Lower blood pressure

What to do in hypertension?

If you want to reduce high blood pressure, a lifestyle change is inevitable: It includes a balanced diet with low salt and alcohol, regular exercise, the reduction of obesity and abstaining from nicotine. In addition, many patients are interested in alternative remedies and home remedies that can help lower high blood pressure. All together, it may work so well that the patient does not need or reduce the dose of antihypertensive medication. But attention: The drug dose should only be changed by the doctor, never on your own!

Lower blood pressure: the right diet

Most people in the developed world are too greasy, too salty and unbalanced. The result of these nutritional errors include obesity, elevated blood lipid levels and high blood pressure. This threefold combination can have serious consequences for the heart and vessels, such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes mellitus. The good news, however, is: Anyone who adjusts hypertension to diet and other lifestyle habits can positively influence the course of the disease and prevent possible complications.

Hypertension: nutrition as in the Mediterranean

There are a number of basic tips to help control high blood pressure with a healthy diet. Many of them include the so-called DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). This form of nutrition, which was compiled by US researchers, is based primarily on a Mediterranean way of life with lots of fruit, vegetables and healthy fats.

• If possible, eat fruit or vegetables with your meal, preferably fresh and natural. Even freshly squeezed juices, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables can complement the menu useful.
• Dietary fiber is important for the whole organism: wholemeal bread, cereal flakes and brown rice keep the blood sugar level constant and provide many valuable nutrients.
• Eat less animal fats and saturated fat. These are for example in sausages, butter and margarine. For this, use more often vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil or olive oil.
• Switch from high-fat cheese and other dairy products to low-fat alternatives such as cottage cheese, low-fat quark or low-fat yogurt.

Hypertension & salt

Salt intake plays an important role in the development of hypertension: The salt (sodium chloride) binds water in the body and provides more fluid in the cardiovascular system – so the pressure in the blood vessels increases.

Hypertensive patients should therefore maximally five to six grams of table salt a day to eat. This corresponds to a daily amount of 2 to 2.4 grams of sodium. This salt reduction succeeds by dispensing with very saline products, fast food and finished products (pizza, fries, chips, crackers, etc.). Many sausages and cheeses, smoked and pickled foods (especially canned fish) and ready sauces contain plenty of salt. Therefore eat only small amounts of it!

Also try to cook as much as possible yourself. When you prefer seasoning, you should grab fresh herbs and spices instead of salt. Attention: Bouillon cube and powder are mostly made of salt!

Hypertension & alcohol

A healthy diet for hypertension is not just about eating right; also the choice of your drinks is important. Alcohol plays a decisive, albeit ambiguous role in cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. It has been found that an occasional glass of wine can have a protective effect on the heart. But this only applies to small amounts of alcohol.

Therefore, the German High Pressure League recommends: Healthy men should drink less than 20 to 30 grams of alcohol a day. This is equivalent to about half a liter of beer or a quarter of a liter of wine with average alcohol content. Healthy women should consume less than 10 to 20 grams of alcohol a day.

There are also studies, according to which these quantities are already too high. According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BzgA), 24 grams of alcohol per day are considered harmless for healthy men. In healthy women, this limit is about 12 grams of alcohol per day.

Anything beyond that is permanently harmful to the organism. This is especially true for people who already have high blood pressure and other pre-existing conditions. Alcohol is anything but an antihypertensive drug: Who regularly consumes more than 30 grams of alcohol, doubling his risk of developing hypertension. In existing hypertension, health is additionally burdened by increased alcohol consumption. For people with severe hypertension, it may make sense to completely abstain from alcohol.

Hypertension & coffee

After a large cup of coffee or a caffeinated energy drink, the blood pressure rises measurably for a short time. This is especially true if you usually take no or rarely caffeine. For people who drink coffee regularly, the short-term increase in blood pressure is lower or even completely absent. To be on the safe side, experts recommend caffeine (also in the form of black tea) to be avoided just before a blood pressure measurement.

As far as the long-term effect of caffeine is concerned, different studies have yielded very different results. Some even proclaim regular coffee consumption as a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, while others barely notice any effect on blood pressure. Therefore, for people with hypertension no basic coffee ban. However, experts recommend that patients consume moderate amounts, ie not more than about two to three cups a day.

In individual cases, the doctor may also make a different recommendation. For example, if hypertension patients also have gastritis or cardiac arrhythmias, it may be wise to stop giving caffeine. Therefore ask your doctor which caffeine consumption he considers advisable in your case.

Lower blood pressure: reduce excess weight

Overweight and high blood pressure are closely related. To assess whether your body weight is in the green, the view of the scale alone is not necessarily meaningful. Experts usually weigh the so-called weight assessment Body Mass Index (BMI) approach. This can be easily calculated using the following formula:

BMI = body weight (kg) / height (m)²

At a value of more than 25 kg / m² is overweight. With values ​​over 30 there is even obesity (obesity).

If you are overweight or even obese and want to lower your high blood pressure, you should definitely try to lose a few pounds. Discuss with your doctor how best to reduce your weight while still eating well. The diet tips mentioned above are a good guide! In addition, regular exercise helps to lower your high blood pressure and promote your health.

Lose kilos and reduce waist circumference

Decisive in weight loss is not only that you weigh less kilos, but also that your abdominal girth is reduced. A large belly speaks for a lot of belly fat – fat deposits around the internal organs. These are even more dangerous than fat pads on the hips and thighs: belly fat produces signaling substances that can ultimately increase the risk of various diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the waist circumference in men should be less than 102 centimeters and in women less than 88 centimeters.

Lower blood pressure: exercise and sports

Regular exercise and exercise have been proven to lower high blood pressure. Moderate endurance training, for example, can reduce resting blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg every 30 to 45 minutes five days a week. This effect sets in after a few weeks of training.

