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In Ayurvedic tomes, the condition of High Blood Pressure is deemed to occur owing to the vitiation of Vayu. High blood pressure can lead to many other ailments and complicacies. There are many causes of high blood pressure.
To understand the condition one should understand how the human heart functions.
HOW DOES THE HEART OPERATE?
The heart is the primary organ which pumps blood to all portions of the body. The heart uses numerous capillaries (small muscle pipes) and arteries (larger pipes made of muscles) as well as the many arterial branches to carry out this important life sustaining function. The alternate contraction and dilation of the heart carry out the blood pumping process.
ARTERIES & CAPILLARIES
The arteries carry more blood than the capillaries. The arterial walls can easily accommodate the immense pressure exerted by the heart as it pumps blood through them. The elasticity of arterial walls is well adapted to such continuous changes in the pressure of the blood.
DIASTOLIC & SYSTOLIC PRESSURE
There are two types of such pressure, viz., negative and positive. The negative pressure is created when the heart dilates. As a result, the pressure in the arteries is reduced. This pressure is called diastolic pressure.
On the other hand, positive pressure is exerted on the arteries when the heart contracts. Blood is then forced through the arteries. This process is called systolic pressure.
BLOOD PRESSURE VARIATION
It is common for people to have different blood pressure readings. There are several reasons for high blood pressure.
The physiological causes of high blood pressure are excitement, anger and fear.
Blood pressure also varies as per mental and physical labour, sex and age.
Among males, the aged and those engaged in professions requiring physical and mental tension or labour are prone to high blood pressure. This is equally true for the females as well.
On the contrary, when a person takes rest or sleeps he/she has low blood pressure.
AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS OF BLOOD PRESSURE
According to Ayurvedic principles, high blood pressure is caused by vitiation of Vayu. This is besides the aforementioned emotional and psychic factors.
Vayu gets vitiated for other reasons also. These factors are physical. In advanced age, the primary causes of Vayu vitiation are lack of exercise, excessive consumption of salt, ailments of kidneys, insomnia (sleeplessness) and mental worry or tension.
KIDNEY AILMENTS: A PROMINENT CAUSE OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Mentionably, a person suffers from high blood pressure when the kidney is adversely affected. During such a condition, salts start accumulating in the arterial musculature walls. As a result, the elasticity of the arterial walls is reduced to a considerable degree. Hence, a slight force exerted as the heart pumps blood through them exerts pressure on these blood carrying muscular pipes of the body.
SYMPTOMS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
A patient suffering from high blood pressure suffers from insomnia (sleeplessness). Besides this condition, the person may also indigestion, general weakness, dyspnoea on slight exertion, sense of mental and physical instability, giddiness and palpitation.
SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Chronic high blood pressure occurs due to elasticity of the vessels (capillaries) These vessels transport blood to eyes besides many other important organs of the body. Therefore, chronic high blood pressure patients suffer from various ailments of the eyes especially of the retina. The consequences of such impairment are vision problems and local bleeding in the retina.
CEREBRAL HAEMMORHAGE
And if the chronic case of high blood pressure deteriorates further, the patient may suffer from complicacies arising due to the impairment of the end arteries that supply blood to the brain. These arteries may even develop ruptures when bleeding may occur in the brain. This stage is known as cerebral haemorrhage.
Cerebral haemorrhage may lead to paralysis. This is primarily because the different centres of the brain regulate the movements of the human external organs. Depending on which centre of the brain is bleeding, the corresponding organ is adversely affected. In other words, paralysis strikes those organs.
CONSTIPATION: DELAYS RECOVERY FROM HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Cure constipation as early as possible. Ensure that the patient has regular movement of his/her bowels.
The ideal food items that can promote bowel movements are Papaya and Triphala. One can have these vegetables in their raw forms or even as vegetables.
In fact, bowel movement or answering nature’s call should be inculcated in the minds of children as mandatory early morning hygienic habits. The rule must be that the kids naturally feel the urge to move their bowels immediately after getting up in the morning.
Other useful vegetables that help to keep the bowels clear are bimbi, bitter gourd, patola, and drumsticks.
ALMOND OIL THERAPY
Almond oil is quite beneficial for such people. It can be inhaled and also consumed.
Almond oil soothes the nerves. Thus, almond oil reduces the pressure on the capillaries and the arteries. In other words, almond oil reduces blood pressure.
