When speaking about alternatives to medication for hypertension I am referring to treating the disease with natural cures instead of pharmaceutical drugs. Natural cures does not only mean herbs but also includes life style changes such as diet and exercise. Losing weight is effective towards lowering blood pressure. Your weight can be managed easily through a diet that is low in saturated fats and salt and high in fiber from fruits, vegetables, grains along with regular exercise.
There are ancient methods of relaxation, breathing and physical activities that are known to control blood pressure effectively. A widely popular method to lower blood pressure is yoga. Acupuncture is also known to be a good natural alternative.
Several natural supplements like Omega 3 fatty acids and amino acids such as L-taurine and L-arginine have been scientifically proven to be effective at lowering blood pressure. However not all natural herbs and supplements are good for you. Licorice which is natural occurring can increase your blood pressure, so does yohimbine and Ma Huang. Another important note is that alcohol increase your blood pressure as well.
However, some of these can be taken in small amounts so they can act as a diuretic. Diuretics cause you to urinate a lot and therefore expel sodium in your urine. Caffeine, small portions of alcohol and cranberry juicy act as a natural diuretic and can aid in your lowering your blood pressure. However you should exercise caution in taking small amounts and not large ones to causes an increase in blood pressure.
You should take regular observation of your blood pressure and become aware of alternative cures for high blood pressure. Take a close look at what you eat and write down your foods. Take time to reflect on your writings and make changes to your diet accordingly. Cook with less salt and try to eat fat reducing foods instead of greasy, fat rich foods. Healthy foods don’t taste bad! There are healthy foods that taste real good therefore you won’t sacrifice taste for health. Take control of hypertension, don’t let it control you.
Since times immemorial, Acupuncture is a unique treatment for reducing high blood pressure in human beings. High blood pressure refers to a situation where blood starts exerting pressure against the walls of arteries, veins and also the chambers of the heart. Over a specified time period, this heavy rush of blood starts damaging the lining of the blood vessels. It can also lead to arteriosclerosis, meaning hardening of the arteries.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure symptoms are often acute in human beings. They include sudden dizziness, flushed faces, nervousness, severe headaches, restlessness, difficult breathing, nose bleeding, insomnia, intestinal complaints, depression, short temper and emotional instability. The diagnosis of high blood pressure is done when the normal pressure tends to repeatedly rise. The other physical symptoms of high blood pressure includes constant tendency to urinate, decrease in eye vision and muscle weakness.
Electro-acupuncture treatments
Acupuncture combined with electric stimulation or electro-acupuncture can lower elevations of blood pressure in human beings. When the research was conducted for the first time, acupuncture needles were inserted on the inside of the forearm just above the wrist, but to no avail. Researchers then started adding electric stimulation to the needles, which means that electric would start flowing from the needles to the body. While high frequency of stimulation had no effect, low frequencies of electro stimulation reduced blood pressure effectively.
A thorough research on acupuncture shows that the inserted needles excites brain cells, causing them to release neurotransmitters that always heighten the heart’s activities. To cure high blood pressure, acupuncture inserts needles on certain points on the wrist, forearm or leg, to excite the opioid chemicals in the brain and reduce excitatory responses of the cardiovascular systems. This eventual decrease in heart activity and need for oxygen can lower blood pressure to a great extent. It also promotes in the healing of other heart-related conditions like myocardial ischemia and hypertensions.
Natural Cures For Hypertension – Simple Steps to Increase Quality of Life
Many people have heard that there are natural cures for hypertension, but they may not be totally educated as to what they are. The truth is that they are not only simple things, but things that can easily be adopted into a daily routine that will not cause significant disruptions.
We all know that eating healthy and exercising is a great way to start the process of lower blood pressure. Of course, limiting alcohol and salt is another easy method to practice. But there are other things that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle, as well.
Seafood is an excellent addition to a diet since it serves a dual purpose. It contains heart-healthy fatty oils and it contains natural sodium in the proper amounts. The trick is not to eliminate sodium altogether, but to ingest it in its natural forms in the right foods.
A deficiency in calcium has also been linked to improper levels of blood pressure. Since this also carries other positive values it is important that it be added for all of the reasons. Since we are all aware of the positive effects of calcium in our diet it is now a plus to those with hypertension that it can help regulate that at the same time.
For those who want to capitalize on the most areas of improvement they can engage in some physical treatments as well. Yoga and acupuncture are proven methods to help in this and other areas of overall health. With a proven track record that spans numerous centuries it is hard to argue with that kind of research.
If a person wishes to go the route of supplements then there is an entire category dealing with just this condition. CoQ10, or Coenzyme Q10 has phenomenal success in treating this condition, as do other herbs such as Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, Kelp, and nutmeg. Cinnamon is another natural ingredient that can lower levels.
Finding natural cures for hypertension is not difficult as long as you are willing to adopt these items into your daily routine. Many of these things carry additional positive effects in other areas of your life so incorporating them into your lifestyle can have many positive effects.
The signs of stress can show up as:
- Insomnia
- Hypertension
- Digestive trouble
- Compromised immune system, getting sick a lot
- Fatigue even after consuming caffeine
- Irritability
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Weight gain, especially through the mid section
Most of us at some time or another have experienced some of these symptoms from an overload of stress. Maybe it was when you were in college staying up all night to prepare for exams. Maybe it is because you have children that you are caring for after working a 40 plus hour work week. Maybe you are a single parent. Maybe you are working extra hours to please your boss. The reasons are many but the results are all the same.
What happens to our bodies when we are stressed?
Our bodies produce hormones that will get us into action when we are stressed. You have heard of the fight or flight response? This is what your body is preparing for. The adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones, but we will focus on two. One of them is called as adrenalin and another is cortisol. You have likely heard of them. The effects of adrenalin are to increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure and decrease digestive function.
Cortisol, which is a steroid, floods the body with fuel (glucose). The body signals the adrenal glands to keep producing cortisol until the stress is gone. Over time this can create blood sugar imbalances among other things. All of these effects are produced so we have the energy to run or respond to whatever is causing the stress. In small doses and for the short term these hormones do good things. However, when the adrenals are forced to produce these hormones over an extended period some of the above signs of chronic stress may show up.
Acupuncture is a safe and inexpensive solution to the potentially serious problems chronic stress can cause. Acupuncture for stress is well known to alleviate many of the bad effects of extended stress like hypertension, insomnia, digestive trouble, neck and shoulder pain and more.
In addition, adaptogenic herbs also known as herbs for stress, are very useful in combating stress’ ill effects. Some of these include herbs like ginseng, astragalus, goji berries, rhodiola and others. Taking a customized herbal stress relief formula of daily can help return your body to balance and quickly get you feeling better.