How To Treat High Or Low Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of the arteries each time your heart beats. Your blood pressure is highest each time the heart beats, pumping blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure, and is the high number in your reading. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure in between beats, when your heart is at rest. Your blood pressure is lowest while sleeping and although it varies some during the day, it remains close to the same. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. If your systolic pressure rises to 140 or above, or if your diastolic pressure rises to 90 or above, this is considered high blood pressure.

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated one in three U.S. adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and an alarming one-third of those don’t even know they have it. It’s no wonder this condition has long been called “the silent killer”. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. And when it exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. If you don’t have high blood pressure by age 55, your chance of developing it at some point in your life is 90 percent, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Although high blood pressure can occur in both children and adults, it is most common in those over age 35, and is most prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. Although many people get high blood pressure as they get older, it is not part of the aging process! Proper diet, exercise and lifestyle changes can help in prevention and lowering of blood pressure.

Commonly Prescribed Medication for High Blood Pressure

In 90-95 percent of cases, research scientists don’t know what causes high blood pressure, but fortunately they know enough to have developed both drug and non-drug products to treat it effectively.

A wide variety of medications are available to medical professionals for treating high blood pressure. Although other classes of medications are sometimes prescribed, the most commonly prescribed can be broken down into five different classes of medications that work in different ways to lower pressure.

•Diuretics (water pills) work in the kidney to get rid of excess water and sodium.
•Beta-Blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels to cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force.
•Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which would otherwise cause vessels to narrow.
•Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) block the action of angiotensin II.
•Calcium Channel Blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, causing blood vessels to relax.

As of June, 2005, there didn’t appear to be much global agreement among medical experts worldwide in terms of recommended first-line therapy for treating high blood pressure. It is important to note that in June, 2006, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the British Hypertension Society have come to an agreement within the UK, and have issued new guidelines, including important changes to help guide primary care physicians in determining first-line therapy. A major change is that Beta-Blockers, which have been shown to be less effective in preventing strokes and more likely to cause diabetes, are no longer recommended as routine treatment for the majority of people with high blood pressure. Instead, ACE Inhibitors (or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers if there are side effects) are now recommended in the UK for most people, with some exceptions, before trying other classes of medication for hypertension.

As with any medication, there may be side effects from taking ACE Inhibitors, and some should not use them at all, including black people of any age. According to the Mayo Clinic, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, also in June, 2006, indicated an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers took ACE inhibitors during the first trimester, adding to the known risks during the second and third trimesters. While most people can tolerate ACE Inhibitors, some may experience side effects such as cough, elevated blood potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, weakness, abnormal taste (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Rare, but more serious side effects include kidney failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

Very similar to ACE Inhibitors are ARB medications, and depending on the individual’s particular health issues, a doctor may switch between the two, and may sometimes prescribe both. The most common side effects with ARBs are cough, elevated potassium levels, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, diarrhea, abnormal taste sensation (metallic or salty taste), and rash. Compared to ACE inhibitors, cough occurs less often with ARBs. The most serious, but rare, side effects are kidney failure, liver failure, allergic reactions, a decrease in white blood cells, and swelling of tissues (angioedema).

On January 19, 2007, Rush University Medical Center reported findings that ACE Inhibitors and ARBs prevent people from getting diabetes, and that diuretics and beta-blockers increase the chance that a person becomes diabetic. The authors pointed out that more studies are required to determine whether new-onset diabetes leads to as many heart attacks, strokes or death, as long-standing diabetes. However, their data suggests that the differences between antihypertensive drugs regarding the risk for new-onset diabetes are real and are significant.

Melaleuca offers a natural high blood pressure remedy called ProStolic which interacts with a natural body enzyme much like the ACE Inhibitors and ARB medications to relax blood vessels and allow healthy blood flow. As a comparison, it might be helpful to understand how the ACE and ARB class of drugs react, as well as how the non-drug hypertension remedy ProStolic(tm) reacts with the body.

In Part 2 of our Blood Pressure Research Report we will discuss the ACE Inhibitors and Angiotension Receptor Blockers, Natural Therapy for Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure and benefits of Bioactive Casein Hydrolysate Tripeptides VPP and IPP.

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Blood Pressure Disease, often called the silent killer; it is very common for a person to suffer from high blood-pressure without even knowing it. Blood pressure is actually the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries; and, is monitored by checking the pressure of the heart as it pumps blood to the rest of your body; and, the pressure between beats as the heart relaxes. Blood-pressure is usually categorized as either being high, low, or normal.

The initial symptoms of high blood pressure or hypertension are so mild that most people who associate them with other conditions or causes, do not notice them at all, or fail to take them seriously until there is a serious problem. The most common symptoms are nausea, fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. If left untreated, blood pressure disease can lead to more serious conditions, such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Before we go further, we should note that abnormal blood pressure could be chronic and lead to the conditions mentioned. But, it can also be temporary and not cause any short term or long term problems. The most common causes of temporary high-blood-pressure include pregnancy, nervousness over a doctor’s visit, also called “white coat syndrome,” or birth control pills. Chronic high blood pressure has been linked to uncontrollable factors like age, race, and family history. As well as, factors, such as weight, sodium intake, and lack of exercise, that can be controlled. Some of the most effective ways to treat blood pressure disease revolve around lifestyle changes such as changing eating habits, increasing exercise, and managing stress. Yet, there are also medications that help lower high blood pressure. These typically include diuretics and beta-blockers.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is low blood-pressure, also called hypotension. Low blood pressure can cause a few more symptoms than high blood pressure. So, in addition to symptoms like dizziness and fatigue low-blood-pressure can also cause fainting, depression, and cold and/or clammy skin. Low blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to serious health issues, such as shock. Shock is the term used to describe a rapid failing of vital organs that occurs without warning and is caused by long periods of low pressure of the blood. Persistent or serious low blood pressure is caused by serious conditions such as dehydration, blood loss, or a change in blood pressure medicine. Treatment for low-blood-pressure will depend largely on its cause.

Most people have normal blood pressure. Normal is when the body is healthy enough to maintain itself. The body has sensors that let it know whether it needs to adjust to combat a lower or higher blood pressure. In order to stay on top of blood pressure levels, it is important to have your blood-pressure checked routinely, and more often as you get older. Blood pressure monitors are easy to use and work by electronically displaying the rate at which the heart contracts over the rate at which it relaxes between beats. Blood pressure monitors for many people to identify high or low pressure.

Called the silent killer by many, blood pressure can cause serious conditions and lead to death if left untreated. So, it is important to understand the often overlooked initial symptoms of both hypertension and hypotension. High-blood-pressure has become more visible in recent years, and it is important for those at risk to check their blood pressure routinely make the necessary lifestyle changes.

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