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| Free e-mail Newsletter on Blood Pressure Treatments and Strategies |
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| Free e-mail Newsletter on Blood Pressure Treatments and Strategies |
Posted by Adey Oyenuga
High blood pressure and its natural remedies
By Grace Martin
ONE of the invited speakers who was present for the programme
Dr. Jayeola the (Medical Director Lagos State Emergency
Services).
In his speech, he highlighted that hypertension is different
from high blood pressure, but a lot of people think that they
are the same thing. He then explained that high blood presure
is when a person worries about certain thing(s) and his views
rise, but as soon as the thoughts are over or he puts his
mind off the issue, the veins will return to normal.
Whereas, hypertension is when the blood rises and it remains
there permanently without coming down.
He also mentioned some of the causes of hypertension as:
(1) Tobacco - this is so because it contains Necoteen;
(2) Genetic - this happens if one has the gin in him;
(3) Heredity - there are some families where it is
heredictory;
(4) Too much salt taking and fatness; and
(5) Worries and anxieties.
He now emphasised that in most cases, hypertension does not
give any sign or signal through any symptom. It usually
caught one unawares. Except on very few cases where by
symptoms like headache and hotness of the body will be
noticed and it is diagnosed to be hypertension.
A lot of people are described as moving time bomb that can
explode at any moment. Such people can die suddenly without
any previous sign of the ailment.
He finally highlighted that hypertension has to do with the
heart and that the heart is highly blessed like other parts
such as kidney or lever. He said that before any symptom is
noticed in case of lever or kidney problems, at least 80 per
cent damage must have been done to the lever or kidney by the
ailment. This is not so in case of the heart. As soon as this
ailment is discovered, if the patient can take to medical
counsel and medications, it drops very fast.
High blood pressure or hypertension is a disorder that
affects both men and women. Previously, it was rare to find
young people suffering from this health condition. Nowadays,
we have had cases of people some of who are even in their
twenties and thirties diagnosed of high blood pressure. This
is not a good development. As part of our contribution
towards combating this menace, which is becoming very rampant
in our society, we have organized this month's "Divine Health
Programme for the Family." Areas we hope to address during
this lecture among others include causes, symptoms and
natural remedies.
Certain amount of pressure is required for the heart to pump
the blood round the body. Under normal circumstances, the
average pressure of adults vary from 110-70 (110/70) to 140
over 90 (140/90) mm Hg. When the blood pressure for any
reason rises above these figures the condition is referred to
as high blood pressure or hypertension.
In diagnosing high blood pressure, a device known as
sphyginomanometer is used. Usually, blood pressure is
represented as a pair of numbers. The first is the systolic
pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the blood when the
heart beats, forcing blood into the blood vessels. This
reading indicates blood pressure at its highest. The second
reading is the diastolic pressure, which is recorded when the
heart is at rest in between beats, when the blood pressure is
at its lowest. The combined blood pressure reading is then
expressed as a ratio of systolic blood pressure to distolic
blood pressure. Thus, in a person whose blood pressure is
normal, measures on the average 120 over 80 (120/80) mm Hg.
Causes
There are various factors that can lead to high blood
pressure. The first and major one is wrong feeding habit.
Eating of wrong diet, particularly diet high in salt (sodium
chloride). Salt should be used sparingly. Excessive intake of
salt is harmful. Salt is an inorganic mineral and therefore
useless to the body cell structure. It is irritating to the
stomach and the blood stream, indigestible, and hinders the
digestion of other foods.
Artificial or table salt has been identified as one of the
causes of high blood pressure. Hence, it is always advisable
to restrict or eliminate it from the diets of patients with
heart disease, as well as those with kidney and liver
defects. Sodium salts can be obtained from fruits and
vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, asparagus, spinach,
kale, radiashe, turnips, carrots, lettuce, strawberry, etc.
Overeating on the other hand, usually results in obesity or
over weight. When this health disorder is not quickly dealt
with through weight-loss programme, it can lead to high blood
presusre. Excessive consumption of fat producing foods such
as starch foods, red meat, cane sugar products, coupled with
inadequate physical exercises is the major cause of obesity.
Watch what you eat!
