10 Natural Remedies for Lowering Blood Pressure Quickly

We all experience spikes in our blood pressure from time to time, which can be caused by stress, excitement, anger, fatigue or being cold. Over time, hypertension or high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, cognitive decline and premature death.

You should keep your blood-pressure under control, but that doesn't mean you need to use pharmaceuticals. Learn what high blood-pressure is, the symptoms it causes, and 10 natural ways to lower blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?

The blood pressure is measured in millimeters (mmHg) and represents the force that the heart exerts on the artery walls. Normal readings for adults are 120/80mmHg.

The first number (systolic), measures the contraction of the heart and the blood it pushes, while the second (diastolic), measures the resting period between heartbeats.

Stage 1 is 130/80 while stage 2 is 140/90. A “hypertensive crises” is defined as 180/110 and above. This requires immediate medical attention.

High blood pressure symptoms

Hypertension is often not accompanied by any symptoms, and only detected during a physical examination. If you have a very high blood-pressure (typically 180/120 and higher), you might experience:

Headaches that are intense
Fatigue
Dizziness
Heart palpitations
Nosebleeds
Blurred Vision
Chest pain
Shortness of Breath
Nausea
Confusion or anxiety

Hypertension is often called the “silent killer”. You should seek medical help immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

Treatment for hypertension

In the past, hypertension was treated with medication and lifestyle changes.

Anti-hypertensive medications may not be your best option because they can have serious side effects.

Coughing
Digestive issues
Dizziness
Sexual dysfunction
Anxiety or nervousness
Lack of energy, weakness or drowsiness
Headaches
Dependency
Long-term use of the drug can cause kidney damage

Although medications can be effective in a short time, natural treatments are far safer and more effective over the long term. Some natural treatments are just as effective and quick.

10 Natural remedies for lowering blood pressure quickly

These 10 tips will help you lower your blood pressure quickly. If possible, check your levels to see what they do.

Deep breathing is important.

It is the most effective natural remedy. Research shows that deep breathing exercises can be effective in a matter seconds.

In a Japanese study of more than 20,000 participants, it was found that six deep breaths in 30 seconds reduced blood pressure significantly. It activates the parasympathetic system which reduces heart rate, widens blood vessel and lowers blood pressure.

Deep breathing can reduce blood pressure by up to 9 mmHg when done regularly.

Set a timer for 30 seconds, close your eyelids and take six deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Each breath should last about 5 seconds.

Repeat this as necessary, and dedicate a few moments each morning to long-term benefit.

Maintain a healthy body weight.

It is impossible to overstate the benefits of losing weight in managing hypertension. Overweight adults are 50 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than those with a healthier weight.

Weight gain puts pressure on the heart, which leads to increased blood pressure. If you have a body mass index of 25 or more, losing five to ten pounds can lower your blood pressure and reduce other health complications.

Exercise.

Researchers have found that 30 minutes of morning exercise can be just as effective at lowering your blood pressure as hypertensive medications. Both aerobic and resistance exercises have effects that last up to 24 hour after the workout.

Regular exercise also has many other benefits. It improves heart health, lowers blood-pressure, and reduces arterial pressure.

Experts recommend that adults exercise for 2.5 hours per week at a moderate intensity (or 30 mins per day, five days per week). Children and teenagers should exercise for 1 hour per day.

You can stay motivated by finding a variety of exercises that you enjoy, like walking in your local park, dancing or swimming. Include activities such as the following in your daily routine to increase your activity level.

Take the stairs
Household chores
Gardening
Biking
Playing sport

Reduce your alcohol consumption.

A 2020 review found that drinking more than 2,5 alcoholic drinks per day could increase your heart rate up to 24 hour. After 12 hours of initial blood pressure drop, the level increases.

While there are studies that show a link between red wine consumption and improved heart health, excessive consumption of red wine has the opposite effect. The American Heart Association recommends that men limit their consumption to two standard drinks a day and women to one.

Alcohol consumption can be reduced quickly and effectively to protect cardiovascular health and lower your blood pressure.

Quit smoking.

Smoking increases the risk of hypertension and its complications. Cigarettes contain chemicals that damage blood vessels, constrict the arteries and increase heart rate. This increases blood pressure.

Quitting smoking will lead to a rapid improvement in blood pressure. In just 20 minutes, you will notice a drop in your blood pressure and improved circulation. After one day, the risk of a heart attack starts to decline.

Quitting smoking is a great way to lower your blood pressure, improve your health overall and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reduce your salt intake.

Reduced salt intake is associated with a lower risk of hypertension.

