Deep breath in, deep breath out...managing your blood pressure
Deep breath in, deep breath out, yes you can feel your heart rate slowing down, blood vessels are dilating and your blood pressure is slowly starting to drop. This is a great stress management technique to lowers one’s pressure. So what exactly is hypertension? It is the pressure of blood pushing against your arteries and when this is higher than it should be we refer to this as hypertension.
With the chaotic lifestyles people lead, there are many contributing factors that result in an increase in pressure. Most commonly a diet high in salt, fat, alcohol, smoking, obesity, even stress, genetics and a lack of exercise can result in hypertension.
Typically hypertension can be a silent killer as it develops over a course of time. A few red flags of severe hypertension include:
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Visual changes
- Flushing or nose bleeds
- Chest pain
The best way to diagnose and manage blood pressure is to get regular BP checks and a few of the following supplements can be used to assist and regulate your pressure.
Solgar Hawthorn berry also known as Crataegus are tiny fruits that grows on shrubs and trees. This tiny berry is overloaded with anti-oxidants but most importantly it acts by relaxing constricted blood vessels in turn lowering blood pressure. For centuries Hawthorn was also used to aid in digestive issues such as constipation as the berries contain a good amount of fibre.
Another over looked product is Tibb Pressure-eeze forte it contains a magnificent herb called Rauwolfia serpentina. It works by slowing down the activity of the nervous system which in turn causes the heart rate to slow down while dilating blood vessels. In Ayuvedic and folk medicine this herb was used for psychiatric conditions to reduce anxiety since it had a positive effect on blood flow.
One cannot leave out a Coq10 supplement. Solgar Coq10 or even the Coyne Biomax Coq10 a substance that is found in every cell, a powerful anti-oxidant ridding the body of free radicals and producing energy on a cellular level. Studies show that Coq10 has the ability to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 10mm Hg when used with other vitamins such as Potassium (Solgar Potassium). Potassium counteracts the effects of sodium. Increasing potassium in the diet or via a supplement helps to ease the tension in blood vessels resulting in blood pressure regulation. Don’t forget to be cautious with potassium especially if one has a kidney disorder. Lastly Phyto force Bio-logic HBP for those that prefer a herbal tincture, that can easily be mixed with water, contains mistletoe, valerian, hawthorn and more, which aids in circulation and dropping ones BP.
There is an array of other vitamins and supplements that can manage this silent killer. Do pay us a visit, or call [031-2665397] we would gladly take your blood pressure reading and find the best product that will assist you and work alongside your chronic meds.
Yours in health,
Dr Keshia Naidoo