Hypertension or high blood pressure affects at least one of three adults in North America and many other developed countries. Even more alarmingly, this is striking an increasing number of young people who are 12 years old. It is therefore not surprising that drugs for hypertension are among the 10 most frequently prescribed drugs.
Having such an important question, it is important to correctly understand the facts and keep things in perspective. Unfortunately, a number of myths have developed around hypertension. Here are five of the most common and potentially dangerous misconceptions:
Myth 1: High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Not necessary. There is no direct link between high blood pressure and heart problems. In a recent article for Virginia hopkins , John R. Lee, MD, writes: “Heart problems (due to high blood pressure) do not correlate with any specific or absolute indication of blood pressure; pressure from what was previously blood pressure. ” (italics mine)
In other words, if your blood pressure is usually 120/80 and rises to 140/90, your risk of heart problems is about the same as that of a person whose blood pressure rises from 140/90 to 160/90. It also means that if your blood pressure is 160/90 steady and shows no signs of growth, it’s not A sign of impending heart disease without other risk factors.
Myth 2: “Normal”, healthy blood pressure is in the 120/70 range. A pressure above 130/80 is either high blood pressure or “pre-hypertension.”
What is normal? For a long time, the medical standard for high blood pressure was considered 140/90, and this was further adjusted for age. But suddenly the standard was changed. Now, some doctors even call 130/80 "high blood pressure," and many others consider it "pre-hypertension." New treatments for "pre-hypertension" continue!
The fact is that blood pressure varies widely among people and usually increases with age. Many things can increase blood pressure, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs, stress, and excessive drinking in alcohol.
Add to this the fact that blood pressure changes, sometimes significantly, at different times of the day. Then there is the notorious white coat syndrome, in which the stress of a doctor's visit manifests itself as high blood pressure, while home testimony can be “normal.”
All of these examples show that simply obtaining accurate reading can be quite complicated, not to mention establishing normal and abnormal levels for a wide range of different people.
Myth 3. If you have hypertension, you should strictly limit or eliminate salt (or sodium) from your diet.
Not true. Salt is unfairly to blame for what causes high blood pressure. Salt or sodium is not the culprit. This is an imbalance of sodium, magnesium and potassium in our diet, which knocks our blood chemistry out of control and thus contributes to hypertension.
The problem is that many processed and unhealthy foods have high salt, but do not contain magnesium and potassium. This is compounded when you add table salt to your already salted bacon at breakfast.
But the answer is not to become paranoid about salt, but to eat whole organic foods (and you can even take it with salt!). Grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish in their natural state contain more balanced amounts of sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Simply eating a healthy whole-food diet can have a dramatic effect on blood pressure. Hypertension is almost unknown among the few remaining peoples who still eat this way.
Myth 4. Taking blood pressure medication is better than alternative.
Only in cases of minority and in a pinch!
This is not surprising when you hear that natural health gurus claim drugs are worse than illness. But you really notice when this is a doctor! This is exactly the case when Dr. Lee writes in the same article above: I do not like antihypertensive drugs because their side effects are often worse than the high blood pressure they are prescribed to treat. . "( him bolding). He further says: “Ordinary doctors tend to prescribe drugs for hypertension at any time when blood pressure readings are outside the so-called normal ranges. This is unreasonable and probably does more harm than good in the end. ”
All categories of blood pressure drugs have side effects, and they have been minimized by doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. For example, some drugs for hypertension may contribute to ischemia, in which the tissue is damaged due to insufficient blood supply. Others cause erectile dysfunction. Still others can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, which has as serious consequences as high blood pressure. These are just some of the potential dangers in treating blood pressure. See Dr. Lee's article for a more complete discussion.
Myth 5. Lifestyle changes are usually insufficient to reverse upper blood pressure. Therefore, it is recommended surgery with drugs.
The exact opposite is true. The best way to maintain healthy blood pressure is always a way of life, including diet and exercise. If you are seriously overweight or out of shape, if you smoke or drink too much, or if you are under severe stress, a positive change in these factors will inevitably affect your blood pressure, no matter how high.
The problem is that many doctors believed that their patients unintentionally make the necessary changes. This is one of the reasons they over-prescribe drugs or intervene too quickly. It almost became a preventive measure for them. But the thing is, most people will be make an effort to improve their lifestyle if they get the right support (and especially if you are given accurate information about the side effects and dangers of hypertension!).
In the rare case when your blood pressure does not respond to an improvement in lifestyle, it takes time to look beyond the usual suspects, such as weight and diet. There are several other areas that are rarely explored, but which can cause havoc with your blood pressure. For example, do you suffer from hidden stress? Some people have been subjected to chronic stress for so long that they do not even recognize it anymore. They become their "natural" state.
What about your breathing? Yes, your breath! Often, along with high stress, people develop what some experts call “breath-holding”. It constricts blood vessels, increasing muscle tension, and can also unbalance blood chemistry. The new technique, called slow breathing with music, can work wonders to lower blood pressure through breathing.
It simply suggests that this is more a lifestyle than you think. If you are disappointed that your changes do not affect you, you may have to dig deeper.
Conclusions:
1. High blood pressure is an a serious condition that requires attention, but do not need to panic, especially if the other is great. The significant and steady increase in your blood pressure is of more concern than actual figures themselves.
2. There is a wide range of healthy blood pressure. Watch for white coat syndrome and determine your normal blood pressure in a relaxed state. Then stay steady is increasing from this level.
3. This is not salt. There are no "evil" or "miraculous" products! Eat a balanced and varied diet from whole natural foods. Complicated magnesium supplementation of 300 to 400 mg can also be a bad idea.
4. If you are healthy and do not have other risk factors, take medication only as a last resort. Give life at least a six-month chance. Do not ignore medical advice, but if your doctor is too hard, consult a different opinion.
5. Healthy blood pressure is maintained through lifestyle. If your blood pressure is a problem, then something is almost certainly due to a stroke. Look deeper if you don't find the obvious answer.
