Before measuring your blood pressure using wrist blood pressure monitors there are several things you must do. Firstly refrain from consuming alcohol, tea, coffee or any caffeine related products for at least 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure measurement. Smoking should also be avoided in that 30 minute period also. It is important you sit at rest, without talking or feeling stressed out. It is best to sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported and your legs uncrossed. Crossed legs affect blood flow. Next place your left arm on a table and raise it to the height of your heart, whilst the rest of your body remains still. Place the cuff around your wrist tightly. Now you are ready to take your blood pressure measurement using wrist blood pressure monitors.

For a more detailed description and for some of the best wrist blood pressure monitors go here

It is thought this blood pressure operation can lower blood pressure enough to reduce risk of stroke by as much as 50%. A 68 year old man undergone the renal sympathetic-nerve ablation high blood pressure operation and said his blood pressure was lowered after 14 days. It is hoped that this high blood pressure operation will help many suffering from hypertension come of their hypertensive drugs within a three month period. This should help solve symptoms of compliance and high blood pressure medication side effects.

A study carried out on rats has demostrated the benefit of grapes in lowering blood pressure. Two rat groups were monitored, one group that ate a diet composed of powdered green, red and black grapes along with a high salt intake, and the other group fed a high salt diet and mild blood pressure drug. After several weeks the rats were tested and it was shown that the rats eating the diet containing grapes had lower blood pressure, better heart function and less evidence of any damage to the heart muscle than the rats fed the high salt diet on the blood pressure drug. The rats on the blood pressure drug did actually show a reduction in blood pressure but their hearts were not protected from damage.

This beneficial effect is being attributed to phytochemicals present in grapes. These phytochemicals have been shown to stimulate the action of genes involved in glutathione production. As mentioned before glutathione helps prevent free radical damage to the heart. Free radical damage leads to high blood pressure. Glutathione levels in high blood pressure patients are often reduced, therefore a diet rich in grapes will help restore glutathione levels and achieve ideal blood pressure.

ACE inhibitors

There are many different ACE inhibitors which are effective in achieving ideal blood pressure via expanding the body’s blood vessels making it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout the body.  However as with all high blood pressure tablets ACE inhibitors have a range of side effects including itchness, dry cough, chances of hyperkalemia are increased in those with kidney disease.

Diuretics

These high blood pressure tablets work by increasing fluid output through the kidneys, and can lead to an excessive loss of potassium resulting in hypokalemia. Other side effects of these high blood pressure tablets are fatigue.

Beta blockers

These high blood pressure tablets achieve ideal blood pressure via a mechanism which lowers heart rate, but can backfire resulting in a low heart rate as well as sleep disturbances and depression.

Calcium channel blockers

These high blood pressure tablets operate via a mechanism which disturbs the entry of calcium into the human heart, helping to achieve ideal blood pressure.  However they can bring on some unwanted side effects including GI upsets with nausea and constipation.  Headaches and drowsiness may also be more frequent when taking these particular high blood pressure tablets.

Angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists

These high blood pressure tablets prevent angiotensin 11 from acting on the heart and associated blood vessels thus preventing a rise in blood pressure. However they have negative effects on the kidneys decreasing urine output and leading to increased risk of high blood potassium levels as well as dizziness.

Before commencing any high blood pressure tablets be sure to discuss each available tablet with your doctor to see what is best for you.

Slow breathing sends a message to the brain to relax, which causes relaxation of the blood vessels and as a result blood flows more easily under less pressure.  It is recommended that the technique is combined with music. Other effects from the breatheasy program are better sleep patterns, less stress, lower LDL levels and increased energy levels.  This technique has also got the backing of medics and the Journal of Hypertension has published numerous studies outlining and describing its benefits including:_

• Slow deep breathing for 10 minutes a day while prolonging exhalation resulted in a massive decrease in both systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic was reduced by up to 36 points and diastolic by 20 points. Extremely significant and likely to make a dramatic difference to hypertensive patient.
• Over 80% of high blood pressure patients who are resistant to other high blood pressure remedies responded to this procedure.

