Almost 90% of people with high blood pressure have so-called “essential hypertension.”  This means that we have no explanation why it is elevated.  We do know that our bodies have a “barostat” which controls the blood pressure just as a thermostat controls the temperature. For those with essential hypertension, the barostat is just turned up too high.

What Are Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure?

In brief, there are none.  The vast majority of people with hypertension have no symptoms at all.  This is why high blood pressure has been termed the “silent killer.”  Headaches and nosebleeds can come from a very high blood pressure but are more likely due to other causes.  You cannot tell how high your blood pressure is by how you feel--actual measurement is the only way to verify how high it is.

What Are Complication of High Blood Pressure?

Untreated high blood pressure greatly increases the likelihood of dying from a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney damage.  Picture your heart and arteries as a plumbing system with the heart as the pump and the arteries as the pipes.  An increase in the pressure load (as in hypertension) causes the pump (heart) to work a lot harder.  As time goes on, it is more likely to fail (heart attacks, heart failure).  The pounding on the pipes leads to breakdown and leakage (strokes and kidney failure).  Our goal is to lower the pressure and help the system last longer, in effect preventing the complications rather than treating them.

Stress and Blood Pressure

Our emotional state and the level of stress markedly affect our blood pressure.  Any of us, when angry, frightened, or in pain, may have a significant rise in our blood pressure--even raising it above normal levels.  When we relax, the pressure comes down again.  Chronic stress and anxiety can keep the pressure up over a long period of time and this causes problems.  The damage done by high blood pressure is, after all, related both to how high the pressure is and the length of time it remains high.  If your life is chronically stressful, changes should be made to allow you to relax and bring the pressure down.

When Should High Blood Pressure Be Treated?

Since the blood pressure may change as much as 20-30 points in a few minutes, no single reading is accurate.  If you are checking your own blood pressure, remember that it is best to take it at the same time of day, in the same position, and at the same place in order for an accurate comparison to be made.  If various readings consistently average greater than 140/90, some kind of treatment or dietary regimen should be considered.

Can I Lower My Blood Pressure Without Taking Medicine?

Reducing stress, losing weight, restricting salt intake and maintaining a program of regular exercise all can lower your blood pressure significantly. If stress is a problem, there are many ways to deal with it.  Some changes in lifestyle may be required.  Training in relaxation techniques can also be helpful.

It is never easy to lose weight.  If you are overweight, shedding those excess pounds can really help to bring down the blood pressure.  Regular exercise also seems to help lower the pressure.  However, it is important that the exercise be fairly regular (at least three times a week). Sporadic participation in sports can often do more harm than good--especially if you are older!

Salt (sodium) restriction is important.  Salt intake controls the amount of fluid in your body.  If you drink a lot of fluids without salt, the kidneys excrete it rapidly.  If you eat a lot of salt, you become thirsty and the fluids you drink stay with you for several days.  The more fluid in your body, the higher your blood pressure will be.  By reducing your intake of salt, you can reduce the volume of fluid in your body and lower your blood pressure.

How Important Is Sodium Restriction?

There are only two ways your blood pressure can go up.  First, the arteries constrict, increasing the resistance to blood flow.  The second way is to increase the fluid in the cardiovascular system.  Sodium causes both to happen by opening the door for calcium to go from the blood into the smooth muscle cells.  This, in turn, causes a constriction of the muscle cells and a contraction of the arteries, thereby increasing arterial pressure.  In addition, sodium substantially increases the amount of fluid in the system by attracting additional water.

For most people, salt restriction means eliminating foods that you know to be salty (e.g. salted potato chips, pretzels, salted nuts, processed meats, pickles, sauerkraut, etc.).  For years it has been known that the blood pressure of people living in cultures that use sodium chloride (table salt) tends to be higher than the blood pressure of people from cultures that do not use salt, and that the blood pressure of salt users always rises with age.  However, numerous studies have shown that the sodium-to-potassium ratio is more important than high sodium intake in the absence of potassium.  Our processed foods, particularly fried foods, are stripped of potassium and bolstered with high levels of sodium.

What Roles Do Potassium And Magnesium Play?

Potassium acts like a diuretic by ridding the body of both excess sodium and fluid. Oftentimes, when patients with normal blood pressure eat a diet rich in potassium and magnesium and low in salt, the rings on their fingers become looser as they begin to shed water and sodium in response to the rise in potassium.

We must also consider magnesium, which tends to be depleted in the blood and cells when blood pressure is high.  Conditions that cause “magnesium wasting,” such as alcoholism and diabetes, are frequently associated with high blood pressure.

Numerous studies have indicated that hard water, which has high magnesium levels, lessens the incidence of high blood pressure in those communities that have it.  Furthermore, magnesium will often markedly lower blood pressure when given intravenously or by mouth.  In addition, just as sodium permits calcium to attach to smooth muscle cells, which causes arterial constriction and high blood pressure, magnesium acts just like the popular calcium-channel blockers Procardia and Cardizem to prevent this.  Magnesium is God’s calcium-channel blocker--and answer to high blood pressure—and has none of the side effects that man’s does.

How these three minerals interact that is the key in the treatment of high blood pressure. Adequate magnesium is essential in the sodium-potassium balance, enabling the body to store potassium.  Therefore, it is as important to reduce your intake of salt as it is to increase consumption of both magnesium and potassium.

What Should I Do If I’m Already Taking Medication?

If you are on high blood pressure medication, you may try the “mineral approach” and gradually reduce your medication over time.  This is usually done by first cutting the daily dose then going to a dose every-other day.  At the same time, dramatically increase your intake of both potassium and magnesium by eating two oranges and one banana per day, to get 950 mg of potassium.  Increasing your consumption of deep green vegetables to boost your magnesium levels.  Supplemental magnesium and potassium, minimum 500 mg and 99 mg respectively, may be taken separately, in a multi-mineral, or in a multi-vitamin.  In general, the more potassium and magnesium you can consume, the more rapidly your blood pressure will fall.

To learn more about healing and health optimizing therapies, go to www.NewHopeMedical.org or call NEW HOPE MEDICAL CENTER at (702) 476-0000 (direct line) or toll free (866) HEAL-NOW!