Natural Remedies Explored – Heart Disease and Blood Pressure
All we can really effectively do here is talk about preventing problems arising in the first place. There are dangers in ignoring medical advice and seeking alternative "cures" when a problem already exists, although your doctor should be able to say whether any of the remedies listed below are potentially harmful to you.
Diet and exercise, yes those two old favourites, are the key to prevention in most cases, and presumably a doctor will explore both where a condition exists. Four 20 minute aerobic exercise sessions a week is the medically recommended aim for everyone. No you don't have to do aerobic classes, four brisk walks will do.
Onions, garlic, soya, oats, cinnamon and walnuts are all highly recommended for reducing cholesterol levels and garlic has been noted for its ability to prevent blood clots developing.
No doubt you are all aware of the reports of how good red wine is. Alcohol increases the level of high density lipoproteins (HDLs). These take away cholesterol from artery walls. However, there's always too much of a good thing and like everything in life moderation is the key. Too much alcohol increases blood pressure and can cause irregular heart rhythms. I have read that red grape juice is as effective as red wine.
Eskimos are well documented as having low levels of coronary heart disease, which has been attributed to their high in-take of fatty acids from eating oily fish (it is recommended to keep consumption to twice a week). The Mediterranean diet is also highly praised, olive oil being a chief reason for this.
Pomegranates - according to research in Israel, they help prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and improve the amount of oxygen reaching the heart. Pectin - apparently reduces cholesterol absorption, slows the production of cholesterol in the liver, lowers insulin resistance and slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. Citrus fruit, blackberries, apples, peaches, plums and redcurrants have high pectin levels. Celery - a compound from the vegetable apparently relaxes the muscles of the arteries regulating blood pressure. Nattokinase is an enzyme found in a cheese like food, natto, made from fermented soybeans. There are strong claims made for its properties. Apparently it quickly lowers blood pressure, controls cholesterol levels, and prevents and even breaks up blood clots. If you are using medication, talk to your doctor before considering its use.
Also cayenne pepper, ginkgo and hawthorn are noted for their properties in helping protect the heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn is prescribed by doctors in Europe for treating heart conditions. Ginkgo is noted for its anti-inflammatory attributes and cayenne can help reduce cholesterol and clot formation.
If you do have an heart condition or high blood pressure do not take ginkgo without seeking medical advice first.
High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
There are many things which contribute to the development of heart disease and problems such as a heart attack. Some factors that have been implicated include:
cholesterol and other blood fats (although this appears to have been over emphasized), coronary inflammation (homocysteine and C-reactive protein), blood clotting, weight, blood pressure, diabetes, syndrome X (believed to be a product of insulin resistance), aerobic capacity, smoking and personality. As well as these there are genetic factors. This is a variable over which we have no control. If you do have a family history of heart disease this does not necessarily mean that you will develop heart disease yourself. There are many factors, besides genetics, that go into the development of heart disease. It is these factors that can be changed and thereby reduce your risk of developing heart disease. One area where you are able to bring about change is your blood pressure.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure (hypertension) is the force that blood exerts on your arterial walls. It is needed to pump the blood through your arteries and veins. All vessels, including the arteries provide resistance to the pressure of the blood. If the arteries are narrow or thickened or have lost their elasticity then they provide more resistance to the force of the blood. Resistance creates pressure - causing the heart to work harder to keep the blood moving. A high blood pressure can lead to many problems including: strokes, heart attacks, it can affect the arteries lining the lungs and rupture the arteries (an aneurysm).
It is estimated that high blood pressure affects about 63 million Americans. One study done by Boston University estimated that 9 out of 10 middle aged Americans will, at some point, develop high blood pressure.
The following are symptoms that are associated with the early stages of high blood pressure:
dizziness, chest pains, swelling in ankles and feet, headaches, changes in vision, leg cramps and loss of concentration.
Blood pressure is expressed as two numbers measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The top measure is the systolic pressure which is taken when the heart contracts - when the blood is pumped out of the heart - and placing the greatest force on the walls of the arteries. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure and is reflects the pressure when the heart is at rest - between the beats of the heart. This is when the pressure of the blood on the arteries is at its lowest.
