The pressure exerted by blood on the walls of the arteries while it flows through them is known as blood pressure. When this pressure is consistently too high, it is referred to as high blood pressure medically known as hypertension. The normal blood pressure ranges between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
Categories To Define High Blood Pressure
1. A reading of systolic between 120-129 mmHg and diastolic less than 80mmHg is elevated blood pressure. Here usually no medication is recommended and only lifestyle changes are advised.
2. Stage 1 Hypertension: A reading of systolic between 130-139 mmHg or diastolic between 80-89 mmHg.
3. Stage 2 hypertension: Systolic reading 140 mmHg or higher and diastolic reading 90mmHg or higher.
4. Hypertensive Crisis: Systolic reading higher than 180 mmHg and/or diastolic higher than 120 mmHg. It requires urgent medical attention.
Efficacy of Homoeopathy in Treating High Blood Pressure (HBP)
The homeopathic system has a wide scope of managing high blood pressure. Homeopathic remedies naturally moderate the body’s functioning. Homeopathic medicines work particularly well for those who have recently been diagnosed with hypertension and have not yet become dependent on any other medication for HBP. People with chronic high blood pressure and those using allopathic medicines for a long time can also use homeopathic medicines. Initially, it is best advised to continue allopathic medication along with homeopathic intervention. Later, one can slowly switch to homeopathy for holistic treatment. For best results, proper lifestyle measures should be adopted along with the use of homeopathic medicines.
Individualised Prescription
The homeopathic medicine for high blood pressure needs to be recommended after a detailed case history of the patient. The potency and repetition of medicine also vary from case to case based on various factors like age, duration and intensity of the complaint, and key symptoms. Hypertension can further lead to several serious complications; it is advised to always consult a doctor for case evaluation and prescription of any kind.
10 Best Homeopathic Medicines For High Blood Pressure
The top homeopathic medicines for high blood pressure (HBP) are Aconitum Napellus, Glonoinum, Crataegus Oxyacantha, Nux Vomica, Kali Phosphoricum, Natrum Muriaticum, Rauwolfia Serpentina, Passiflora Incarnata, Baryta Muriaticum and Adonis Vernalis.
1. Aconitum Napellus- For High BP with Anxiety and Restlessness
Aconitum Napellus is a natural medicine sourced from the plant Monkshood. It can be used for managing high blood pressure along with anxiety and restlessness. The person may feel a sudden fear of death. Other accompanying symptoms include palpitations, pressure on the left side of the chest, and a sensation of weight under the breastbone. Pain in the heart that radiates to the left shoulder is also felt.
When to use Aconitum Napellus?
Aconite is typically administered in cases of high blood pressure, along with anxiety and restlessness.
How to use Aconitum Napellus?
This medicine is prescribed in 30C potency two or three times daily for the best possible results.
2. Glonoinum- For High BP Accompanied by Headache
Glonoinum is a well-indicated medicine for high blood pressure accompanied by headache that is throbbing and bursting headache. There are strong palpitations, difficulty in breathing, and a sensation of heat on the face. The person senses pressure in the heart as if the heart is contracted. The pain in the heart may radiate to other parts of the body. Exertion leads to the rush of blood to the heart.
When to use Glonoinum?
Glonoinum should be thought of in cases of high blood pressure with a throbbing and bursting type of headache.
How to use Glonoinum?
To begin with, this medicine can be administered in 30C potency. It can be raised to 200C after consulting a qualified homoeopath.
3. Crataegus Oxyacantha- To Dissolve Calcareous Deposits in Arteries
Crataegus, popularly known as a heart tonic, is a natural medicine sourced from the plant ‘Hawthorn Berries’. The foremost action of this medicine is to dissolve the calcareous deposits in the arteries that helps to lower blood pressure. The main symptom that guides its use is difficulty in breathing with the least exertion. Some other symptoms indicative of the use of this medicine include pain in the heart, pressure on the chest, and anxiety-accelerated pulse, which is irregular.
When to use Crataegus Oxyacantha?
This medicine is administered to dissolve calcareous deposits in the arteries to lower the blood pressure. It is also indicated in cases of difficult breathing along with high blood pressure.
How to use Crataegus Oxyacantha?
This medicine is usually prescribed in the form of mother tincture (Q), 5-7 drops in half a cup of water, one or two times daily.
4. Nux Vomica- For High BP in People with Sedentary Lifestyle
Nux Vomica is a medicine suitable for HBP, especially among young people who adopt sedentary (sitting for long time periods consistently with little or no physical activity) and modern lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, etc. These factors predispose a person to high blood pressure.