The type of sport that best suits you depends, among other things, on your age, health status and the severity of your high blood pressure. It is also important that you enjoy the chosen sport. Only then will you probably remain motivated for the longer term. Highly recommended in general light endurance sports like Nordic walking, jogging, cycling or swimming. Less suitable, however, are sports with fast-changing pulse like tennis. Do not use strength sports where pressure breathing and blood pressure peaks occur (such as lifting weights).

A doctor or sports therapist can advise you on the design of your sports program. He can also suggest a suitable training intensity. The training should challenge you, but not overwhelm you – that’s very important!

Some people can only motivate themselves badly to exercise and sport. If that applies to you too, you should join one Sport group or one sports club connect or a regular Training with a friend arrange.

Take care too more movements in everyday life, For example, use the stairs instead of the elevator and often take the bike instead of the car or bus. Such small movement units will be effective if they last at least ten minutes.

Lower blood pressure: quit smoking

Smoking has many harmful effects on health. Among other things it narrows the blood vessels and raises the blood pressure. It also promotes atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis) and the associated sequelae such as stroke and heart attack.

The renunciation of cigarettes & Co. is thus for each person of advantage. But it is especially advisable to stop smoking in hypertensive patients: Anyone who stops smoking can lower their high blood pressure. This also reduces the cardiovascular risk enormously! Help with quitting smoking patients receive from their doctor.

Those who can not completely do without nicotine should at least smoke less. This may not have the desired hypotensive effect. But heart, lungs, vessels & Co. are still grateful for any “not smoked” cigarette!

Lower blood pressure with medicinal plants

There are several home remedies for high blood pressure, which can be used in addition to conventional medical treatment. For example, many plants are said to have a hypotensive or dehydrating effect – some have been proven, others have no clear proof of their effects. It includes medicinal herbs as well as some foods and spices. As useful helpers in blood pressure control apply, for example:

• garlic
• wild garlic
• Green tea
• soybeans
• Beetroot
• hawthorn
• arnica flowers
• mistletoe
• olive leaves
• hibiscus flowers
• Rauwolfiawurzel
• valerian
• lemon balm leaves
• lavender flowers

These plants can be partly dried, as pressed juice or buy as essential oil. Many of them are suitable for tea preparation, but also as a bath additive (do not bathe too warm!). A pharmacist or experienced therapist can advise you on the selection and use of appropriate medicinal herbs for high blood pressure.

Here as an example blendwhich, of course, can lower high blood pressure: Mix 25 grams of each of the following medicinal plants (from the pharmacy): mistletoe, hawthorn leaves and flowers, birch leaves and lemon balm leaves. Drink a cup each morning and evening.

Watch out: Rauwolfia root (Indian snake root) with the main active ingredient reserpine was for a long time an important remedy for hypertension. However, the medicinal plant may have significant side effects, such as a slowing of the heartbeat, gastrointestinal disturbances and depressive moods with suicidal tendencies. The Rauwolfia root, its extracts and reserpine are therefore no longer used as a single preparation (monotherapy) in hypertension. Only reserpine is used in low doses and in combination with other antihypertensive agents. All preparations and alkaloids from the medicinal plant are subject to prescription. This also applies to certain homeopathic preparations (see below).

Lower blood pressure: homeopathy

Some people use homeopathy for high blood pressure. Various means are used here, for example:

• Aconite D6:with sudden increase in blood pressure, palpitations and anxiety
• Arnica D6:in case of ringing in the ears, dizziness, irregular and rather weak pulse, palpitations after every exertion and frequent nosebleeds
• Aurum D6: with a red face, restlessness, melancholy and violent palpitations
• Crataegus D6: in elderly people with dizziness, heart trouble and possibly chest tightness (angina pectoris)
• Rauwolfia D6: in hypertension with heat sensation

In addition, the homeopathic remedies Nux vomica, phosphorus and Lachesis used for constitutional treatment in hypertensive patients. It should not be the current symptoms and diseases (such as high blood pressure) are treated, but the so-called constitution type of a person to be positively influenced. The type image of the three homeopathic remedies mentioned should fit well with hypertensives.

When selecting and dosing homeopathic antihypertensive remedies, it is recommended that you contact an experienced homeopath. This is especially true for the application of Rauwolfia: All homeopathic preparations up to and including potency D3 are subject to prescription. Lower potencies are available without a prescription, but should only be used on the instruction of an experienced therapist!

The concept of homeopathy and its specific effectiveness are controversial in science and not clearly proven by studies.

More tips and home remedies for hypertension

Stress raises blood pressure levels. This is unfavorable, especially with already existing high blood pressure. But not always you can avoid stressful situations. That’s why you should learn strategies to Coping with stress better to be able to. Try to take stressful situations that you can not change as they are. Take your time to work out possible solution strategies, instead of stubbornly tackling them or getting mad about them.

Some people also help special ones relaxation techniques like Yoga, Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation after Jacobsen or Qi Gong. They calm the sympathetic nervous system, which widens the vessels. This can with regular use Lower high blood pressure. 

Have a favorable influence on the circulation of hypertensive patients (and other people) alternating warmth applications, Try, for example, replacement foot baths, knee and thigh casts or arm casts. They stimulate the circulation and can contribute to the regulation of blood pressure in the long term. Also a visit to the sauna such as massages are recommended.

Conclusion: Lower blood pressure without medication

Whether sports training, diets, sauna sessions, medicinal plants, homeopathy or other alternative healing methods: Discuss all measures and applications first with your doctor. He can give you valuable tips or even warn you about some things. For example, sauna sessions and cold watering may not be advisable in the case of very severe or poorly regulated hypertension.

All these measures can – if used correctly – increased Lower blood pressure, In this way they support any necessary treatment with antihypertensive drugs.