High blood pressure (hypertension), is an increasingly prevalent condition that increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. To minimize its consequences and treat it effectively through lifestyle modifications or complementary alternative therapies.
Numerous complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments have been demonstrated to successfully decrease blood pressure, especially when combined with medication. Before undertaking any such treatments, however, it is wise to consult a naturopathic physician.
Stress management
Stress management encompasses a range of techniques designed to alleviate its negative impacts, and reduce its negative reactions. These strategies involve exploring each step in the five-stage stress response — heart and breathing rate increases, muscle tension increases, adrenaline release and cortisol production — and learning new ways of responding to stressful situations.
Stress is an unavoidable part of life and may even provide some benefits; however, when prolonged and chronic it becomes an issue. Therefore it’s essential that we learn how to effectively manage our stress to protect both physical and emotional health.
Step one of stress management involves identifying what triggers your feelings of tension. Once you know this information, making positive changes becomes much simpler.
One way of doing this is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in which negative thoughts are identified and challenged through systematic exercises. CBT should ideally be done under the supervision of a mental health professional and will require keeping a journal or notebook to record thoughts as well as attending regular CBT sessions with an expert trained in CBT.
Also effective are relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga to calm both body and mind, as well as reduce blood pressure by decreasing oxygen consumption and stress hormone levels. Other possibilities include qi gong – an ancient Chinese form that combines slow movements with breathing meditation – or biofeedback that monitors your internal functions like heart rate and muscle tension monitoring to allow you to monitor stress reactions more closely and control them better – these strategies all can help lower pulmonary hypertension.
Exercise
Physical exercise provides many health and psychological benefits, from improved mood, strength and balance, to decreased blood pressure. Before beginning an exercise routine of any sort, however, be sure to consult your physician first. Aerobic activities like brisk walking, jogging, swimming and bicycling tend to be most effective; resistance exercises such as bridges planks and squats may also prove effective.
These forms of exercise may help lower high blood pressure by making your arteries more flexible and able to dilate or widen, providing more space for blood to pass through them. Exercise also releases nitric oxide which relaxes your vascular walls further.
Alternative therapies like yoga, different styles of meditation, biofeedback methods and acupuncture may also help lower blood pressure. A review of 1,000 studies discovered that these alternative therapies rarely caused serious side effects and should form part of an overall treatment plan for high blood pressure involving diet, exercise, weight loss, not smoking too much alcohol, maintaining a healthy body weight and taking medications as prescribed.
The American Heart Association advises adults to engage in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for 30 minutes on five or more days each week, and vigorous-intensity activities for 20 minutes three to five times weekly. Exercise can come in the form of group fitness classes, individual training sessions or simply taking a stroll through your neighborhood or bike ride around your block; starting slowly but steadily is the way to achieve greater frequency of physical activity.
Diet
High blood pressure (HBP) affects an estimated one-third of American adults and can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and aneurysm formation among other health complications. There are various lifestyle practices that can help lower your blood pressure, including exercise, losing weight, quitting smoking and restricting alcohol consumption as well as eating a low sodium diet. However, these practices alone may not always be enough to manage hypertension in those with longstanding symptoms. According to a scientific statement published by the American Heart Association recently, alternative therapies may help lower blood pressure but should never replace healthy habits and medications prescribed by physicians.
Researchers reviewed studies pertaining to three alternative therapy approaches: exercise regimens (aerobic, resistance or weight training, isometric hand grip exercises); behavioral therapies like yoga and different styles of meditation; non-invasive procedures and devices like acupuncture and device-guided breathing. These therapies rarely cause serious side effects and can be included as part of a comprehensive hypertension treatment plan alongside proven techniques.
Herbs
Many herbs are touted as effective tools for lowering blood pressure, while they may complement medications prescribed by physicians. A physician must always be involved in designing an effective plan to lower high blood pressure levels; high blood pressure levels have been linked with heart disease, strokes, kidney damage and aneurysms; therefore it’s vitally important that any herbal treatments be discussed with them first before increasing intakes of herbs.
Recent research on 450 patients with hypertension revealed that herb use correlated with poor medication adherence and failure to control their disease with conventional drugs. The investigation used self-report questionnaires and medical records from primary care clinics as sources for its findings; questionnaires asked about general health, medication use and adherence as well as type/frequency of herbal remedies used over the last three months.
Researchers discovered that some herbs, like garlic and chamomile, contain mild antihypertensive properties. Researchers believe these herbs stimulate a potassium channel called KCNQ5 present in blood vessel lining muscles; activation of this channel relaxes these muscles to lower blood pressure. Furthermore, Commelina virginica and Crataegus pinnatifida herbs had diuretic effects which help the body excrete excess water and salt out of its system thereby also contributing to lower blood pressure.
Hibiscus, hawthorn, licorice and apple cider vinegar may all help in managing high blood pressure. While taking these herbs alone will not treat high blood pressure directly, they should only ever be taken in combination with prescribed medication and only ever taken after consulting your physician first.
Supplements
Many people with high blood pressure take medications to manage it, as well as supplements that may help bring down their numbers. Before beginning any supplements for high blood pressure, be sure to discuss this option with your healthcare provider, as some could interfere with other medications or cause side effects.
Medical treatments for high blood pressure may include diuretics (water pills). Diuretics help lower blood pressure by flushing away excess sodium and water through frequent urination. They are usually the first line of defense against high blood pressure; examples include hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix) and furosemide (Lasix). Calcium channel blockers can also help lower high blood pressure by restricting calcium ions from moving throughout the heart and blood vessels, thus relaxing muscle tone and decreasing pressure on vessels while simultaneously. Examples include amlodipine (Norvasc), nifedipine (Procardia), and diltiazem (Cardizem CD).
Antihypertensives help the body avoid excess salt and fluid build-up by blocking sodium channels in the kidneys. Examples of such medicines are atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL and Kapspargo sprinkle), both used alone or combined with other treatments to manage high blood pressure.
Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin) or metoprolol (Lopressor,Toprol XL and Kapspargo Sprinkle), can help lower high blood pressure. While these medicines may be taken alone to treat hypertension, their efficacy usually improves when taken alongside other blood pressure medicines.
Some herbal and nutritional supplements, including CoQ10, fish oil, garlic, green tea, l-arginine and magnesium/potassium may help lower blood pressure; however, more research using cardiovascular outcomes to confirm if these can truly assist with hypertension is needed.