In simple terms, the commonly accepted normal systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg and the normal diastolic is 80 mm Hg (120/80 mm Hg).
Blood pressure varies naturally with weight, age, activity, body position, time of day and emotions being felt (including being anxious about having your blood pressure taken).
The following are regarded as the standard for assessing blood pressure.
systolic less than 120 and diastolic less than 80 - optimal
systolic less than 130 and diastolic less than 85 - normal
systolic 130 to 139 and diastolic 85 to 89 - high normal
systolic 140 to 159 and diastolic 90 to 99 - stage 1 hypertension
systolic 160 to 179 and diastolic 100 to 109 - stage 2 hypertension
systolic 180 and above and diastolic 110 and above - stage 3 hypertension
It is important to remember that high blood pressure and heart disease don't just suddenly occur - the risk of developing heart disease rises along a continuum as blood pressure increases.
What can you do to reduce your blood pressure?
High blood pressure may be caused by a number of nutritional deficiencies including omega fatty acids, calcium, and magnesium. You need to supplement with high quality non-contaminated vitamin and mineral supplement.You need to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoid fatty foods, dairy products and reduce your intake of animal protein. Reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates and sugars that you consume and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.Coenzyme Q10 has now been shown to reduce blood pressure and has a beneficial effect on the walls of the blood vessels. You need to cleanse your body, including your arteries, of toxic material so that everything, including your circulatory system, is able to work effectively.If you smoke one of the best things that you can do is to quit. Join a quit smoking program for the support and assist you need and go through the process of becoming smoke free.Get plenty of exercise and if you are overweight take steps to lose it. Excessive body weight is associated with high blood pressure.
There are several herbs that will dilate the blood vessels, thereby increasing the total volume of the system. Similarly there are several herbs that will help the kidneys pass more water thus reducing the amount of fluid in the system. The most important herbal remedies are:
buckwheat, cramp bark, hawthorn berries, lime (linden) blossom, mistletoe and yarrow.
If you are at risk of developing heart disease because of high blood pressure (and any other factors) don't leave it until it is too late - take action now and enjoy an improvement in your overall health as well as the health of your heart and circulatory system.
References
Davies, S. and A. Stewart., 1997, Nutritional Medicine. Pan.
Holden, S., Hudson, K., Tilman, J. & D. Wolf, 2003, The Ultimate Guide to Health from Nature. Asrolog Publication.
Pistcatella, J.C. and Frankin, B.A. 2003, Take a Load off Your Heart. Workman.
Saxelby, C. 2001, Nutrition for the Healthy Heart. Hardie Grant.
From High Blood Pressure to Heart Attack and Kidney Problems
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. The pumping action of the heart must create enough force to push blood through the major arteries, into the smaller arteries, and finally into the tiny capillaries, where the porous walls permit fluid exchange between the blood and body tissue. The actual mechanisms which explain why the blood pressure is high has to do mainly with the constriction of the small arterioles which are in all of the tissues of the body. The body is usually successful at providing enough blood around the obstruction, but the pressure is low, including the pressure to the kidneys. In this way, that kidney may produce enough blood pressure to satisfy itself, while the rest of the body sees very high pressures as a result.
With high blood pressure, the heart works harder, your arteries take a beating, and your chances of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater. It can enlarge the heart, create small bulges (aneurysms) in blood vessels, damage the blood vessels in the kidneys, harden arteries, produce bleeding in the eyes. In this situation, the kidney which is blocked doesn't "see" enough blood pressure, and releases chemicals causing the blood pressure to go up. If left unchecked, it can cause blood vessels in the kidneys to become thickened and narrowed, possibly leading to reduced blood supply and reduced kidney function. It is a major cause of kidney failure (renal failure) which may require dialysis Heart Failure is a frequent occurrence in long standing hypertension. Treating and controlling your hypertension can help prevent damage to your heart, brain, kidneys, blood vessels, and eyes.