It is thought that this breathing control procedure along with listening to relaxing music works by releasing nitric oxide into the bloodstream which helps to regulate the diameter of the blood vessels.  Another study late last year indicated that listening to relaxing music expanded the blood vessels by as much as 26%.  Blood can flow through expanded blood vessels much easier and under lower pressure than narrow blood vessels. Additionally blood is less likely to clot in wider blood vessels.

So get your ipod or walkman with some classical music switched on now and spend 10-15minutes daily with the breathing exercises. I guarantee you will see a drop in your blood pressure.

Another interesting piece of blood pressure information was related to outside temperature and blood pressure in those aged over 65 years old in a study conducted in the French capital of Paris. Both blood pressure parameters, systolic and diastolic were higher in the colder months than the summer months in almost 9000 elderly people.   It was noted that systolic levels were as much as 5mmHg higher in the winter compared to the summer and the incidence of high blood pressure was 10% higher in summer compared to winter.

In summary latest high blood pressure causes suggest that a diet low in potassium and high in salt as well as living in a cold climate may increase your risk of high blood pressure.

As I mentioned the consumption of blueberries and berries in general is another excellent way of lowering your blood pressure the tasty way.  Berries contain lots of Vitamin C, very few calories and lots of fibre as well as being a very tasty snack.   A cup of blueberries only contain 83 calories but are packed full of antioxidants such as anthocyanosides.  As mentioned in an earlier post free radicals are part of the hypertensive process and antioxidants help prevent the formaion of free radicals therefore the consumption of blueberries helps prevent free radical damage which leads to hypertension.   Strawberries are another excellent fruit to consume to help lower blood pressure natural.  They contain even less calories than blueberries and contain essential components such as magnesium and potassium which help to lower blood pressure.

These are two more great high blood pressure remedies, which should be followed as much as possible. Remember high blood pressure is the silent killer, remaining undiagnosed until it is too late. Dont take a chance get eating berries today. and achieve the ideal blood pressure sooner rather than later.

Current prescription medications carry with them a range of serious side effects such as nausea, dizziness,and fatigue when used over a long period of time. As the majority of people are diagnosed with high blood pressure around middle age they may be on medication for decades so side effects can set in.   Therefore it is better to lower blood pressure natural and luckily there exists a range of products which can be used to achieve the ideal blood pressure. One such product is glutathione which is manufactured inside cells using precursor amino acids .  Glutathione is very pleasing to blood pressure levels when in the reduced state.   This is due to its antioxidant properties which help it prevent free radical damage to cells.  Free radical damage is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis and development of hypertension.  Animal studies have shown that doses of less than 100mg/kg of glutathione was able to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Another study illustrated the fact that glutathione infusions were capable of lower blood pressure natural by increasing free magnesium levels within cells.

There are many food sources which can help to boost your glutathione levels including asparagus, broccoli, avocado and spinach, as well as raw eggs and garlic.  I would suggest maintaining a healthy level of glutathione in order to lower your blood pressure the natural way.

Blood pressure measurement

Blood pressure is necessary for the blood to be pumped around the body by the human heart.  Your blood pressure is made up of two components, systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure refers to when your heart beats pumping the blood whereas diastolic refers to when your heart is at rest and not beating. The systolic value is higher than the diastolic value.  When you get your blood pressure measured using a sphygmomanometer you must be sitting down with your brachial artery level with your heart as measurements taken at head height will be lower than those whilst sitting down and similarly those taken at ground level will be much higher.  A blood pressure reading will be given with the two values, for example 120/80.

Blood pressure may be essential but what is the ideal blood pressure, that is the normal blood pressure for the heart to function. If blood pressure is too low (hypotension) then you may feel dizzy as there is too little blood getting pumped  around the body and due to lack of oxygen and nutrients vital body organs will suffer and cells and tissues may die causing organ damage and failure.  If blood pressure is too high (hypertension) then you are at a greater risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and a number of other complications. 

Medical guidelines have set the ideal blood pressure for both males and females at 120/80 or lower. Prehypertension is defined as a blood pressure of 120-139/80-89, and hypertension is 140/90 or higher.  Unfortunately some cases of high blood pressure have no symptoms are are found accidentally while having a check up at your doctors surgery.  If you suspect you dont have a healthy blood pressure I would recommend a trip to your clinician.