When to use Nux Vomica?
Nux Vomica is a leading medicine for high blood pressure among young people who lead a sedentary life and have a habit of alcohol or smoking.
How to use Nux Vomica?
It is recommended in 30C potency twice or thrice a day for the best possible results.
5. Kali Phosphoricum- To Manage High BP Associated with Stress
Kali Phos is a leading homeopathic medicine to manage stress and several stress-related complaints, including high blood pressure. It is recommended for those patients who constantly feel stressed and worried. The patient may face symptoms including palpitations from slight motion, shortness of breath, irregular pulse, and both mental and physical fatigue.
When to use Kali Phosphoricum?
Kali Phosphoricum is typically administered to manage high blood pressure linked to stress and worries.
How to use Kali Phosphoricum?
This medicine is prescribed in 6X potency (biochemic form), 4-6 tablets two times a day for good results.
6. Natrum Muriaticum- For High BP with Extreme Tiredness
Natrum Mur is one of the most prescribed remedies for high blood pressure, particularly for those who have a craving for salty food. Though there is a restriction for excess salt intake for persons those suffering from HBP, but they have an unusual craving for spicy and salty food items like pickles, papads, etc. Due to this, there may be swelling of the feet in the morning. Natrum Mur may be given in cases where there is unusual fatigue, especially in the mornings. A person may feel tight around the chest and experience intense palpitations on the slightest exertion. Natrum Mur may also relieve headaches caused by high blood pressure.
When to use Natrum Muriaticum?
Natrum Muriaticum is a top remedy for high blood pressure linked to excessive intake of highly salty food items and among those people who feel extreme fatigue.
How to use Natrum Muriaticum?
Natrum Mur can be administered in different potencies such as 6X, 30C, 200C and 1M. While lower potencies can be repeated often, higher potencies should only be repeated under the guidance of a qualified homeopath.
7. Rauwolfia Serpentina – For Persistent Essential Hypertension
Rauwolfia is considered one of the most important homeopathic remedies for essential hypertension, especially when the blood pressure remains persistently high without any clear exciting cause. The main symptom is raised blood pressure associated with tension, nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia. Such patients often complain of headache, palpitation, dizziness, and mental irritability. It is particularly indicated among cases where hypertension is linked with stress, emotional disturbances, or overwork. It helps to calm the nervous system and gradually bring down elevated blood pressure.
When to use Rauwolfia Serpentina?
It is recommended for early and uncomplicated hypertension, especially stress-related high BP, with sleeplessness and nervous agitation.
How to use Rauwolfia Serpentina?
It is commonly used in mother tincture or low potencies such as 6C or 30C, taken 2–3 times a day depending on the intensity of the symptoms and the physician’s advice.
8. Passiflora Incarnata –For High BP due to Mental Exhaustion
It is a remedy for nervousness, sleeplessness, and mild hypertension. Its main indication is high blood pressure due to mental exhaustion, insomnia and worry. The patient feels mentally overstrained, anxious, and unable to relax, which, in turn, causes increased blood pressure. It acts as a gentle sedative and nervine tonic. Though not a direct anti-hypertensive, it is very useful when BP rises due to lack of sleep or nervous excitement.
When to use Passiflora Incarnata?
When hypertension is associated with restlessness, sleeplessness, mental fatigue, or emotional disturbances.
How to use Passiflora Incarnata?
It is usually administered in mother tincture, 10–20 drops in water, twice or thrice daily.
9. Baryta Muriaticum – For High Systolic BP in the Elderly with Arteriosclerosis
Baryta Mur is administered for arteriosclerotic changes and high systolic blood pressure, especially among elderly people. The key symptom is high BP with degenerative changes in blood vessels, vertigo, cerebral congestion, and weakness of memory. It is administered to those patients who feel confused, dull, and mentally sluggish, along with hypertension. There may be palpitations, fullness in the head, and a tendency to suffer from strokes.
When to use Baryta Muriaticum?
Baryta Mur is administered for the old age hypertension patients with hardening of arteries, vertigo, and mental weakness.
How to use Baryta Muriaticum?
It is generally administered in potencies like 6C or 30C, one to two times daily as advised.
10. Adonis Vernalis – High BP with WeakPulse and Cardiac Weakness
Adonis is known as a cardiac tonic and is administered in hypertension associated with weak heart action. The main symptom is high blood pressure with slow, weak, and irregular pulse, breathlessness, and cardiac dropsy. It is especially useful when hypertension is accompanied by fatty degeneration of the heart, edema of the legs, and poor circulation. The patient feels exhausted even due to the slightest exertion.
