Vital Tips for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure must be controlled otherwise it becomes a silent killer. Sustained and high levels of pressure inside your arteries will damage the arteries that supply all your organs and this leads to an increased risk of several serious diseases. Far too many people are blase about their blood pressure. This is a health issue that must be taken seriously. Sustained high blood pressure can increase the risk of the following:

• Strokes – hemorrhages and/or clots in the brain
• Heart attacks and heart failure
• Kidney damage
• Loss of vision

The good news is that in this day and age blood pressure can be well controlled, thus adding many years of good quality life to an otherwise shortened life span.

Drug therapies for high blood pressure

If natural therapies cannot control your blood pressure, anti-hypertensive drugs become essential and life saving. In people who have inherited high blood pressure, anti-hypertensive drugs are usually required and will work well. If your systolic blood pressure is raised, a small dose of a beta blocker drug such as Propanolol will control this, and I like to use small doses twice daily to control elevated systolic blood pressure. If your diastolic blood pressure is continually elevated, you will also need an ACE inhibitor drug to bring it down into the normal range. Some people do very well with both a small dose of a beta blocker and an ACE inhibitor drug.

You should aim to keep your resting blood pressure below 140 over 90 = 140/90. The top level of 140 is known as the systolic blood pressure and the lower level of 90 is the diastolic blood pressure.

Do you know your blood pressure reading ?

It’s vital to know it and if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure purchase a home blood pressure measuring machine, as they are so easy to use and have become inexpensive.

Natural therapies for high blood pressure

Well we all know that regular exercise lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, so we need to get off the couch or office chair! There are also natural therapies that lower blood pressure and these can work alone sometimes, but in others they need to be combined with anti-hypertensive drugs.
What are some natural therapies to help lower blood pressure?

• Magnesium – this is the most important supplement, as it helps your cardiovascular system in several ways. Magnesium relaxes the muscles in your arteries, which opens them up wider, thus lowering the pressure inside them; this effect also improves the circulation of blood to your organs. Magnesium strengthens the heart muscle helping your heart to cope with high blood pressure; in other words magnesium makes your heart more robust. Magnesium also helps to relax your nervous system so that you are less stressed and we all know what excess stress can do to your blood pressure! We have two types of magnesium that are designed for maximum absorption from the gut. These are Magnesium Complete tablets and Magnesium Ultra potent Powder.
• Omega 3 fatty acids – these reduce inflammation in the arteries and thin the blood. If you keep your blood thinner, it will flow through your arteries easier, and this means your poor old heart does not have to pump against increased pressure. Make sure you get enough omega 3 fatty acids in your diet from fish oil supplements. Try to get more omega 3 fatty acids in your diet from foods like oily fish, walnuts, chia seeds and ground flaxseeds. Garlic also helps to thin the blood.
• Vitamin C – this strengthens the structure of the arteries and veins which reduces the risk of them rupturing and causing a hemorrhage in your brain. Take a supplement of 1000mg daily of vitamin C. Also get more vitamin C from your diet from citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and bell peppers.

It’s also important to keep your liver healthy, as if you have a fatty or overworked liver, it will not be able to filter the blood stream efficiently and toxins will build up in your blood stream. These toxins will cause inflammation in the lining of your arteries and this increases the risk of high blood pressure, thick sticky blood and blood clots. So support your liver function by eating plenty of raw vegetables and drinking plenty of water. A daily liver formula such as Livatone Plus will help your liver to keep your blood stream clean.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.