Experts recommend investigation of patients who seem to be at above average risk on such epidemiological grounds as age and sex or on the presence of symptoms or signs of specific disorders. Many patients eventually require two or more drugs to effectively control their blood pressure. However, in some patients-- especially those who have made lifestyle modifications such as losing weight-- may be able to modify their anti-hypertensive medication regimen after hypertension has been controlled for at least one year. In patients with high blood pressure, side effects and costs of medications are also factors which weigh heavily on which agent if any is prescribed. For any number of reasons, patients may not take their drugs as prescribed or may not take them at all.
High blood pressure is a problem that won't go away without treatment and changes to your diet and lifestyle. The goal of treatment is to reduce your pressure to normal levels with medicine that's easy to take and has few, if any, side effects. Your physician will use both the systolic and the diastolic to determine your blood pressure category and appropriate prevention and treatment activities. For the physician, it is a difficult area due to the fact that patients don't feel bad, yet must be prescribed medicines which can be costly and have side effects which make the patient feel worse than they did prior to treatment. If your blood pressure has remained stubbornly high despite taking at least three medications, including a diuretic, you may have resistant hypertension - blood pressure that is resistant to treatment. If these causes of resistant hypertension aren't to blame or treatment doesn't work, talk to your doctor about joining a clinical trial for high blood pressure.
Kinds of Diseases
"Disease" originally referred to what it says: dis-ease. A person who did not feel at ease or was uncomfortable and not well was said to be at a dis-ease. Nowadays of course when you talk about disease, we mean a particular discomfort caused by a dysfunction of some part of the body.
Some diseases attack very suddenly. We called these "acute diseases" ("acute" means "sharp"). These can be serious or not, but they usually make the patient feel quite ill. The acute disease ends with a patient either dying of the disease or recovering from it. Sometimes, a disease can continue for a long time. This is called a chronic disease (from 'chronos', meaning 'time'). If an organ of the body is so damaged that it can no longer work well, we now call this ailment an "organic disease".
Many organic diseases are caused by parasites which are small organisms that live within us and take nourishment from our systems. Parasites do damage to their hosts and are responsible for "parasitic diseases". Some parasites, like worms, are big enough to be seen with the naked eye. In some parts of the world, people can easily pick up hookworms when they walk barefoot. These worms travel into the intestines and live on blood. This disease can easily weaken a person and some of them die.
On the other hand, some parasites as so small that they are cannot be seen without a microscope. Such parasites are called microorganisms or germs. They cost the "germ diseases". Germs are carried in many ways from person-to-person, most especially when somebody coughs or sneezes. Sometimes they can get into our systems through food and drinking water. It is so easy for a sick person to communicate their disease to a healthy one. For this reason, such diseases are called "communicable diseases" or "infectious diseases".
If the germs of a certain disease are easily spread from person to person, it is called a "contagious disease". Germs come in many sizes and kinds. Relatively small germ cells are called protozoa and the most common "protozoan disease" is malaria. The malarial parasite lives in red blood cells and destroys them. Many people in the tropical parts the world suffer from malaria every year, which probably kills more people than any other disease.
Other germs are very simple plant cells called fungi or molds. Athlete's foot is an example of a "fungus disease".
Bacteria are even simpler than just germs. They are living things that can be seen only through an ordinary microscope. "Bacterial diseases" include tuberculosis, scarlet fever, tonsillitis and many other simple infections.
Finally, there are other germs too small to be seen under an ordinary microscope that they need to be checked under an electron microscope. These are the viruses that are responsible for the most familiar sicknesses like measles, chickenpox, mumps and the flu. These are also called "viral diseases".
There are other types of diseases that are not caused by germs. In fact, disease can be brought on by any physical or chemical injury. Too much sun can bring sunburn or sunstroke. Some chemicals that enter the body can be poisonous. Sometimes a harmless substance becomes poisonous to a particular person. It makes a person sensitive to a substance in food, pollen, or even some medicine. He is said to suffer from an allergy, which is a form of disease.
