What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is persistently higher than normal. It is more common in men than women, especially from middle age onwards. High blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart and the circulatory system. It poses a serious risk to health by increasing likelihood of coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. Occasionally, it can give rise to other serious complications. The increased risk relates not only to how high your blood pressure is but for how long it has remained raised.

What causes hypertension and who is at risk?
There is very often no single direct cause of hypertension. For many people, high blood pressure is a natural consequence of getting older; this is known as ‘essential hypertension’. There is some evidence that essential hypertension is genetically linked. A number of factors can increase the risk of hypertension or make the problem worse. These include: lack of exercise, stress, smoking, obesity, excess alcohol consumption

What are the common symptoms and complications of hypertension? Essential hypertension produces few, if any, specific symptoms. It is often diagnosed by chance when your blood pressure is measured as part of a routine health check. When very severe, hypertension can cause breathlessness headaches dizziness


What can you do about hypertension?
Once you have been diagnosed as having hypertension, it is important to visit your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure measured. This enables a regular record to be built up and the progress of your hypertension to be monitored.

Prescribed Medicines
In more serious cases medication (usually in the form of tablets) may be prescribed.
There are many different types of medicines for high blood pressure but some of the most common are known as beta blockers. By relaxing the muscle around the arteries and slowing the heart rate, these drugs tend to increase the flow of blood through the arteries which results in a drop in pressure.
Other drugs called calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine) are also commonly prescribed.
These medicine do have side effects;, once they have reduced your blood pressure, you must keep taking them.
They are only a treatment not a cure.
It is therefore best to do as much as possible to lower your blood pressure using lifestyle and dietary changes, as well as alternative and complementary medicine treatment
You must not stop taking your prescribed medication whithout telling your doctor first; your blood pressure must be frequently monitored and your doctor will want to be certain it is safe to reduce medication.


Self help for Hypertension:
If your blood pressure is only slightly adopting a more healthy lifestylemay be enough to lower it.

Stop smoking: and add 20 years to your life expectancy

Lose weight: obesity is a major cause of hypertension

Take regular, low intensity, prolonged exercise.

Improve your diet: Eat less fatty food, reduce salt intake. Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, oily fish, foods high in fibre, high in potassium such as potatoes, spinach, lentils and beans; eat a lot of garlic, olive oil.

Avoid stress, Learn to relax, take on a hobby.

Moderate alcohol intake: no more than a glass of wine a day.

Take garlic,1500 to 6000 mg a day, and coenzyme Q10, 200 to 300 mg a day, in combination to lower blood pressure.

Take olive leaf infusions or tablets

Take a low-dose aspirin: follow the advice of your GP

Complementary therapy : A variety of complementary treatments are available and do not have harmful effects. Among the most effective in reducing or managing hypertension are;

Acupuncture: can lower blood pressure rapidly and keep it down

Aromatherapy: for stress related hypertension

Homeopathy: reduce quickly stress and anxiety

Herbal medicine: some plants have a proven effect in lowering blood pressure