A blood pressure measurement consists of two numbers. The top number, or highest reading taken, is known as “systolic” or the pressure exerted by the blood while the heart is pumping. The bottom number, or lowest reading taken, is the “diastolic” pressure. This is the blood pressure when the heart is at rest in between beats. A “normal” reading is between 100-160 for systolic and 65-95 for diastolic. Blood pressure greater than 160/95 is considered to be “borderline high.”
Elevated blood pressure can be the result of a narrowed passageway caused by cholesterol plaque on the inside of the arteries or a decreased elasticity of the blood vessels caused by calcium deposits and hardening of the arteries. Other causes of high blood pressure include cigarette smoking, stimulants such as coffee and tea, alcohol, high salt intake, medicines such as oral birth control pills, lack of exercise, obesity, and heavy metals such as cadmium. In addition, anything that increases your stress level, causing the adrenal gland to secrete a hormone that further constricts the arteries, will raise your blood pressure.
Generally speaking, there are no symptoms associated with high blood pressure. Nevertheless, those with a history of high blood pressure should be checked regularly. Nowadays, this can be done fairly simply at home. If blood pressure remains greater than 180/115, it should be treated. In advanced cases, symptoms such as headache, sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, dizziness, and vision disturbances may be experienced. Such symptoms can signal an emergency and require immediate attention.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Keep your weight down. Changing your eating habits can accomplish this. For example, salt restriction alone will not lower blood pressure. (See “Hypertension—What is it?”) It must be accompanied by a high potassium intake. Emphasizing fruits and vegetables in the diet can increase potassium. Minimize your consumption of fats and proteins. When meat is consumed, make it the skinless white meat of fish, turkey or chicken.
2. Avoid consumption of socially accepted poisons such as coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. (See “Smoking Addiction.”)
3. Increase your fiber consumption. Fiber, such as oat bran and psyllium husk, helps reduce cholesterol levels, promote weight loss, and remove heavy metals. (See “Constipation.”)
4. Increase your activity level. This can be as simple as walking for 15 minutes a day, three days each week. Be sure that your exercise pulse increases by at least 10 beats over your resting pulse. For maximum cardiovascular benefit, regular aerobic exercise is best.
5. Supplement with Coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, B-complex, magnesium and potassium. Garlic has a beneficial effect. Vitamin E improves heart function but should be started at low doses and gradually increased.
6. Herbal hawthorne berry helps to dilate blood vessels. Mistletoe, in small amounts, is believed to regulate blood pressure as well as low blood pressure. These can be taken together or separately.
7. Homeopathic Equisetum, Cratageus, and Valeriana can all be helpful. Equisetum is indicated when there is kidney involvement, Cratageus when there is an associated heart weakness, and Valeriana if stress is a factor. Other good remedies include Allium, Baryta Muriaticum, Aurum Metallicum, and Glonoine. These should all be taken in a low potency of 3X, 6X, or 12X, 10 drops 4-6 times daily or as needed to control high blood pressure.
8. Finally, have your body burden of heavy metals evaluated. This is best done by 24-hour urine collection after administration of a heavy metal chelating agent. (See “Chelation Therapy”.)
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