It is not in all cases that obesity or over-weight is cause
by overeating. Certain women gain excessive weight when
placed on fertility pills or contraceptive pills. If that is
the case with you, it is advisable you discontinue the use of
such medications. There are many herbs that can be help in
weight loss; chickweed (stellaria media), 'Awede' in Yoruba
is one. Corn silk (Zea Mays) if dried, is a good diuretic and
helps in weight reducing. Aloe vera (Aloe socotrina) is also
good for slimming. Steep a handful in half a litre of water
and drink daily while on a weight loss programme.
Another major cause of high blood pressure in our world today
is what I call the pressures of this life. Pressure from job,
economy, family and even the environment we live in can
sometimes be a source of pressure. Lack of ability to manage
life's pressures can lead to stress. Stress is a silent
killer. It causes physiological changes which result in the
following effects: increased arterial blood pressure;
increased heart beat and rate; decreased blood flow to
kidney, vasoconstriction of skin vascular beds; increased
plasma free fatty acid levels; increased muscle tension;
increased plasma triglyceride levels; increased plasma
cholesterol level; increased glucose production; increased
urea production; increased free fatty acid release into blood
circulation; potential suppression of immune mechanisms;
increased general metabolism (Prevention & Management of
Stress by Dr. Ishola Paul Alade; 1998). Simply put, stress is
a bomb that detonates into many fragments.
When you find yourself under stress identify the stressor and
either you get rid of it or you move away from it. Take a
break, go on vacation, it will do you a lot of good. Rest
well and learn to delegate responsibilities to others. There
must be some trustworthy person who can give a helping hand.
Get them.
High blood pressure in some cases is hereditary. It runs in
the family. Check whether one or both of your parents
suffered or suffering from hypertension. In deliverance
palace, we call this an 'evil inheritance'. What we do in
cases like this is to recommend a deliverance programme for
the patient. The reasons for the deliverance prayer is to
destroy the power of the spirit of evil inheritance over your
life - powers that could negate the efficacy of the
medications.
Symptoms
Hypertension patients frequently complain of headaches,
especially in the morning, difficulty in breathing,
dizziness, flushed complexion, and blurred vision.
Natural remedies
To treat high blood pressure, it is always good to begin with
a programme of detoxification (cleansing) of the blood and
colon. Bitters, stinging nettle (effirin), pumpkin leaves
(ugu) are very good in cleansing the blood and the colon.
There is also need for your feeding habit to be reviewed. You
have to adopt a new pattern of eating. Avoid artificial salt
(table salt), alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, tobacco, cane
sugar products and carbonated soft drinks. I f you have to
drink go for something natural like our local 'champman' made
out of a type hibiscus. It is called 'sobroto' in Hausa and
'isapa' in Yoruba. Mix it with natural honey. It is very good
for the heart.
Garlic is also good. Garlic extract helps to increase
physical endurance, decreased blood pressure, and less build
up of fatty deposits in the walls of the blood vessels.
Garlic acts as an antibiotic and as an anticancer agent. Many
people do not like garlic because of its odour but just have
to include it in your die for health reasons. On the other
hand, capsulized garlic are now available in the market. They
are odourless.
Also, to be included in your diet are cayenne pepper, high
fibre foods such as guinea corn (baba), brown rice (ofada),
soybean products.
There is also this wonder plant called mistletoe (Viscum
album). We call it 'Afomo' in Yoruba. Mistletoe, which is a
parasitic plant, is excellent for high blood pressure, as
well as low blood presusre. According to herbal tradition,
team made from mistletoe can reduce "elevated blood pressure"
and eliminate dizziness and the blood sensation rushing to
the head. The dosage is two to three cups of mistletoe tea
daily for three or five weeks. An analysis carried out on
Mistletoe by Dr. Wolfgang Holzner of the College of
Agriculture, Vienna "reveals the presence of substances with
anti-hypertensive effects (viscotoxin and acetycholine).
Most people who suffer from hypertension do not rest well.
They worry about business affairs, have too many social
duties, always stressed up, and keep very late hours. These
anti-health activities cause the blood presure to rise. Learn
to rest. A warm bath at night and plenty of sleep in a
well-ventilated room will help to lower the blood pressure.
Worry less. If you are troubled with sleeplessness, take an
herbal tea like avocado pea leaves to induce sleep or our BP
Restore 2 herbal tonic.