Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a common condition in which arteries have persistently elevated blood pressure or the elevated force of the blood against your artery walls.
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and it is recorded as two figures:
Systolic pressure: It is the pressure in arteries when the heart contracts for pumping blood to the body.
Diastolic pressure: It is the pressure in arteries when the heart is relaxing and refilling with blood for pumping it in the body. For example, if your General practitioner says your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg, it means your systolic pressure is 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure is 90mmHg.
You are said to have high blood pressure / hypertension, if readings on separate occasions consistently show your blood pressure to be 140/90mmHg or higher. A blood pressure reading below 130/80mmHg is considered to be normal.
Since hypertension has no specific symptom, it became known to be a silent killer. If not detected at an early stage, it may lead to arterial, cardiac and renal damage. Nevertheless, hypertension can be detected if people experience some mild and pounding headache, giddiness, hazy vision, ringing in the ears, and disturbed kidney functioning. If continuously, it may lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or paralysis.
AYURVEDA OVERVIEW OF HYPERTENSION
According to Ayurveda, Hypertension is known as Rakta Gata Vata. It involves all the doshas (Vata, Pita, Kapha ---- Biological elements of the body), the heart, and the blood vessels. Ayurveda says, unhealthy diet and lifestyle are the major and chief causes of hypertension. Unhealthy diet and lifestyles impair our digestive system leads to accumulation of ama / toxins (bad cholesterol and other fatty and harmful contents), which further lead to the high blood pressure.
The food we eat is digested by our digestive fire (jatharagni) to produce nutrient juice. These nutrient juice absorbed by our intestine and mixed with the plasma, which nourishes all other dhatus (body tissues) and aids in the production of healthy blood, which circulates all over the body through various channels (srotas).
In case of impaired digestion, toxins or ama created by improperly digested food mixes with plasma and makes it sama (combined with ama) or heavy. As a result, the blood thus produced also becomes heavy or sticky. When heavy blood with impurities circulates through various channels, toxins start accumulating in weaker channels or vascular system of the body. The accumulation of toxins and impurities in the vascular system creates lesions, stiffness, narrowing of channels or blockage of circulation. Therefore, blood exerts more pressure to circulate through these channels, leading to the condition of high blood pressure.
According to scientific studies, it is also stated that cholesterol and some other fatty content are responsible for narrowing and hardening of your blood vessels, which is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops over time from repeated accumulation of LDL or bad cholesterol deposition into the walls of blood vessels. Initially, your blood vessels continue to function properly, but over time the cholesterol or fat deposits harden. When this hardening occurs, your blood vessels become less flexible. These hardened areas don't allow the vessels to expand and relax properly in response to blood flow. The loss of relaxation and expansion of blood vessels from atherosclerosis leads to high blood pressure.
Mental stress, lack of exercise and poor flexibility also exacerbate the condition. Disruption of biological rhythms through improper daily routine can also disturb many physiological processes and depress the body's natural healing and balancing ability. All these factors play a big role in hypertension.
The Ayurvedic treatment of hypertension focuses on balancing the aggravated doshas along with improving digestion, eliminating the build up of toxins or impurities and reducing the narrowing of channels or the level of bad cholesterol through classical (Shastrokta) medicines as well as customized diet and lifestyle plans for balanced circulation throughout the body.
Diet recommend for Hypertension:
Lifestyle recommend for Hypertension:
Home remedy for Hypertension:
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and it is recorded as two figures:
Systolic pressure: It is the pressure in arteries when the heart contracts for pumping blood to the body.
Diastolic pressure: It is the pressure in arteries when the heart is relaxing and refilling with blood for pumping it in the body. For example, if your General practitioner says your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg, it means your systolic pressure is 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure is 90mmHg.
You are said to have high blood pressure / hypertension, if readings on separate occasions consistently show your blood pressure to be 140/90mmHg or higher. A blood pressure reading below 130/80mmHg is considered to be normal.
