to control or reverse high blood pressure. Your meals should be based around fresh, raw vegetables; soy products; whole grains, like oats; beans; nuts; and seeds.

Dehydration increases the risk of hypertension, so drink a glass of clean water every two waking hours.

As you lower your intake of salt, you must also increase your consumption of potassium. A combination of excess sodium and a deficiency in potassium has been found in many people with hypertension. Good sources of potassium includes apples, asparagus, cabbage, oranges, tomatoes, bananas, kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum), and alfalfa.

Apples are super foods for people with high blood pressure. Not only do they have high levels of potassium, they’re also a good source of pectin, which is an excellent type of soluble fiber.

Onions, garlic, and parsley have been known to bring down blood pressure. They also add flavor to vegetarian meals, so take advantage of their healing properties daily.

Celery has been shown in animal studies to reduce blood pressure. Consume up to four stalks a day.

Foods to Avoid

People with high blood pressure generally benefit from restricting their intake of salt. Salt contains sodium, which causes water retention and increases the pressure inside the arteries. It is not enough to simply stop using table salt; you must also cut out all processed and packaged foods, as well as smoked meats and cheeses, as they are loaded with sodium.

Detoxification

Do a one- to three-day fast every month. Drink a wide variety of juices to support your fast, including those made from apples, bok choy, carrots, onions, leafy greens, apricots, cranberries, cantaloupe, papayas, and red grapes.

Stress Reduction

General Stress-Reduction Therapies

Meditation is a cheap, portable technique that you can use anywhere for a calming effect. You can practice meditation on a regular basis in a quiet room at home. If you feel your blood pressure rise while sitting at a stoplight, during a meeting, or while waiting for your teenager to come home, you can easily spend a few moments paying attention to you breath. Meditative breathing won’t stop the stress, but it can help you take a few steps back and view the problem with detachment.

Stress can make your body constrict its blood vessels, making it harder for blood to get through and thus raising your blood pressure. Biofeedback, however, can help you identify when you constrict your blood vessels, and it can train you to relax them.

Info

When you have your blood pressure checked, the doctor or the nurse usually tells you the two numbers of your reading and whether you have cause for concern. But most health-care professionals don’t take the time to explain exactly what those numbers mean. Since this is one of the most important medical test people receive on a regular basis, here’s a quick analysis.

The first number is called the systolic pressure. It is measured when the heart beats and indicates the highest amount of pressure against the arterial walls. Between heartbeats, the heart is at rest and the pressure drops to its lowest level. This low reading is called diastolic pressure.

Sample blood pressure reading of 120/80
Systolic pressure = 120
Diastolic pressure = 80

Blood pressure varies with age and fluctuates many times over the course of a day; it often rises in a doctor’s office, when many people feel nervous or tense. Blood pressure should be taken when you are calm and unstressed, and it s best to average a total of three readings, taken on different days. The consensus is that for most healthy adults, 120/80 is normal.

Readings are broken down into several categories:

Normal: 110-130/70-85
High normal: 130-139/85-89
Mild hypertension: 140-159/90-99
Moderate hypertension: 160-179/100-109
Severe hypertension: 180 or higher/110 or higher