Root Causes of Blood Pressure

[Wail Bin Hajar]

The best article on Hypertension is written by Dr. Ben Kim. There are many doctors in the WEST who regret the conventional medicine & they emphasize more on fixing the diseases by a healthy diet, & you will be surprised that most of the foods which they recommend are already enlisted by Tibb-e-Nabawi.

 

Tibb-e-Nabawi's principals have never changed for the last 1430 years, & they will remain unchanged till the day when this universe will be finally Destroyed (Qiyamah) by its CREATOR.

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Taken from Understanding Blood Pressure

 

One of the most common causes of high blood pressure is arteriosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. When bad food choices cause hardening of your arteries, your heart must work harder to deliver the same amount of blood to your cells, simply because hardened arteries don't provide as much space as healthy arteries to deliver blood. In this case, blood pressure is going to be higher than what is considered normal, but only because it has to be in order to get the right amount of blood to your cells.
 
In this example, I believe that it is wrong and dangerous to simply prescribe a pill that is aimed at lowering blood pressure. A diuretic (water pill) or beta blocker might be effective at decreasing the pressure in your blood vessels, but this will mean that your cells may struggle to receive an optimal amount of blood and the nutrients and oxygen that blood provides.
 
A better approach is to discover and address the root causes of arteriosclerosis. Is it that you have high blood sugar and insulin levels? Is it that you are eating damaged fats and oils? Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and damaged fats and oils are guaranteed to eventually cause arteriosclerosis if eaten on a regular basis.
 
The reality is that high blood pressure is usually caused by a combination of factors, with diet, exercise, weight, quality of sleep, and the way that you manage stress being the major ones.
 
Here is a summary of some key points to keep in mind regarding blood pressure:

1. Many people are misdiagnosed with high blood pressure because of temporary emotional stress. When you visit with your doctor, ask to have your blood pressure checked at least two times. Ideally, one reading should be taken after you've had enough time to feel as emotionally and physically comfortable as possible.
2. Don't go overboard with liquids prior to your reading. The average adult has around 5 litres of blood in her blood vessels at any given time. Drinking large amounts of water right before a reading can cause high blood pressure simply because there is more water than normal in your system.
3. Be sure not to have caffeine or to use over the counter drugs that contain caffeine or nasal decongestants before your visit.
4. Ask your doctor or nurse to use the appropriate size cuff for your arm. A cuff that is too large or too small for your arm can produce an inaccurate reading. If your arm is large or small compared to the average adult but your practitioner blows off this request, it's best that you get another reading from someone who will pay attention to this important detail.
5. A good practitioner will examine and consider your eyes, nails, skin tone, peripheral pulses, and other indicators of your health status along with your blood pressure reading to give you proper guidance and recommendations. Even with a blood pressure of 160/110 or higher, it may not be in your best interest to take medication if you don't show any other signs of cardiovascular or kidney disease.
6. Remember that your blood pressure is almost always exactly where it needs to be. If it's high, it's usually because for one reason or another, it needs to be. Since high blood pressure over the long haul does increase your risk for cardiovascular and kidney disease, it is in your best interest to align your food and lifestyle choices with a healthy blood pressure - somewhere around 120/80 for most people.
7. The most common causes of high blood pressure are: regular consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats and oils, regular exposure to nicotine, caffeine, ineffective management of emotional stress, being overweight, and not getting enough restful sleep. Managing these factors is the best approach to achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
8. If you are doing a relatively good job with managing the factors listed above but still have high blood pressure, it's important to work with a good practitioner who can help you rule out other causes of high blood pressure such as renal artery or kidney disease, a congenitally narrow aorta (coarctation of the aorta), a tumour in the inner portion of your adrenal glands (pheochromocytoma), a problem in the outer portion of your adrenal glands (primary aldosteronism and Cushing's disease), or specific nutritional deficiencies like calcium and magnesium deficiencies. For women, pregnancy and use of oral contraceptives can also be causes of high blood pressure.