The Blood Pressure Reduction Guide

In the US an amazing 1 in 3 adults suffer from high blood pressure according to the American Heart Association. A number of these will be on prescription medication, and some will look for alternative solutions.  But, is there an alternative medicine high blood pressure relief solution as effective as traditional medication that can help?

The reason that someone gets high blood pressure is usually, in 90 to 95 percent of cases unknown.  In fact about 1 in 3 people with high blood pressure will not be aware that their blood pressure is elevated.  This is one of the reasons that it has been called the silent killer.

This type of hypertension is called primary hypertension, and there seems to be some common elements. 

There are a number of lifestyle factors that have been identified that may contribute to primary hypertension, these include, being overweight, eating an unhealthy diet (usually too much salt and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables), being stressed, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and too little exercise.

Even quite small changes to your lifestyle can make a difference to blood pressure levels.

As well as these lifestyle factors there are certain substances that elevate primary hypertension, including, certain antidepressants, some cold medicines, Steroids and NSAIDS.  There are a number of others, so if you are on medication it is important you understand the potential side effects.

There are also some genetic factors that you cannot influence which can cause primary hypertension, including, your race (black people have a high risk), your age (over 55 is a higher risk), and family history (genetics).

Although these are risk elements that cannot be controlled, a person can reduce their risk by compensating with improving or elimination the other risk factors.

If symptoms are not diagnosed, or go untreated there is an increased risk of a stroke or heart disease or even kidney failure, as well as other severe symptoms.

Although there are pharmaceutical medications that have shown to be beneficial to many suffering with high blood pressure, there are many people who prefer to use alternative medicines to help relieve their high blood pressure.

Here is list of some alternative options that have shown promise, however, before deciding to take any alternative medication or food supplements make sure you work with your doctor to ensure you are getting the best treatment options available.

Garlic – Numerous studies have shown that garlic supplements can give a significant reduction in blood pressure, and it was concluded that it might be of clinical use with people who have mild hypertension.

However, it is worth noting that garlic can thin the blood, and it may interact with other medications and supplements, and it is usually recommended that garlic should not be taken close to any surgery.

CoEnzyme Q10 (often referred to as CoQ10) – A trial involving 83 people and study involving 74 people all with hypertension showed that CoQ10 had the effect of significantly reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Hawthorn Extract – 79 subjects where used in a test, a proportion where given a placebo, and the others Hawthorn extract.  Those taking the hawthorn supplement had a reduced level of diastolic blood pressure.
 
Another alternative type of treatment for dealing with high blood pressure is acupuncture. There seems to be little research to back up the benefit of acupuncture, but the anecdotal evidence from those having this treatment is compelling.

If you decide that you want to use alternative medicine high blood pressure reduction, then the approach should be discussed with your doctor. Just because a substance is labeled alternative doesn’t mean it won’t harm or reduce the effectiveness of other medication you may be taking.

Sign up for the free Relieve Blood Pressure Newsletter and discover new and natural methods to manage high blood pressure. In the newsletter you’ll also find out about other alternative medicine high blood pressure resources.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 3:01 pm and is filed under Blood Pressure Reduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.