What is High blood pressure (Hypertension)..?
When blood flows through your blood vessels, they put some pressure on them. When this pressure on blood vessels, somehow, becomes consistently too high, causes high blood pressure or hypertension.
How to know if blood pressure is high..?
Blood pressure can be checked through sphygmomanometer or simply called blood pressure meter. Your doctor will do the check up and tell you whether you have high BP or no.
Here I am providing you a category wise list of blood pressure test results. Through which you can decide whether you fall under normal range or crisis range.
What causes HBP..?
The real culprit as of now is still unknown but we have some clues on as which factors affect your blood pressure. These can be
Diabetes: People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing hypertension. However, prescribed use of insulin and consistent blood sugar control can reduce the long-term risk of people with type 1 diabetes developing hypertension.
People with type 2 diabetes are at risk of hypertension as a result of high blood sugar, as well as other factors, such as certain medications, underlying cardiovascular disease, and being overweight or having obesity.
Pregnancy: Pregnant women have a higher risk of developing hypertension than women of the same age who are not pregnant.
Preeclampsia is a placental disorder that can increase blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Sleep apnea: This sleep disorder, which causes people to stop breathing while asleep, might also lead to hypertension.
Age: As we age our blood vessels also become stiff and less flexible. Hence putting pressure on blood vessel walls.
Family history: If anyone of your close family member have HBP, then chances are you will also have HBP, now or later.
Obesity and being overweight: There is very high chance of getting hypertension if you are obese and over weight.
Smoking: Smoking lowers the oxygen carrying capacity of blood cells, resulting in heart pumping faster to compensate low oxygen.
And tobacco causes blood vessels to narrow, both factors cause high blood pressure.
Alcohol intake: Too much alcohol consumption causes irregular heartbeats due to pressure on blood vessels.
Poor diet: Diet high in salt leads to high risk of hypertension.
High cholesterol: More than 50% of all people with high blood pressure have high cholesterol.
Mental stress: We don’t know how but it is true that mental stress causes hypertension, be it socioeconomic or psychosocial stress.
What if I leave it untreated then..?
Hypertension leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, blood clots, kidney disease, thickened narrow or torn blood vessels in the eyes, metabolic syndrome, brain function and memory problems, etc.
Can yoga help in treating high blood pressure..?
Yes, small small studies have shown dramatic positive effects of yoga and Pranayama on people suffering through high blood pressure.
People have claimed that yoga and Pranayama have helped them by reducing their stress and anxiety.
Yoga poses help to stretch your body so underlying blood vessels. Which helps them to gain flexibility.
Such stretches help in proper blood circulation. They also help in removing excess cholesterol from blood vessels hence improving blood pressure.
Whereas, pranayam helps to increase oxygen intake, which helps to lower stress on heart and as well reduces mental stress.
Through out my career as a yoga guru, I have witnessed people getting benefited through yoga for reducing blood pressure and live happy life.
Can I get totally cured from high blood pressure..?
Well, unfortunately high blood pressure can only be managed. But doing yoga and Pranayama is the best way of managing high blood pressure even while living your life at fullest.
Yoga plan.
Here I am going to provide 15 mins, 10 steps yoga remedy to deal with high blood pressure or hypertension.
If done regularly twice a day, morning and evening for 30 days, you will notice big change in yourself.
Yoga:
Step 1: Stand straight. And do the deep breathing for 10 times.
Step 2: Start with head rotation. Keeping your posture straight, easily move your head toward right side and then bring it normal. There after move your head toward lef and then again bring it to normal. Repeat it for next 10 times both sides.
Now with inhale move your head up to look up, then bring your head down with exhale and touch your chin to your upper chest. It’s ok if you can not touch. Repeat it for 10 times.
Step 3: Now again stand straight. Take a shoulders width apart gap in between your legs. Put your hands on waist. Then slowly without moving your legs, turn backward from your lower back and look behind. Do not bend forward. Then come back to normal position and again move towards left side and look back.
Remember to inhale when you look back and exhale when you come forward.
Repeat it slowly for 10 times.
Pranayam:
Step 4: Put a mat on flat floor. And lie down on it. Do insulate yourself from touching floor directly.
Now, fold your knees and put your legs together on floor close to your hip. Do not strain yourself, do it comfortably. Hands close to your body on floor.
Step 5: Do the deep breathing for 10 times. Comfortably.
Now, with right hand finger close your right nostril and breath through left nostril for 10 times.
Then, close your left nostril and breath through right nostril for 10 times.
This breathing technique will help you open your both nostril and prepare for Anuloma-Viloma Pranayam.
Step 6: Anuloma Viloma: Put a watch or set a timer for 5 minutes, as you have to do this Pranayam for 5 minutes.
How to do:
Step 7: Bhramari: For 10 times.
Step 8: Om chanting: For 10 times.