Over the last several weeks I‘ve received many questions about high blood pressure and the complications of high blood pressure.
These include blood clotting, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) — which is a group of symptoms related to damage done to the heart muscle and coronary arteries as a result of high blood pressure — heart attack, unstable angina, kidney damage and failure, erectile dysfunction and atrial fibrillation.
The recurring theme in all these questions was: What are the complications of high blood pressure? What kind of diet should I be eating? Is it possible to control blood pressure without drugs?
And, the most important, I think: Are heart attacks preventable? Can we reverse the damage caused by high blood pressure?
The answer to that last question is a resounding yes — to the extent one is willing to change!
It seems most expedient to try to group these questions together rather than to appear to ignore many similar questions, or to be redundant in answering such similar questions.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, the top number being 140 or above or the bottom number reading at 90 and above, I am certain you were prescribed a medication to bring your numbers down. Depending on the reading, medication will be important. However, it does not have to be life-long.
Is it possible to control blood pressure without drugs?
Yes. Lifestyle and an eating plan plays a very important role in controlling high blood pressure. When you successfully manage your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, a healthy diet and relaxation techniques, you will not only save on drugs but you’ll also save your heart, kidneys and your overall quality of life.
Healthy lifestyle measures include: Drinking clean, filtered water; rest and fun daily; sleep seven to eight hours each night; 20 minutes of meditation, prayer or silence daily; exercise 45–60 minutes most days; and eating a clean diet.
What kind of diet should I be eating?
Clean eating does not mean pass the hand sanitizer and say the blessing. Eating a clean diet really means eating food without chemicals, preservatives, artificial, synthetic, fractionated or refined ingredients, pesticides, fungicides or GMO components.
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke, limit alcohol to three drinks per week, and no more than two in one day. If you drink coffee consider drinking an herbal tea. If you can’t give up the coffee, set your limit at two cups early in the day and add nothing artificial.
Keep a diary to record what you eat, drink, feel, your exercise, thoughts, questions and concerns. Monitor your blood pressure at home or regularly visit a local fire station for monitoring (try to stick to the same one), and record in your diary.
When the diet, rest and sleep are in alignment, exercise will be easy to accomplish, just find something you like to do. Add friends or go solo. Remember, you can’t off-set a poor diet with exercise, and you can’t cheat on the exercise — they both will tell on you, eventually.
Get support from family and friends. Let them know you’re on a mission, and then tell them how they can be supportive.
Let your primary care physician know you are on a mission to save your life; she will be on your side as well.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is more than just the top and lower numbers on your chart, it is the force at which blood moves through the arteries and veins. Pushed out by the heart, oxygenated, nutrient-laden blood is sent throughout the entire body to nourish it.
However, poor diet and poor lifestyle habits can cause a weakening of the arterial walls, so that they are easily bruised, or a hardening of the arteries takes place; meaning less flexibility. The blood rushing through already compromised tissues can cause additional injury to the arteries. Arteries can become caked and crusted inside with plaque from cholesterol deposits, clotted blood in the vessel, and scar tissue from injuries further impede the flow, which continues to force it’s way to all the body’s distant reaches.
As these vessels become stiffer and more narrow, the heart works harder and harder to complete the job of circulation of blood and becomes inflamed, overworked, weakened and tired. Blood flow can abruptly stop or a clot becomes dislodged, causing a heart attack or stroke. The heart may go into an abnormal rhythm — atrial fibrillation — or just stop working as hard - called congestive heart failure, or heart failure.
What are the complications of high blood pressure?
Some of the early complications of poor cardiac output include shortness of breath, fluid retention, fatigue and weakness. Later as the condition persists, along with the inflammation that has set in, coronary artery disease, loss of sight, vascular dementia, stroke, poor circulation to legs and feet may occur, with loss of sensation. Note: poor blood circulation anywhere in the body, is poor circulation everywhere in the body.
Research data from Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests a correlation between increased blood pressure and inflammation, as the mechanism underlying hypertension as a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease.
High blood pressure is a disease that can start a domino effect with a fast decline, affecting every organ in the most damaging ways to include kidney failure, erectile dysfunction and so much more.
Is a heart attack preventable?
Yes, lifestyle and dietary changes work effectively and quickly. Prevention is the best medicine.
Can we reverse the damage caused by high blood pressure?
Yes, most of the time. The human body is the most incredible self-healing organism. It wants to live. It wants to be healthy and it wants to survive. What it needs is very simple, we make it complicated.
The key is simple and clean. Some say it isn’t easy to change, I say it is, if your life depends on it.
Carolyn Guilford is a nutrition consultant, health and wellness advocate, author and workshop organizer. Several of her publications are now available in the Kindle format at https://www.amazon.com/author/carolynguilford. She holds monthly forums at the Bull Street Public Library, which are free and open to all. Join her at 6 p.m. April 8 as we explore stress issues. If you have a question you’d like answered in “Toward True Health,” send it to firstname.lastname@example.org. Call 912-236-8987 to reserve a spot in our April 11 Seven Day Diabetes Repair Workshop. “Like” us on Facebook and get new health tips www.facebook.com/healthrestoration101 or write to Health Restoration Consulting P.O. Box 2814, Savannah, GA 31402.