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High Blood Pressure HerbsHigh blood pressure herbs can help counteract hypertension. Blood pressure is the force that circulating blood exerts against the walls of arteries and almost 1/3 of all Americans suffer from it. Unfortunately, many of them are unaware of the problem as it is most of hte time a "silent" disease. There are very few symptoms to indicate when pressure is going up.When too high it can cause arteries to possibly rupture. It can also result from too much plaque in the arteries which narrows them, thereby resulting in increased pressure. Over 50 million Americans have hypertension and 90% of the time the cause is unknown. It is more common in men than women, although in post-menopausal women pressure may begin to rise. It is also most common in African Americans as an ethnic group. So what is abnormal and what is normal? According to the American Heart Association, cardiac guidelines are that normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. The first number is the systolic pressure and the lower number, the second one, is the diastolic pressure. It is the second one that is the more important one as it measures the force of the heart as it contracts. There is a condition known as "pre-hypertention". This is when BP (blood pressure) begins to rise and is 120-139 over 80-90. At this stage, many people will respond to diet, exercise and lowering salt to get things under control. If things continue, then Stage I hypertension begins. This is when BP is 140-159 over 90-99. At this point, many providers will offer medication to get things under control. Stage II hypertension is a bit more serious. Here the range is 160/100 or higher. 220/120 or higher is considered a medical emergency and the person should immediately go to the emergency room.  There may be a genetic component to high blood pressure but lifestyle does play a role also. High fat diets, smoking, high salt intake, high caffeine intake (watch the Starbucks!), lack of exercise and birth control pills can all influence hypertension. It is important to remember that underlying medical conditions such as kidney disease or hyperthyroidism can also cause this problem. Most of the time there are no symptoms. If pressure rises to dangerous levels then symptoms such as headache, sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, dizziness and blurry vision may occur. If this is happening to you seek medical attention immediately. Mnay times, hypertension begins with chronic nosebleeds. Never stop medication in favor of herbal therapies without discussing this first with your healthcare provider. This can cause rebound hypertension. As you can imagine, medical professionals recommend low fat diets, low salt intake, exercise, and smoking cessation to combat this problem. If lifestyle changes are not effective, then medication is considered. It is important to remember however, that with severe cases, high blood pressure herbs alone are not the answer. Remember to work with your doctor as untreated blood pressure problems can lead to kidney damage, heart attack, stroke and damage to the retina resulting in blindness. But what about those high blood pressure herbs? Beneficial High Blood Pressure Herbs
Coenzyme Q10There is also evidence that CoenzymeQ can help with this problem. One study of 83 people with systolic high blood pressure looked at the benefits of CoenzymeQ10 at 60mg twice a day. At the three month mark in the study, the systolic BP had been reduced by an average of 17.8 mm Hg in the group that took the supplement. A second study from Australia also demonstrated a beneficial effect of CoQ10 in people with both hypertension and Type II diabetes. These participants took either 200mg twice a day, 200mg of fenfibrate, both of the them or none. The CoQ10 reduced both teh systolic and diastolic pressures in addition to reducing the HbA1c which is used to track glucose control in diabetes. Considerations
Read more about treatment using natural blood pressure remedies and consider adding high blood pressure herbs to your regimen.
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