Dr. Vidhya

The use of herbs to lower high blood pressure has been in practice for thousands of years, due to the diverse range of effects that herbal remedies can have High blood pressure is of two types – primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. There is no clear cause for primary hypertension, although it tends to occur more often as we age, and can be exacerbated by certain factors, such as a poor diet, smoking or a sedentary lifestyle. Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, can result in a more rapid and intense elevation of your blood pressure, but this has been linked to certain drugs and medical conditions, including kidney and thyroid issues, drug and alcohol abuse, birth control pills, obstructive sleep apnea, certain decongestants and pain relievers, among others.

High blood pressure is a serious health concern that should be mitigated or addressed in the right way. That extra tension or stress on your arteries and blood vessels can cause breakdown in these tissues, raising your risk of cardiovascular diseases and other complications. While lifestyle and dietary changes are highly recommended, there are also a number of herbal remedies that can reduce high blood pressure, thanks to their anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, sedative and antioxidant properties.

Herbs for high blood pressure - how to use them

Some of the best herbs to control high blood pressure include ginkgo biloba, hawthorn, green tea, basil and turmeric, among others.

1. Hawthorn

As an ancient chinese remedy, hawthorn has been known as an anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective herb for generations. It is able to improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, and lower your risk of blood clots, all of which can increase energy levels and prevent heart attacks and strokes.

How to use – hawthorn is most popularly used in a tea form, although there are tablets and capsules available that can be purchased from herbalists and health food stores.

2. Green tea

Packed with antioxidants like epigallocatechins and phenolic compounds, green tea is an excellent anti-inflammatory substance and can help heal any damage that hypertension causes. Research shows that regular green tea consumption can lower your risk of hypertension by nearly 50%.

How to use – green tea is most commonly consumed as a tea, as the name implies, but green tea extract has also become quite popular in recent years. For effective reults, drink just 2-3 cups of green tea per day.

3. Cardamom

This popular asian spice has been studied extensively in relation to hypertension and it has been found that regular use of cardamom can lower base blood pressure levels and reduce your risk of cardiovascular complications. The spice is also linked to lower levels of stress and depression, which can also be a factor behind hypertension.

How to use – after you crack open the cardamom pods, grind the seeds down to a powder and then add it to beverages, sweet or savory foods for a flavorful and healthy boost in your meal.

4. Basil

With significant levels of ursolic acid and eugenol, basil is able to reduce symptoms of hypertension and promote calmness through the body and mind, making it one of the best herbs for high blood pressure.

How to use -fresh basil is very popular although the extract can also be used for a more concentrated dose of herbal benefits. Simply add the fresh basil leaves to soups, stews and pastas, as the flavor is exceptional.

5. Garlic

As one of the most antioxidant-rich herbs you can add to your diet, the active ingredients in garlic can remove plaque from your artery walls, lower blood pressure levels, reduce overall cholesterol and generally strengthen your entire cardiovascular system.

How to use – this potent herb can be added to soups, stews, pastas, stir fries, pressed to form garlic juice, or even eaten raw, as some people prefer. Garlic extract is also available in most health food stores.

6. Turmeric

Famed in indian cuisine and widely used in curries around the world, turmeric has an active ingredient – curcumin, which has countless effects on the body. This includes inhibiting angiotensin receptors in the vascular system, preventing blood vessels and arteries from tightening up, thus relieving strain on the heart.

How to use – this flavorful spice can be added to almost any savory dish but also blended into smoothies and shakes, sprinkled on eggs or roasted vegetables, or even brewed into a potent tea.

7. Cat’s claw

This slightly unusual herb has been in use for thousands of years and is directly linked to lowering blood pressure, as it can affect the calcium channels in the body, which regulatewater balance and help minimize symptoms of hypertension.

How to use – root and bark extracts of cat’s claw are usually available in capsule or tablet form from herbalists and health food stores.

8. Ginkgo biloba

As a known vasodilator and stimulant substance, ginkgo biloba will not only lower the strain on your blood vessels and arteries but also improve circulation, largely thanks to the dense antioxidant content in this ancient herb.