When to use Adonis Vernalis?
This medicine is prescribed for patients of hypertensive with cardiac weakness, irregular pulse, and circulatory disturbances.
How to use Adonis Vernalis?
It is mostly prescribed in mother tincture, 5–10 drops, two or three times daily, but under the supervision of a qualified homeopath.
Causes Of High Blood Pressure (HBP)
High blood pressure may or may not have a cause.
1. High blood pressure that arises without any reason is called primary/essential hypertension. Primary hypertension usually develops gradually over a period of time.
2. When there is an underlying cause of high blood pressure, it is referred to as secondary hypertension. Secondary hypertension can be a result of problems in the kidneys and thyroid; tumours in the adrenal glands, and congenital defects in the blood vessels. Secondary hypertension tends to appear suddenly.
Symptoms Of High BP
High blood pressure usually doesn’t cause any symptoms and is often detected during routine medical check-ups. High blood pressure is called the ‘silent killer’ because it leads to a significant amount of damage to blood vessels and the heart without any apparent symptoms.
However, certain symptoms that surface as a result of high blood pressure include dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, nose bleeding, or blood spots in the eyes. However, these symptoms are not specific to high blood pressure. These may appear as a result of other health conditions.
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
The factors that put a person at risk of high blood pressure include a family history, ageing, being overweight, excessive alcohol intake, use of tobacco, stress, too much salt intake (sodium), diabetes mellitus (body has trouble regulating blood sugar (glucose) levels), sedentary lifestyle, and certain medications (cause drug-induced hypertension) that include certain anti-depressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, cold remedies, birth control pills, etc.
Lifestyle changes to manage high blood pressure?
Certain lifestyle changes can help manage high blood pressure effectively. These include:
1. Cutting down on your sodium and fat intake
2. Eating fruits and vegetables
3. Regular exercise and reduce excess body weight in case you are overweight
4. Apart from these, one must quit smoking and limit alcohol intake to prevent long-term complications of high blood pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can stress lead to high blood pressure?
Yes, stressful situations temporarily increase blood pressure due to the release of stress hormones. However, the link between long-term high blood pressure due to chronic stress is not well understood and is being researched.
2. Is there any relationship between high blood pressure and stroke?
Yes, there is a direct link between high blood pressure and stroke, as persistent high BP leads to narrowing and weakening of arteries, causing stroke.
3. Canhigh blood pressure lead to a heart attack?
Yes, persistent and unmonitored high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack due to reduced blood supply to the heart muscle.
4. What are systolic and diastolic readings of blood pressure?
Systolic readings refer to the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscles contract. Diastolic reading corresponds to the phase when the heart relaxes/rest in between the beats.
5. Between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, which one is more important?
Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings are important. But the significance of systolic/upper reading in blood pressure is greater after the age of 60 years, since it can help identify the risk for a stroke or heart attack. In younger people, the diastolic reading carries more significance than the systolic reading.
6. Can young people also have high blood pressure?
Yes, adults are becoming more prone to hypertension due to inactivity, dietary insufficiency and stress.
7. Does limiting salt intake really help?
Yes, reducing salt intake helps in maintaining blood pressure, as too much salt may lead to hypertension.
8. Which tests are recommended in case of high blood pressure?
The initial investigations recommended in cases of high blood pressure include lipid profile, sodium, potassium levels, and ECG. In some instances, an echocardiogram is suggested to rule out heart disease.
9. Is high blood pressure a serious condition?
High blood pressure that is not managed correctly carries the risk of turning into serious conditions like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye) and kidney problems.
10. Will quitting smoking help me manage my high blood pressure?
Yes, if you stop smoking, it will help in managing high blood pressure by reducing the narrowing of the arteries and thus bringing down the blood pressure.
11. Does homeopathy help in immediately lowering very high blood pressure?
Homeopathy works well to manage high blood pressure in the long run. However, it has a minimal role in bringing an immediate reduction in blood pressure. In such cases, conventional emergency treatment is recommended.
12. I have been taking allopathic medicine for high blood pressure for the last ten years. Can I transition to homeopathic medication and stop taking allopathic medicine?
It is not advisable to quit allopathic medicine all of a sudden when you start taking homeopathic medicines for blood pressure, as the body gets dependent on allopathic medicines. If you start taking homeopathic medicine for high blood pressure, initially, you will have to continue taking the allopathic medicines alongside. Once the homeopathic medicines start giving results, one can gradually shift to homeopathy by reducing the dose of allopathic medications.