High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer
Half of all adults in the United States have hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure. And only a quarter of them have it under control with a treatment regimen that can include acupuncture. Most common factors are genetics, smoking, diabetes, and lack of physical activity. This makes me ANGRY!!! But don’t get angry, Gabriel, because this causes hypertension.
What is hypertension or high blood pressure?
Hypertension is the force with which blood, pumped by the heart, pushes against the inner walls of the arteries and veins. When this force is consistently high, it puts a strain on the delicate tissues of the blood vessels and makes your heart work harder.
High blood pressure and cholesterol (as in my last blog) have much in common. Both conditions can be treated by lifestyle choices: eating healthy, getting exercise, and most importantly doing regular acupuncture and herbs.
It’s called the silent killer because most people don’t even know they are suffering with it until it’s too late. Make sure to visit your doctor every year for a physical and be consistent with your health.
Getting regular acupuncture treatments has the effect of reducing blood pressure, with the effects lasting several days after each treatment. Acupuncture treatment generally has a cumulative effect, and it is necessary to stick with it to get the best results.
You want hypertension? Look no further than Trump Steaks!
Being angry like Miranda Priestly, Hans Gruber, or Cady, Regina, Karen or Gretchen would give anyone high blood pressure. Especially Gruber! I hated Gruber.
Exercise
Studies show that exercising 30-60 min per day decreased blood pressure while 60-90 minutes made an even a larger impact. Keeping your weight down is also a huge factor. Other studies show that losing 5 pounds resulted in lower blood pressure, and after losing 10 pounds 42% no longer had hypertension.
Be more like Richard Simmons and Will Ferrell.
Diet and Alcohol
If you drink 2-3 drinks per day or binge drink on weekends, your blood pressure will go up.
Eat less red meat, eat more fruits and veggies, and be very careful with your salt intake.
Half of people with hypertension have salt sensitivity. Decreasing the amounts of salt in your diet can help control blood pressure and keep it from increasing.
Top 10 causes of high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association:
Smoking
Diet high in salt and/or fat
Lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle
Being overweight
Stress
Too much alcohol consumption
Sleep apnea, snoring
Thyroid and adrenal problems
Kidney problems
Diabetes
Traditional Chinese medicine’s philosophy takes into consideration the emotional state as it relates to the physical health of the body. More recent scientific research also confirms that feelings of anger simulate the sympathetic nervous system and contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. Finding practices that help to control anger and promote calm are another important part of managing high blood pressure.
As an acupuncturist I can treat high blood pressure with a combination of acupuncture treatment and herbal supplements individually customized for each patient’s specific circumstance.
Here’s a study that shows the success of acupuncture on hypertension:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6516840/
Some points I like to use:
Du 20, alleviates dizziness. It can calm the liver and relax the mind. Modern research also shows that massaging Du 20 can adjust your vasoconstriction of micro-vessels and thus achieve the effect of reducing blood pressure.
L-11, dispel the “wind” and clear away the heat from the body. This then smooths the flow of qi and blood to lower blood pressure.
Liver 3 decreases the stagnation flow of qi in our liver and gallbladder, improves blood circulation, and stabilizes blood pressure.
SP10 is renown as a Sea of Blood point and benefits patients with blood imbalances, including bleeding disorders, clotting disorders, and blood deficiency disorders. Since hypertension is related to blood circulation and SP10 treats blood imbalances, the researchers selected this acupoint.
The takeaway from my hypertension post is to be proactive. Get regular acupuncture and do all the things mentioned above so that you can be one of the one quarter of adults who have their blood pressure under control.