How to use – most people use ginkgo biloba in extract form, so you can purchase tablets or capsules at the majority of health food stores, or anywhere that herbal supplements are sold.

9. Celery seed

The most important components of celery seed are phthalides, anti-inflammatory compounds that can help lower blood pressure significantly; some of these compounds are actually unique to celery seed, and it is considered as one of the best herbs for high blood pressure.

How to use – you can add celery seed to a variety of foods and dishes, including as a sandwich topping, in salads and soups, as a topping for vegetable and savory dishes, and it can even be brewed into a tea.

10. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is not only delicious, but also a potent antioxidant that can reducehypertension and cholesterol levels, thanks to the presence of cinnamaldehyde and other water-soluble organic compounds in this popular spice.

How to use – add cinnamon to savory or sweet recipes, brew a tea, or use it as a topping for beverages.

Hormones agonists (receptor activating chemicals) that release gonadotropin hormones produced by the pituitary gland (GnRH) act quickly to remove luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland. Lupron is a kind of GnRH agonist that is used to start the IVF cycle, especially if your ovaries need controlled stimulation. 

Lupron is injected intramuscularly. Lupron injections are given to women who undergo the gonadotrophin therapy, which stimulates the ovaries. Lupron mimics the structure of the GnRH, so when it is injected, it triggers the production of LH and FSH. When the pituitary gland realises the difference between GnRH and Lupron, it dramatically reduces the biological production of both the follicle stimulating and luteinizing hormone. This condition is called the pituitary down regulation and this continues as long as the Lupron is being administered. Lupron slowly, but steadily, lowers the production of estrogen.

The reason for administering Lupron is to stop premature escalation of LH. Women who are older and resistant to ovarian stimulation or who have poor ovarian reserves (the capacity to produce eggs) are usually given the Lupron therapy. Too much of the luteinizing hormone can harm the follicular production, which in turn damages the quality of egg production and later, embryo development. Lupron is injected to stop the premature luteinisation of the follicles, and it is stopped before the egg retrieval procedure.

The Lupron IVF Calendar:
To help explain the treatment, a hypothetical menstrual cycle of 28 days is taken:

1. Days 1-7: Your menstrual cycle begins and the Lupron treatment starts (you are usually given Lupron injections)
2. Day 8: Your periods start and the Lupron treatment continues
3. Day 9: FSH injections are started while you are still on the Lupron injection; a blood test and ultrasound is scheduled today as well
4. Day 10-13: The FSH and Lupron are administered together for the next seven days
5. Day 14-15: A blood test and ultrasound is scheduled again on the fourteenth day
6. Day 16: This will be the last day of your FSH and Lupron treatment; another blood test and ultrasound will be scheduled and HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) injection will be administered which causes normal ovulation
7. Day 18: On this day, the egg retrieval procedure is done. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

Symptoms of Postpartum depression and ways to deal with it!

Hi, my name is Dr. Armaan Pandey and this talk that I'm going to have maybe very beneficial if you are a to be parent or you are a new parent. So I'm going to tell you about three aspects of postpartum mental health. Postpartum refers to post delivery, as a lot of you might know. The first thing I want to talk about is a very serious medical condition which is called as postpartum depression. So right before or after the birth of a baby a mother's body suffered through a massive hormonal changes and often these hormonal changes can result in depression. Like we see in depression too the symptoms are very very similar like loss of interest in everything, feeling sad all the time, doesn't want to take care of the babies also at time, doesn't feel like worth living, disturbance in sleep, disturbance in appetite, crying spells, suicidal thoughts and sometimes even thoughts of hurting the baby. So yes your hormones can do this to your brain. Solution is quite simple. A short course of anti-depressant therapy is very very helpful, very efficient in taking away these symptoms. The symptoms go away very quickly and it is quite safe as well.

Another aspect that one must be aware of when it comes to postpartum depression is a milder form called as postpartum blues. Here the woman experiences mood swings, often crying jags, easy irritibality, but these are very short lasting. So most of the days the woman is fine, the mother is fine but sometimes she may display these things and usually postpartum blues gets better on their own, you don't have to do much about it. But it is advisable that you go to a doctor, get yourself checked out and if it is depression then get treatment and get better. The second aspect of mental health, when it comes to mothers, usually when new mothers are concerned is that you have to be aware of something called as mother's guilt.

