Dorothy FarrarHome remedies for high blood pressure
High blood pressure , high blood pressure or arterial hypertension is a well-known widespread disease. High blood pressure indicates that the heart is working harder than necessary and the arteries are being overworked. Since the risk of a stroke , heart attack or kidney failure is drastically increased, blood pressure should be lowered. Medically, high blood pressure is defined as values over 140 mmHg for the systolic value (contraction phase of the heart) and over 90 mmHg for the diastolic value (relaxation phase).
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is known as hypertension and is one of the diseases of the cardiovascular system. An optimal blood pressure shows a systolic value of < 120 mmHG (millimeters of mercury) and a diastolic value of < 80 mmHG. High blood pressure is when the pressure in the arteries increases over a long period of time. The systolic value reaches at least 140 mmHG and/or the systolic value reaches a measurement result of at least 90 mmHG.
High blood pressure often goes undetected for a long period of time because it hardly causes any symptoms in the beginning. The diagnosis of hypertension is often only made during a routine examination. Dizziness , headaches, nervousness , nosebleeds and ringing in the ears can be among the first signs of high blood pressure.
Who is affected?
In Germany up to 35 million people are affected by hypertension. However, only every second person knows about their illness and only about 40 percent have it treated. Around a quarter of all people worldwide have high values. Since blood pressure rises continuously with age, about every second person over the age of sixty is affected by hypertension. The main reason for this is the decreasing elasticity of the blood vessels. By the age of 60, more men than women are affected by hypertension. After the age of 60, more women than men suffer from high blood pressure.
Causes
Well-known causes of high blood pressure include heart diseases, kidney diseases or a disturbed hormone balance. However, the cause is only known in around five percent of all people with hypertension. In most cases, the reason for the high blood pressure cannot be determined. However, the risk of developing hypertension is higher in certain groups of people. These include people with a family history, diabetics , people who are overweight , women who take hormonal contraceptives and people who prefer a salt-rich diet.
But smoking, excessive alcohol consumption , stress and lack of exercise are also known risk factors. High blood pressure can cause damage to blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, heart and brain over time. This can lead to serious secondary diseases such as angina pectoris (chest tightness), stroke, heart attack, cardiac insufficiency , kidney damage, eye damage or circulatory disorders in the legs.
What helps against high blood pressure (high blood pressure)?
There are various home remedies and alternative natural remedies that can help to reduce high blood pressure.
- There is a diet that, according to American studies, effectively lowers blood pressure. This is called DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension), which means “diet to lower high blood pressure”. The diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol , but very rich in vegetables, fruits, low-fat foods and whole grain products .
- If you take too much salt, it stores water in the body and this increases the pressure in the blood vessels even more. That is why it makes a lot of sense to reduce the salt content of every meal. The easiest way to do this is to cook everything yourself, since ready meals and snacks usually contain far too much salt.
- Bread, for example, could be baked at home, since the salt and fat content can be determined by yourself. In the bread maker, preparation takes less than 10 minutes and fresh bread tastes better than store-bought.
Fast help against high blood pressure
- Alcohol increases blood pressure and should be avoided. Just as it is advisable to stop smoking. The tobacco components of the cigarette promote deposits and thus contribute to the calcification of the arteries. In addition, the nicotine in tobacco constricts blood vessels, which is very counterproductive in the case of high blood pressure.
- Sport is a useful remedy for high blood pressure. You should exercise at least three times a week, better yet five times a week. Regular exercise, whether swimming, running, walking or cycling, lowers resting blood pressure and makes you less susceptible. Plus, extra pounds require your heart to work harder to pump.
- Magnesium relaxes the smooth, involuntarily contracting muscle fibers in the blood vessel walls, helping the arteries to open wide. Magnesium is particularly good for high blood pressure during pregnancy. However, before starting any treatment, you should consult a doctor.
alternative remedies
- A well-known remedy from grandma’s medicine case is hawthorn. This contains flavonoids and procyanidins, which dilate the blood vessels and thereby relieve the pressure on them.
- In addition, hawthorn extracts improve blood circulation in the heart and increase the contraction force of the heart muscle. The effect of this natural remedy only sets in after several weeks and lasts for several weeks after stopping the preparation. 100-150mg hawthorn extract can be taken per day.
- Raw garlic cloves are also a very effective home remedy for high blood pressure. A clove of raw garlic every day (if you want to avoid the unpleasant taste, you can alternatively take garlic capsules, which correspond to 4g of fresh garlic) helps to lower blood pressure. With garlic capsules, care should be taken that they are stomach-resistant capsules that only dissolve in the small intestine.
- Another alternative natural remedy for high blood pressure is fish oil capsules made from mackerel or salmon. This increases the intake of omega-3 fatty acids and these slow down the body’s own production of substances that constrict the blood vessels (such as prostaglandins).
See Hypertension for more information. If persistent exhaustion , palpitations , headaches , shortness of breath , impaired ability to see or ringing in the ears occur, a doctor should be consulted.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.