Dr. Sampathkumar

Blood Pressure is nothing but a measure of force of blood pushing against your blood vessel walls.  High blood pressure or hypertension is caused due to a diet rich in saturated oils and high in salt, along with lifestyle factors like obesity and sedentary habits. Basically, any activity or diet that leads to the constriction of your blood vessels can lead to hypertension. Hypertension is called the “silent killer’’ because it has no symptoms unless you get your BP checked regularly. 

If left undiagnosed, hypertension leads to

1. Strokes
2. Kidney disease
3. Heart failure
4. Atherosclerosis or the clogging or hardening of arteries or blood vessels
5. Aneurysms which means abnormal blood- filled swelling of an artery or vein

People who are at risk for hypertension are

1. People with a family history of high BP
2. Smokers
3. Pregnant women
4. Women on birth control pills
5. People over 35 yrs
6. People who are overweight
7. Sedentary people
8. Alcoholics
9. People with a diet rich in oils and salty foods

Hypertension is a major lifestyle issue in the world today. But, it can be controlled by making lifestyle and dietary changes. 

• Walking is very good for hypertensives and so is controlling the quantities of salt and saturated oils in your diet.
• The most common means of managing High BP is using something called DASH which means ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension’.
• This means, as someone with high BP you should cut back on saturated oils or the oils that are solids at room temperature, as well as cholesterol and trans-fats.

All three can cause constrictions in your blood vessels by narrowing the lumen due to fat deposits on blood vessel walls putting more pressure on the blood vessels and causing hypertension. This effectively means that you have to cut back on oily foods of all kinds, fast foods and also fried foods. 

• Red meats are associated with higher risks of cholesterol, so they should be avoided too. 
• You should eat more whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts
• Low salt preparations should be preferred
• Avoid sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats.

The salt hypertension connection
Eating salt raises the amount of sodium in your blood and this puts a lot of strain on your kidneys whose work it is to remove excess water from your blood. This imbalance causes high BP due to the extra fluid.
This high BP puts extra strain on the insides of your arteries as well, and to cope with it the tiny muscles in the artery walls become stronger and thicker. This makes the space within arteries narrower and raises your BP.

So, do cut out extra salt, snack on unsalted stuff like pretzels and raw vegetables to keep a check on sodium levels. Also, do remember to read food labels very carefully to choose products that are low in sodium to keep your BP under control. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.

Hypertension or high blood pressure in common parlance is caused by irregular blood circulation in the blood vessels. High blood pressure has been an established cause for several fatal and critical heart diseases. Middle aged individuals are more prone to heart diseases caused by high blood pressure. Doctors also caution those with stressful lifestyles to keep the blood pressure levels in control. While there are prescribed drugs aimed at curing high blood pressure troubles, a large number of people are reposing their trust in homeopathy for treating high blood pressure.

Among a long drawn process of cures, homeopathic treatments are extremely effective and trustworthy methods:

1. Aconitum: Certain high blood pressure conditions have sudden outbursts. It inflicts a fear of dying and acute anxiety disorder. Aconitum abates such situations.
2. Argentum Nitricum: At times high blood pressure occurs due to anxiety and mental agitations. Argentum Nitricum is an effective remedy in curing such conditions.
3. Natrum Muriaticum: Certain high blood pressure conditions arise due to suppressed anger and stress. Harrowing events of the past and unsolved issues can induce heightened blood pressure levels. Natrum Muriaticum is a perfect solution for such troubles.
4. Veratum Viride: Veratum Viride helps in reducing arterial tension and normalizing cardiac palpitations.
5. Natural Supplements: For a variety of ailments caused by high blood pressure, homeopathy offers certain natural supplements like Co enzyme, Hawthorne, Omega-3, Vitamin E for remedying blood pressure concerns. It improves heart function and prevents blood clotting.
6. Ignatia: To heal high blood pressure caused by emotional upsurges, grief and trauma, Ignatia can be perceived as a useful remedy.
7. Belladonna: This is an emergency medical condition caused by vigorous throbbing of arteries which may progress to haemorrhaging. Belladonna goes a long way in taming such untoward medical emergencies.
8. Lachesis: Certain bodily changes result in high blood pressure, especially in the cases of women. During the onset of menopause, high blood pressure becomes a common concomitant. Lachesis is used to treat such issues.
9. Glonoinum: On certain occasions blood pressure level shoots up due to heat and excess exposure to the sun. Glonoinum is aimed at controlling the blood pressure levels in those situations.

Apart from all these medicines constitutional medicine is the most effective and long lasting form of homeopathic treatment. Therefore, the best way to treat blood pressure is by root medicine. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Homeopath.