Is There a Natural Remedy for High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is not a medical condition to take lightly.  It is, in fact, a very serious condition that can have fatal consequences if not treated effectively.  The great majority of people who have hypertension don’t even know it since it has no overt manifestations that can not be attributed to other conditions such as headaches and dizziness. 

This is why every time you go to see your healthcare provider a nurse takes your vital signs, including your pulse, heart rate and blood pressure. This is how most hypertension is discovered.  Once detected, it is essential that you comply with treatment for this condition, whether you use traditional medicine or a natural remedy for high blood pressure.  Untreated, hypertension can cause fatal strokes and heart failure.

High blood pressure is traditionally treated by physicians with anti-hypertensive prescription medications like Tiazac, Inderal, and many others. The great majority of these medications have few, if any, unpleasant side effects.  They work by preventing your blood pressure from rising past a certain point.

However, some hypertension medications do have side effects like depression, and one type of medication just might not work for you.  You may have to try several medications and dosages until your physician hits on the right regimen for you.

Using a Natural Remedy for High Blood Pressure

In alternative medicine, biofeedback is often used as a natural remedy for high blood pressure.  Using this treatment method involves the use of monitoring instruments that provide you with physiological information about how your body is functioning, even though you may be unaware of what’s going on inside you.  Since it’s advent in the 1960’s, biofeedback allows you to actually control your autonomic nervous system that controls heart rate, blood pressure and gastrointestinal activity.

A trained professional, usually a psychologist, attaches electrodes to points on your skull and chest.  These electrodes pass information to a monitoring device that allows you to actually see how your heart and brain are working.  Through mental and physical exercises in relaxation, you can learn to control your breathing and heart rate.  Soon, you will no longer need the biofeedback device; you can do it on your own.

Herbal medicine is another type of natural remedy for high blood pressure.  In this type of alternative medicine, plants, leaves, roots and bark of a beneficial nature are used to treat or prevent certain medical conditions.  You should always inform your physician that you’re using herbal medicine as some prescription medications and laboratory tests can be negatively affected by the use of medicinal herbs.

Over the centuries, practitioners of herbal healing have isolated natural substances that act as natural remedies for high blood pressure.  Garlic is the primary staple for treating this condition.  Garlic contains substances called alliin, alliinase and allicin that have beneficial effects on blood flow to the heart and brain.  However, garlic has a negative interaction with blood-thinning drugs like Warfarin, and large doses used by pregnant women can cause a miscarriage. Coleus leaves too have the same negative effects as garlic.

Hawthorn leaves and flowers are a highly effective natural remedy for high blood pressure with none of the negative effects of garlic and coleus.  It works by regulating the heart’s blood-pumping ability.  Hawthorn usually comes in capsules; you should never exceed the recommended dose since this could cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Olive leaves contain oleuropein, a substance that lowers blood pressure, treats infections and lowers cholesterol.  The ancient Greeks prized these leaves so highly for their medicinal use that, as a testament to its health benefits, Olympic athletes were crowned with wreaths of olive leaves.

Stevia leaves are the newest addition to natural remedies for high blood pressure.  Stevia is a calorie-free sweetener that also appears to reduce hypertension.  But since more research is needed to insure Stevia’s effectiveness and safety, it should only be used under the supervision of a physician to avoid a dangerous decrease in blood pressure.

Since hypertension too often hides from you until it’s too late – you’ve already had a stroke or heart attack – consider investing in a home-monitoring blood pressure device.  They’re not expensive and are easy to use, and they may just save your life.  If you’re a man of African American descent and if you’re of any ethnic group over age 40, of either gender, you’re more prone to this silent killer that may be lurking within your central nervous system, especially if you have a family history of hypertension. 

Natural remedies for high blood pressure can also be used as a preventative measure. Therefore, why not prevent it before you experience the devastation this condition can cause?  Just be sure to monitor your blood pressure; if the ‘top number’ drops below 120, stop using the herbs and see your physician.