What Causes High Blood Pressure

What causes high blood pressure? There are many different causes including lack of exercise, stress and poor eating habits. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to more serious conditions including heart attacks and stroke. You can avoid or minimize the risks by arming yourself with the knowledge of what causes high blood pressure.

One of the major causes of high blood pressure is cholesterol. Cholesterol causes fatty deposits on the artery walls. Over time the fat deposits form a hard plaque. The plaque reduces the size of the arteries and blood vessels causing them to become smaller and smaller. Your body still needs to pump the same amount of blood, though, and this causes your heart to work harder. Changes in your diet and watching what you eat and drink can definitely help you reduce your blood pressure.

Eating a lot of sweets or foods high in sugar can cause your blood to thicken. If your blood is too thick, it makes it harder to circulate and causes high blood pressure. So a great way to help you lower your blood pressure is to limit your sugar intake.

Tobacco and alcohol have also been shown to increase blood pressure, so you need to either eliminate these or limit the amount you use them.

Exercise has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Always consult with your health care provider before starting a new exercise program. Intensive cardiovascular workouts or strenuous weightlifting will raise your blood pressure and should be avoided.

More heart friendly choices would include yoga or other slow movement exercises. Moderate exercise, over time, will help you control your cholesterol, lose weight, and lower your blood pressure. Be sure you always do a warm up and a cool down so your blood pressure doesn’t spike dangerously.

These tips should help you on your way to getting a more normal blood pressure and keeping it that way in the future.

Using Herbs For High Blood Pressure

More and more often, people are choosing to use herbs for high blood pressure problems.
Sometimes people just prefer to use more natural methods, while others just want to avoid the side effects of traditional prescription drugs.

People have used herbs for many years to treat all kinds of ailments. Fortunately for those of us with hypertension, there are several herbs that are effective and useful in controlling high blood pressure.

A List of Herbs for High Blood Pressure

Extracts from seaweed such as laminaria and kelp contain histimine and other blood pressure reducing chemicals that are used in certain high blood pressure medications. Kelp extract can lower blood pressure without any nasty side effects.

Ginko Biloba stimulates the circulatory system and relaxes blood vessels. It allows blood to flow more freely by reducing its ability to clot. Garlic supplements have a similar effect and are also helpful in controlling high blood pressure.

Siberian ginseng helps the body adapt to psychological and physical stress. It will also help to increase blood oxygen levels. Chinese ginseng is not recommended for helping lower your blood pressure, so be sure to use Siberian.

Hawthorn helps to dilate blood vessels and block the ACE, or blood-restricting enzyme. It also helps regulate the heartbeat, removes excess water buildup around the heart, and stimulates the cardiovascular system.

Valerian helps to relieve stress.

Guelder Rose Bark lowers blood pressure by relaxing the whole cardiovascular system.

Lemon balm calms the nerves and improves blood flow. It can be used as a tea or added to your food.

Although herbs can help you regulate your high blood pressure, herbalists will also recommend that you make some lifestyle changes. Some of these recommendations would include:

** A low sodium diet
**Get regular exercise
**Quit smoking
**A healthy diet including lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods
**Reduce the amount of caffeine you take in

Please be cautious when using herbs. Although they are normally very safe when used properly, herbal remedies are not as closely regulated as prescription drugs. Take care that you only take herbs that are safe. GMP-compliant herbs containing no starch, silica, sugar, gluten, or artificial colors and additives are the best.

Work together with a health care professional, making necessary lifestyle changes, and keeping your high blood pressure in check can ensure you lead the most healthy life possible.