Now this has got more to do with how the society treats new mother's than what biology does to you. When you deliver your first baby, or even second child for that matter, you are loaded with a barage of instructions, you are supposed to do this, you are not supposed to do that. And these instructions comes from every corner of the world. Your spouse tells you something, parents tell you something else and your in-laws tell you something else, your doctors are also advising you, your neighbours, your relatives and even your maid servants at times. What do you do in that case, and sometimes the advises are contradictory. So, the mother has the burden of making small, tiny decisions for the baby. And every tiny decision she makes she feels guilty that maybe what I'm doing for my child is not right. You need to be aware of this, there is nothing like a perfect mother or a perfect parent. All you have to do is be a good enough parent, a good enough mother. You cannot make sure that your baby is 24x7 happy or comfortable. Your baby is going to cry when she is not comfortable, when she is hungry, when she has some pain and this is going to continue till she can vocalise or verbalise her feelings better. So, do not feel absolutely guilty if you are not able to soothe your baby immediately or if someone tells you otherwise. You have to make a decision, sometimes you have to be assertive with other individuals. Don't be aggressive, don't break into a fight but do not take everything passively too.

The third aspect that is important when it comes to mental health, especially for new parents is that you lose focus of your relationship at times. Because the baby is the centre of the family now, you start ignoring your relationship with your spouse, probably you are more engaged in taking care of the baby for the first two years, which is required, it is inevitable. But during this time a lot of couples experience distancing and people who have problems later on in their marital life often report that this was the turning point. So one has to be mindful. What I can advice you is like you treat your relationship with your partner as your first child, because your relatonship is something you both have created together. It requires constant nurturing, it requires constant attention from you. So if you have another child after your first child you are not going to ignore this first child because you are having another baby.

Of course you can't pay as much attention but you can't neglect it. So for your partner also take out some quality time, do certain small things for them that makes you happy and whenever you can find time do spend quality time together bonding with each other. Remember this fact that you are becoming parents because you are together so you have to take care of this relationship as well. If you are aware of these few aspects of mental health and a lot of other things as well pertaining to parenting I'm sure you are going to enjoy parenthood rather than be stressed about it.

For any further advices or consultation you can book an appointment through Lybrate.com .

Hunch back: stretching exercises for good posture
This stretch vastly helps if you are suffering from a sore neck or back.
Stretch or tilt your head in all four directions (forward, back, left, right). Don't roll in a circle, as it can cause additional strain.
Massage your neck gently.
Get on your hands and knees and bend your back upwards (cat stretch). Do the opposite next.
Repeat a few times daily. This stretch, when done in the morning, helps in relieving the sleep induced muscle lethargy. If done regularly throughout the day, it helps in boosting your energy levels

Exercises to improve your posture
Stay in shape by keeping your entire musculoskeletal system modified to support your posture. For this the following exercise are helpful:

Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and flex your legs to about 90 degrees at the knee.
Pull your belly-button in towards your spine and hold it at the end for 10 seconds.
Repeat eight times daily.
Always keep a proper posture even if it is tiring and other muscles, like the back or butt, are not being used.
Breathe normally when doing this exercise, because you are trying to train your core to maintain this position when doing daily normal activities.
The following exercises can be done with or without hand weights:
Exercise 1:
Keep your head upright and shoulders squared so that the ears are in alignment over the shoulders.
Lift both the arms straight out, palms up and alongside your ears.
Bend the forearms in and backwards, towards the shoulders while trying to touch your shoulder blades with your fingertips.
Repeat 10 times with both arms.
Do alternate ten reps for each arm individually.
Exercise 2:
Keep your head upright and shoulders squared so that the ears are in alignment over the shoulders.
Lift both the arms sideward at shoulder height.
Hold this pose for 10 seconds.
Now slowly bring the arms to the sides while counting till ten.
Again, slowly lift arms back to shoulder height while counting to ten when raising your arms.
Do 10 repetitions while checking your alignment with each rep. You should be able to feel mild tiredness in the shoulder muscles.