Discover new content like: What Are The Advantages Of Taking A Vitamin C Lozenge For A Cold? at VitaNet

What Are The Advantages Of Taking A Vitamin C Lozenge For A Cold?

How to manage high blood pressure with herbs and vitamins

Darrell Miller

02/20/12

Date: February 20, 2012 06:42 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: How to manage high blood pressure with herbs and vitamins

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a very common health condition whereby one's blood is pumped through the arteries at a higher than normal pressure. High blood pressure may lead to serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.

The quantity of blood pumped by the heart and the level of resistance to the flow of blood in the arteries. The more one's heart pumps blood and the narrower their arteries, the higher will be their blood pressure.

Many people have hypertension without even knowing it for years. This is because the condition does not usually show any symptoms. Having uncontrolled hypertension increases a person's risk of developing serious medical conditions, for example heart disease or stroke.

Typically, high blood pressure develops over a long period of time, usually for years and can affect almost everybody eventually. Thankfully, the condition can easily be detected. And once somebody knows they have it, they can get medical advice on how to control it from a doctor.

Causes of high blood pressure

There are two well known types of hypertension-primary/essential high blood pressure and secondary hypertension.

The first type of high blood pressure occurs in most adults and has no identifiable cause. It tends to develop slowly over a number of years. On the other hand, secondary hypertension is a condition that seems to appear suddenly and is usually caused by an underlying health condition. This type of blood pressure is higher in intensity compared to primary hypertension. Some medications and conditions can lead to secondary hypertension and they include:

Kidney disorders

Congenital blood vessel defects

Adrenal gland tumors

Certain medications, for example cold remedies, birth control pills, decongestants, pain relief tablets bought over the counter as well as prescription medicines Illegal drugs like amphetamines and cocaine

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Most people who have hypertension do not have any signs or symptoms, no matter the seriousness of the condition.

Even though a small fraction of people with early-stage hypertension may get dizzy spells, dull headaches, or even heavy nose bleeding from time to time, these signs as well as symptoms normally do not appear until the condition has reached a critical and even life-threatening stage.

How high blood pressure can be controlled with vitamins and herbs Vitamins

Certain vitamins are said to lower high blood pressure as well as support one's cardiovascular system. One of the vitamins that can help is vitamin C. it is an important vitamin that can help to manage hypertension as it is rich in antioxidants, which help in prevention of stroke and heart attack. Other vitamins that can help to prevent or control high blood pressure include vitamins A, E, D and B6.

Whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, chicken, corn, salmon, just to mention a few, are good sources of essential vitamins that help in controlling hypertension.

Herbs

Herbs such as Hawthorn, Rauwolfia Serpentina/Indian snakeroot, and Ginkgo Biloba etc can also be used in lowering blood pressure. All these herbs can also strengthen your cardiovascular system to help in lowering the blood pressure and allow for better circulation. However, make sure you consult an experienced herbalist or healthcare specialist before you use any of the above herbs to control your hypertension.