Since hypertension has no specific symptom, it became known to be a silent killer. If not detected at an early stage, it may lead to arterial, cardiac and renal damage. Nevertheless, hypertension can be detected if people experience some mild and pounding headache, giddiness, hazy vision, ringing in the ears, and disturbed kidney functioning. If continuously, it may lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or paralysis.
AYURVEDA OVERVIEW OF HYPERTENSION
According to Ayurveda, Hypertension is known as Rakta Gata Vata. It involves all the doshas (Vata, Pita, Kapha ---- Biological elements of the body), the heart, and the blood vessels. Ayurveda says, unhealthy diet and lifestyle are the major and chief causes of hypertension. Unhealthy diet and lifestyles impair our digestive system leads to accumulation of ama / toxins (bad cholesterol and other fatty and harmful contents), which further lead to the high blood pressure.
The food we eat is digested by our digestive fire (jatharagni) to produce nutrient juice. These nutrient juice absorbed by our intestine and mixed with the plasma, which nourishes all other dhatus (body tissues) and aids in the production of healthy blood, which circulates all over the body through various channels (srotas).
In case of impaired digestion, toxins or ama created by improperly digested food mixes with plasma and makes it sama (combined with ama) or heavy. As a result, the blood thus produced also becomes heavy or sticky. When heavy blood with impurities circulates through various channels, toxins start accumulating in weaker channels or vascular system of the body. The accumulation of toxins and impurities in the vascular system creates lesions, stiffness, narrowing of channels or blockage of circulation. Therefore, blood exerts more pressure to circulate through these channels, leading to the condition of high blood pressure.
According to scientific studies, it is also stated that cholesterol and some other fatty content are responsible for narrowing and hardening of your blood vessels, which is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops over time from repeated accumulation of LDL or bad cholesterol deposition into the walls of blood vessels. Initially, your blood vessels continue to function properly, but over time the cholesterol or fat deposits harden. When this hardening occurs, your blood vessels become less flexible. These hardened areas don't allow the vessels to expand and relax properly in response to blood flow. The loss of relaxation and expansion of blood vessels from atherosclerosis leads to high blood pressure.
Mental stress, lack of exercise and poor flexibility also exacerbate the condition. Disruption of biological rhythms through improper daily routine can also disturb many physiological processes and depress the body's natural healing and balancing ability. All these factors play a big role in hypertension.
The Ayurvedic treatment of hypertension focuses on balancing the aggravated doshas along with improving digestion, eliminating the build up of toxins or impurities and reducing the narrowing of channels or the level of bad cholesterol through classical (Shastrokta) medicines as well as customized diet and lifestyle plans for balanced circulation throughout the body.
Diet recommend for Hypertension:
- Reduce the quantity of sodium or salt in your diet, extra intake of sodium lead to fluid retention and increase blood pressure.
- Eat potassium rich diet. Almost all fruits & vegetables have Potassium, which is essential for managing the blood pressure because potassium helps to balance the level of sodium in blood. Due to low intake of potassium, sodium can accumulate in your blood and causing hypertension.
- Foods to avoid: Fizzy drinks, Tea, Coffee, processed food, White bread, Chips, Pastry, Pizza, Cakes, Caffeine, Chocolate, Fast Food. Avoid non vegetarian food like red meat and eggs should be completely avoided due to its high salt content.
Lifestyle recommend for Hypertension:
- Regular exercise is the best way to keep hypertension at bay. Walking/jogging is a good exercise for hypertensive people.
- Practicing yoga and meditation is very effective. Regular yoga practice and meditation will also help in leading a stress free life because stress is also a big cause of hypertension.
- Sound sleep and proper rest is very essential. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep and proper rest
- Avoid anger, tension, anxiety and loud speaking as all these increases blood pressure.
- Simple breathing exercise will help in calming down the mind. Adopt breathing exercise whenever you are tensed, nervousness or anxious.
- Avoid Cigarette smoking, the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, which promotes narrowing of the arteries.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks, drinking can damage your arteries and heart
Home remedy for Hypertension:
- Take 2 peeled garlic cloves with water on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Eat “Triphla Powder” regularly at night with warm water. This will help you in constipation and bowels will remain clean.
