How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

There are high blood pressure signs you should be aware of, regardless if you are taking birth control pills or not. However, for most high blood pressure sufferers, recognizing signs can be easier said than done. The reason is because high blood pressure generally has no symptoms due to the fact that the basic warning signs associated with it are extremely vague.

Nevertheless, the following are the basic warning high blood pressure signs you should be aware of:

 Headaches
 Dizziness
 Nosebleeds
 Flushed face
 Fatigue.

As you can see, from the above list of symptoms, it is easy for someone to ignore or mistaken these symptoms as another problem. This is why high blood pressure is commonly known as “the silent killer”, because for those who don’t receive regular blood pressure checkups, it usually isn’t until one experiences the more extreme symptoms that he/she seeks medical attention.

The following extreme high blood pressure signs occur if high blood pressure (blood pressure is equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg.) has been persistent, severe and left untreated for a long time. The symptoms are usually the result of damage that has been done to the brain, eyes, kidney and heart.

They include:

 Severe unexplained headache
 Fatigue
 Restlessness
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Shortness of breath
 Blurred vision
 Chest pain or shortness of breath after slight exertion

More extreme signs include:

 Eye damage and loss of vision
 Organ failure – kidneys and/or heart fail
 Heart attack
 Stroke or a transient ischemic attack (better known as a mini stroke)
 Aneurysm
 Peripheral arterial disease
 Brian swelling – this is rare but can cause drowsiness and coma.

Note: if you are experiencing any of the above extreme signs visit your hospital emergency department immediately.

How can high blood pressure be treated?

First of all, regardless if you have high blood pressure signs or not, always have your blood pressure checked annually, and inform you doctor if you have a family history of hypertension, kidney failure, heart attack or stroke, as this increases your risk.

That being said, high blood pressure can be managed thorough lifestyle changes, but depending on the severity of the condition, some individuals may benefit from a combination of lifestyle changes and medical treatment.

Lifestyle changes –

Food – Limit and eliminate food products that encourage high blood pressure including, table salt, cooking salt, salty and processed foods, foods high in saturated fat, sugary foods and drinks, caffeine and alcohol.

Quit smoking – Nicotine in cigarettes causes the blood vessels to constrict, and increases blood pressure.

Exercise – Physical activity actually works to reduce blood pressure while inactivity increases blood pressure. Exercise is a great way to keep your body healthy and strong, and is a fantastic way to lose and maintain a good weight.

Lose weight – If you are exceptionally overweight or obese you are putting excess pressure on your heart. You must reduce your weight by incorporating regular exercise and healthy eating habits in your lifestyle. Avoid crash diets as these can only make your condition worse.

Medication – If your doctor feels you require medication to help control your high blood pressure signs, you may be prescribed medication to help relieve the stress that is being placed on your heart, organs and blood vessels including: diuretics (water pills), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, Alpha-blockers, etc.

Remember although medications can help, lifestyle changes are essential for controlling high blood pressure.

It is vital that you realize high blood pressure can go undetected for years and cause no symptoms while still damaging the blood vessels, heart and other organs. Therefore, if you suspect you have high blood pressure signs, are unsure if you do, or even if you don’t, always visit your health care provider annually to have your blood pressure checked. Monitoring your blood pressure, and taking action to control it when it’s high, is the only way you can protect yourself from the silent killer.

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What is High Blood Pressure?

According to statistics, one out of every three adult Americans have high blood pressure. Blood pressure is defined as the amount of force that the blood uses on the veins and arteries as it circulates through the body. A healthy person’s blood pressure should be around 120/80 mm Hg or even lower. Blood pressure that consistently measures 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high blood pressure.

If left uncontrolled, it may increase the risk of serious health problems including heart attack, kidney failure or stroke.

There are two types of high blood pressure: First, there is primary high blood pressure in which there is no known underlying cause and second, there is secondary high blood pressure which occurs as the result of a medical condition or as a side effect from medications.

What makes high blood pressure so dangerous is that most people do not experience any symptoms, even when blood pressure readings are dangerously high. This is why it is called the “silent killer.” However, some people may notice one or two of the following symptoms if their levels are consistently raised: headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, increased nosebleeds.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

For most people, the cause remains unknown, making primary blood pressure the more prevalent of the two. While it is not entirely known why primary high blood pressure occurs, research is ongoing and a number of factors have been implicated. Since high blood pressure often runs in families, a strong genetic component has been indicated.

Other risk factors for high blood pressure include smoking, alcoholism, high salt intake, being overweight, lack of exercise, and high levels of stress.

Some conditions known to cause secondary hypertension are: diabetic nephropathy, kidney disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, arteriosclerosis (a thickening, hardening and narrowing of the walls of the arteries), underlying heart conditions, sleep apnea, obesity, pregnancy (especially in cases of pre-eclampsia) and side-effects of certain medications or supplements.

Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure:

Garlic — Eating garlic is a very good way to lower high blood pressure. It has beneficial effects on the whole cardiovascular system. Clinical studies have shown that garlic decreases the systolic pressure by 20-30 mm Hg and the diastolic by 10-20 mm Hg. During one of these studies people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks. Their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced.

Coenzyme Q10 — CoQ10 has been proven to be effective in treating people with a common type of high blood pressure. A clinical trial was done where half the people were given 60 mg of CoQ10 twice daily for 12 weeks and the other half were given, of course, a placebo. The people taking CoQ10 had an 18-point reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Magnesium — It is well known that magnesium deficiency leads to high blood pressure. Because our modern diet lacks magnesium, most Americans are deficient in this mineral. Many studies have shown that it helps significantly to take magnesium daily for the treatment of high blood pressure. Magnesium can also be taken to prevent hypertension.

Lysine, Proline and Vitamin C — This is a protocol by Linus Pauling, a nobel prize winner, to cure plaque build up in the arteries and thus reduce high blood pressure. To find out more about this protocol go to the saveyourheart.com website.

Cinnamon — In recent studies it was shown that cinnamon helps lower high blood pressure as well as reducing serum cholesterol levels. Below is a list of other herbs that are used to lower blood pressure. Herbs can be taken in capsules, as tinctures, you can use them in cooking if appropriate, or your can use them as a tea.

* Hawthorn

* Gingko biloba

* Ginseng

* Gotu Kola

* Skullcap

* Ashwagandha

* Burdock

* Hawthorn

* Nutmeg

* Cardamom

* Kelp

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce High Blood Pressure:

You might want to get your own blood pressure machine and keep track of your blood pressure yourself. This way you can see what causes it to go up or to go down.

Do about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day such as walking. Don’t overdue it and exercise too much as it then becomes stressful to your body and may increase blood pressure.

Eat a lot of potassium rich foods such as vegetables and fruits.

Drink lots of water, between 8 to 15 glasses of water a day. Drinking lots of water mimics what the drugs your doctor prescribes are doing. It relaxes your body, including your arteries.

Learn to relax, slow down and manage your stress levels. Stress is a huge influencing factor in high blood pressure.

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