People in some lines of work sometimes run into particular risks of poison or other chemical damage. Some people who work in the paint industry (because of their exposure to lead) may absorb dangerous chemicals into their bloodstream. Lead poisoning is an example of an "occupational disease".
A person can also be sick because of what he has not taken into the body. Remember that the body requires a certain amount of good food and clean water to live. If the food or water lacks certain substances that the body requires, the body develops a "deficiency disease" like anemia (which is the lack of iron in the blood). In the absence of the necessary vitamins, diseases like crickets and scurvy develop. These are also known as "vitamin deficiency diseases".
Effects of High Blood Pressure – A Deadly Disease
The effects of high blood pressure are undoubtedly uncomfortable, painful, and even deadly. High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer," as many people do not know they have a such problem until it is already affecting his or her health.
Human bodies can handle a great deal of damage before the effects of the damage are noticed by the person. The main organs affected by high blood pressure are the heart, brain, eyes, arteries, and kidneys; while these organs are built to handle a great deal, extended periods of ongoing damage will lead to a stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure.
Eyes
Blood vessels in the eye can build up on the high pressure and eventually bleed or burst. This result will cause blurriness, temporary or permanent blindness.
Arteries
The heart, brain, and kidney arteries will be affected by high blood pressure, by harden or becoming stiff. Hard arteries cause the organs to work at double the maximum capacity. This is the cause because a constant flow of blood throughout the arteries causes the arteries themselves to overwork.
Brain
A stroke is a common occurrence in people with it. A weak blood vessel will break from the overwhelming pressure, causing a bleed into the brain. Besides a break in the vessels, it can also cause blood clots.
Kidneys
Waste is filtered through the kidneys to exit the body, it may be impossible to do so with people who have high blood pressure. It causes the narrowing and thickening of blood vessels in the walls of the kidneys, not allowing proper filtering. Possible kidney treatments or transplant may be needed.
Heart
-Heart Attack
Besides the narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to the heart becoming blocked or clogged, it also does not allow the correct amount of oxygen to the heart; both of these cases will cause a heart attack.
-Congestive Heart Failure
After much abuse of the heart from high blood pressure, congestive heart failure will occur. Congestive heat failure occurs when the heart can not make enough blood (or pump) to supply to the rest of the body. Commonly, congestive heart failure results in death if not, a heart transplant at the very least.
The effects of high blood pressure out weigh the inconvenience of simple lifestyle changes. This is a serious condition that should be treated as soon as one discovers one may have a problem.
Blood Pressure And Heart Disease
Lozol is a prescription medication that can be used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. This medication works as a diuretic. Unlike some other water pills, people on this medication can still use salt and eat foods containing sodium.
Usage
Lozol is traditionally used to treat high blood pressure. This drug is also used to treat fluid retention, particularly during the last trimester of pregnancy. This medication is indicated in usage in women who have large amounts of edema in the ankles, hands and feet. This medication does not cure any diseases, it is meant to treat symptoms. If taken as directed this medication will keep symptoms under control. If you feel better you should still take this medicine, discontinuing use can cause unwanted symptoms to return.
Precautions
This medication is effective in treating high blood pressure when taken as directed. This medication must be taken on a regular schedule. Missed doses should be taken right away. Doses should not be doubled, if it is close to the next scheduled time for this medication when it is remembered then skip the missed dose.
It doesn't matter if you take this drug with meals or between meals. You should take this medication with fluids and continue to drink plenty of fluids while you are going through Lozol therapy. Before undergoing any type of surgery you should discuss this and any other medications you are taking with your medical team. This includes supplements and herbal treatments as well.
Side Effects
There are a few short term, mild side effects related to Lozol usage. If you experience side effects that are bothersome you should discuss it with your physician.
Common side effects include:
o Headaches
o Dizziness
o Muscle spasms
o Low energy
o Muscle cramps
o Numbness in the Limbs
o Anxiety
o Irritability
o Agitation
If the side effects continue to be bothersome you may need to discuss changing medications.
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