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Natural Cures for High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 25 percent of all adults, two-thirds of whom are younger than 65. The term high blood pressure simply means that people affected by this condition have higher than normal blood pressure levels as their hearts pump blood through the body`s arteries. This greater than normal force can damage the walls of the arteries, which in turn can result in dangerous deposits of harmful (LDL) cholesterol and various toxic substances. If this process is left unchecked, the end result can be heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions.
Although high blood pressure is often assumed to be a natural consequence of aging, the fact that so many Americans in their 20s, 30s, and 40s suffer from high blood pressure clearly indicates it is not an age-dependent disease. In actuality, high blood pressure is the result of poor overall health and lifestyle choices. Conventional medicine primarily focuses on treating the symptoms of high blood pressure rather than addressing its underlying causes. It does this mainly through the use of blood pressure medications, all of which can cause dangerous side effects.
Your blood pressure levels can easily be measured using an inflatable cuff device known as a sphygmomanometer that is placed around your upper arm. Once the cuff is fully inflated, blood flow through the artery is temporarily stopped. Your doctor, listening with a stethoscope to the artery at elbow, will slowly release the pressure in the cuff. Just as the blood flow in the artery starts to resume, a pounding sound can be heard. As soon as it is heard, your blood pressure will be noted. This measurement is known as your systolic blood pressure. Next, the cuff pressure will be released further until no sound can be heard. Once again your pressure will be noted, this time indicating your diastolic blood pressure. Normal, or healthy blood pressure readings range between 90 to 135 systolic over 50 to 90 diastolic, with a reading of 120/85 considered average. High blood pressure is indicated when the systolic rises above a reading of 140, and the diastolic rises above 90. For accuracy, your blood pressure should be measured on two separate occasions at least two hours apart.
Note: Factors such as stress, physical exertion, and powerful emotions such as fear and anger can skew blood pressure readings. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not have your blood pressure measured during such times, but wait until you are calm and rested to ensure an accurate reading.
There are two types of high blood pressure, essential high blood pressure and secondary high blood pressure. Essential blood pressure is high blood pressure that occurs without an obvious cause, while secondary high blood pressure is caused by kidney damage or failure and/or imbalances in the endocrine system. The vast majority of high blood pressure cases—over 90 percent—are essential high blood pressure.
There are natural cures for High Blood Pressure that do not involve the use of pharmaceutical drugs. They involve restoring the biochemical balance of the body, and making dietary and lifestyle changes designed to improve one's general health.
What is high blood pressure?
Some 40% of adults in the UK, and around one in three in the US, have high blood pressure. Usually defined as consistently having a blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.
High blood pressure or hypertension often has no symptoms or immediate associated problems but it puts the sufferer at huge risk of cardiovascular disease (affecting blood circulation) such as a stroke or heart disease.
If you have hypertension, your heart must work harder to pump blood around your body. Over time, this can weaken the heart. Equally, increased blood pressure can damage your arterial walls, which can block the artery or cause it to split. In both cases, a stroke can result.
There are two kinds of raised blood pressure - essential and secondary. Essential blood pressure has no obvious cause, while secondary high blood pressure is caused by kidney damage or imbalances in the endocrine system. In most cases (more than 90 percent) people develop essential high blood pressure.
This means that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, there is no one particular cause for raised blood pressure. However, all the available evidence indicates that your lifestyle plays a major role in regulating your blood pressure. The risk factors known to contribute to high blood pressure include age, excessive alcohol consumption, a poor diet, a lack of exercise and obesity.
So hypertension can be prevented by making the right lifestyle changes, including exercising more regularly, improving your diet and cutting down on how much alcohol you drink. Of course, these kinds of prevention are the best high blood pressure treatments there are.
There are also medical high blood pressure treatments available, aimed at helping lower your blood pressure. As all the pharmaceutical treatments lower blood pressure in different ways, some people take various medical high blood pressure treatments.
Natural remedies for high blood pressure
It can be hard to accept the need for high blood pressure treatments, especially as hypertension often does not mean having any specific symptoms.
Many people who don’t want to take medication turn instead to natural remedies for high blood pressure. These can include garlic, hawthorn, folic acid and fish oil, among others. These cures do not involve the taking of any prescribed medical high blood pressure treatments.
Natural remedies for high blood pressure are about restoring the body’s biochemical balance, and making the changes to diet and lifestyle needed to improve general health.
Natural remedies for high blood pressure and Natural Cures.com
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