BLOOD PRESSURE - MEDICAL CARE

So much of what we do on a daily basis affects our blood pressure: what we eat, what we drink, whether we smoke, how much exercise we get, which supplements we take, the duration and quality of our sleep, even our love lives, sex lives, and social lives.

Taking responsibility for our health, however, doesn't mean we have to do it all on our own. Qualified healthcare practitioners can monitor our blood pressure, and advise us about critical medications and lifestyle factors. Just as we bring our car to an expert mechanic to keep it running smoothly, we need to take ourselves to these "human mechanics" to get the appropriate diagnosis and recommendations.

Let's not kid ourselves: hypertension is a life-threatening illness. It is considered a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease. Sadly, the prevalence of this dangerous condition is rising among all age groups as Western culture gets fatter and fatter. So although self-care is essential in keeping blood pressure under control, we also need to consult the experts.

 Medications

Supplements such as AGE and nattokinase may benefit your blood pressure more safely than standard prescription medications. But speak to your healthcare practitioner before you stop taking any medications. He or she will need to carefully monitor your progress. Self-medication is not recommended.

Let's look at some of the more common standard blood pressure medications.

Thiazide diuretics help reduce blood pressure by removing fluids from the body. This cuts down on the volume of blood that the narrowed arterioles have to cope with. Unfortunately, the loss of potassium and magnesium often accompany this loss of fluid. In addition, thiazide diuretics are not recommended for anyone with kidney disease. Common side effects of thiazide diuretics include faintness, high blood sugar levels, gout, muscle weakness, and leg cramps. Beta blockers help slow the heartbeat, and prevent adrenaline and noradrenaline from narrowing the arteries. They may reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. However, beta blockers are not recommended for anyone with a slow heart rate, heart failure, or bronchial asthma. Side effects include cold hands and feet, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, and insomnia. Beta blockers may also raise triglyceride levels and reduce HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.

Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from settling into the heart or blood vessel walls. They also relax the muscles along the blood vessel walls, thereby improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. They're commonly recommended for people with deteriorating kidney function or angina.

Do not take calcium channel blockers with grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can sabotage the liver's ability to move the drug out of the body. In addition, calcium channel blockers can cause constipation, nausea, swelling in the lower legs and feet, rapid heartbeat, and rash.

Interestingly, magnesium can have the same effects as calcium channel blockers with virtually no side-effects when properly used. This approach may be worth exploring and discussing with your doctor.

ACE inhibitors stop the hormone angiotensin from narrowing the blood vessels and increasing water and salt retention in the body. They also relax the walls of the arterioles. In addition, ACE inhibitors protect the kidneys in people who suffer from diabetes and kidney insufficiency. Side effects of pharmaceutical ACE inhibitors are light-headedness, reduced appetite, dry cough, and rash. Natto, the fermented soybean dish, is a natural ACE inhibitor and has not been associated with these side effects.

Please talk to your healthcare practitioner about your use of complementary therapies; he or she may be more open to them than you might think. If your medical doctor appears disinterested in alternative treatments, you might consider switching to a naturopathic physician, another kind of holistic healthcare practitioner, or a more open-minded medical doctor.

 Final Thoughts

We face a troubling paradox: our Western way of life, which so many around the world aspire to, is actually making us sick even killing us. We have plenty of food, but too little real nourishment. We have sophisticated medical technology, but too few efforts at preventing illness. We have a plethora of labor-saving devices and systems of transportation, but more obesity than ever. "Watch out what you ask for; you just might get it" is apt advice for our modern age Rampant hypertension is just one of the casualties of our way of life. The good news is that the steps we can take to reduce high blood pressure are the same steps that will improve our weight, insulin sensitivity, and levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and homocysteine. When we start eating real food, taking high-quality supplements, working out, making smart lifestyle adjustments, and working with our doctors is when we'll find out what the "good life" truly is.