DIETARY REGIMEN
- The patient can be tendered in meals butter and ghee prepared only from cow’s milk.
- Such people should be regularly given oranges, apples, guavas and bananas.
- Such people should regularly consume boiled vegetables and fruits.
- People with high blood pressure can have all types of dry fruits.
WHAT NOT TO EAT
- Never take hydrogenated oil.
- Drastically reduce salt consumption.
- Stay away from spicy and hot food items.
- Butter and ghee prepared from buffalo milk is strictly prohibited.
- Never consume the yellow variety of pumpkin and colocasia.
- Try not to have pulses and cereals. Instead opt for boiled vegetables and fruits.
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS
- Practise meditation. You can check out our yoga website (/yoga-.com/) for doing meditation.
- The patient should try Pranayama and the breathing exercises combined with the mind control yogic exercises.
- Be regular in moving your bowels.
- Don’t do heavy physical exercises. However, you should not remain idle either. Always remain involved in light physical activities.
- Similarly, adopt the habit of reading light and humorous books. Avoid novels that involve mental strain.
- In simple words, don’t take mental and psychological strain
- Go to bed early and rise early.
- Avoid staying late into the night.
- Take rest as much as possible.
AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS
The Ayurvedic treatments first aim at alleviating Vayu. All the Ayurvedic medicines boost and increase the strength of the entire nervous system.
The commonly prescribed natural item is garlic (lasuna).
The other Ayurvedic medications are Shatavartita Kshirabala Taila and Sarpagandha.
Besides, there is also the Dhara Therapy.
GARLIC
The Ayurvedic name for garlic is Lasuna.
Regular consumption of garlic keeps the blood pressure level under control. It is best taken raw. Garlic then produces a therapeutic effect on the body.
Actually, one should daily consume at least one gram of garlic thrice daily to make the body immune from any form of ailments.
Of course, garlic can be taken in many other ways. One can have it as a mixture also.
But remember not to have stale or previously peeled garlic.
Preparation procedures:
1. Grind one gram of garlic into a paste form. Mix the paste with buttermilk. This concoction is very effective against high blood pressure. Gradually, increase the quantity of garlic to three grams in each dose daily.
2. One can also have garlic fried in ghee prepared from cow’s milk. This preparation process checks the pungent smell of garlic. Moreover, such frying also makes the garlic palatable.
THE DHARA THERAPY
The Dhara Therapy is prescribed for patients suffering from the chronic form of high blood pressure.
Here, medicated oil is primarily used. The other ingredients are cow’s milk and bala.
Preparation process : First, mix the medicated oil with bala and milk.
Then, boil the mixture. Next, keep the mixture in an earthen pot. The vessel should have a pinhole at the bottom.
After that hang the vessel from a high pedestal or the roof of the house.
The patient should lie on a flat surface or the ground on his/her back.
Finally, allow the oil to drip on the patient’s forehead (especially on the portion between the eyebrows).
The Dose : Use this Dhara therapy once daily for 30 minutes. The preferable time is in the morning.
Benefits: The patient will enjoy sound sleep at night. Secondly, the person’s blood pressure will also come down.
Note : the same concoction is also used for massaging the body including the forehead and the head of the patient.
SHATAVARTITA KSHIRABALA TAILA
Mentionably, when the medicated oil mixture is boiled 100 times, it is called Shatavartita Kshirabala Taila. So, Shatavartita Kshirabala Taila is also another version of the medicated oil. Shatavartita Kshirabala Taila is a commonly prescribed Ayurvedic medication.
The Dose : The patient should daily consume once five drops of the medicated oil mixed with a cup of lukewarm milk.
Benefits : It reduces high blood pressure.
SARPAGANDHA
Mentionably, Sarpagandha is a commonly recommend by the Allopathic doctors. The alkaloids isolated from this drug have been found to be very effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. These alkaloids taken independently produce adverse effects, though. Nonetheless, a combination of these alkaloids produces a therapeutic effect.
Actually, the raw root of the Sarpagandha plant is used for the manufacturing or preparation of this medication.
Preparation process: The Sarpagandha root (rhizome) is dried in sun and then powdered.
The Dose: Give the patient half-a- teaspoon of this powder thrice daily.
Note: Tablets or pills are also prepared form the aqueous extract of this medication.
The Dose: The patient is to be given two pills thrice daily.
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