Researchers believe that reducing salt intake may help reduce water retention and inflammation of blood vessels. Avoiding excess sodium may help your body retain less water. This can lead to a drop in blood volume, and consequently, a reduction in blood pressure.

Adopt a heart-healthy diet.

Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (DASH Diet) is a healthy diet plan that aims to prevent or reduce high blood pressure. It emphasizes foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium while limiting salt, saturated fat and added sugars.

Eat 8-10 servings of fruits or vegetables every day, whether they are fresh or frozen.
Two to three servings of low-fat or skim dairy products
Seven to eight servings of grains
Lean meats: up to two servings per day
Over the course of a week, consume 4 to 5 portions of beans, seeds and nuts
Healthy fats such as avocados and olive oil should be consumed in quantities of 2-3 servings daily.

According to research, following the DASH Diet for only two weeks can lower your blood pressure a few points. Over time, your blood pressure can drop by 8 to 14 points. This is a natural, effective treatment for hypertension.

Minerals are essential for your health.

Calcium, magnesium, and potassium all play a role in lowering blood pressure. They do this by counteracting sodium's effects and relaxing blood vessels. These minerals can be obtained through food and/or supplements.

Consume potassium-rich foods like:

Dry Fruit
Milk
Yogurt
Lentils
Kidney beans
Potatoes
Winter squash (butternut, acorn or acorn butternut)
Spinach
Broccoli
Beet greens
Avocados
Bananas

Eat:

Spinach
Kale
Collard greens

Garlic is good for you.

Garlic is an excellent natural remedy for hypertension. Garlic supplements are effective at reducing blood-pressure, just like standard medications. Also, they improve cardiovascular health, reducing arterial stiffness and cholesterol levels.

Garlic supplements are shown to lower systolic as well as diastolic pressure. This reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Garlic supplements are available, but you can also eat one clove a day. Add chopped garlic to salads, vegetables, sauces and stir-fries.

Kyolic aged extract (aged extract powder made from organically grown garlic bulbs) is particularly effective at reducing central blood pressure.

Try CoQ-10, a herbal remedy.

CoQ-10 is another natural remedy that can help lower blood pressure. It has been shown to reduce blood pressure by as much as 17 mmHg systolic and 10 mmHg diastolic with no side effects.

Other herbal supplements can be used to complement your diet and exercise for hypertension. Supplements that are shown to lower blood pressure quickly include the following:

Omega-3 fatty acids
Green tea extract
Chinese hawthorn
Ginger root

It is important to take steps to manage your blood pressure. You can see a positive change in your blood-pressure relatively quickly by following the lifestyle changes and natural remedies mentioned.

Consult your natural healthcare provider if you have concerns or continue to see high blood pressure. You will receive personalized support and guidance. Take the steps necessary to maintain a healthy blood pressure and live a longer life.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8346904/

https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2018/17_0362.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010458/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279251/#:~:text=The%20scale%20of%20the%20pressure,flow%20through%20the%20brachial%20artery.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/what-is-blood-pressure/#:~:text=Blood%20pressure%20is%20measured%20in,your%20heart%20rests%20between%20beats

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer#:~:text=Your%20blood%20pressure%20is%20considered,is%20considered%20%E2%80%9Chypertensive%20crisis.%E2%80%9D

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539859/#:~:text=History%20and%20Physical,breath%20and%20acute%20pulmonary%20edema.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470371/

https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/medicines.htm

https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/154337

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838597/#:~:text=Hypertension%20contributes%20to%20both%20early,increased%20risk%20of%20cognitive%20impairment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5599277/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7443238/

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/managing-weight-to-control-high-blood-pressure

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5497590/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679769/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8130994/

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/limiting-alcohol-to-manage-high-blood-pressure

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030387

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32342456/

https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/prevent.htm

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https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan

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Alternative Medicine Magazine published the article 10 Natural Remedies to Lower Blood Pressure Quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is complementary medicine?

Complementary Medicine can be described as any treatment that is complementary to mainstream medicine. This covers treatments like acupuncture, aromatherapy and chiropractic care, homeopathy or hypnosis as well massage therapy, naturopathy, reflexology and traditional Chinese medicine.

Complementary medicine is not meant to be used in place of conventional medicine, but instead as a complement. Because they combine Western scientific methods with other proven healing methods, they are sometimes called “alternative” and “integrative medicine.”

What are the 5 domains of integrative medicine?

The five domains that make up integrative medicine are mind-body (nutrition, social determinants), lifestyle, and prevention. These five areas include all aspects health care including mental, spiritual, as well as environmental well-being.

Integrative medicine provides a comprehensive approach to the treatment of disease, health, and well-being. It can include conventional medical treatments, as well as complementary therapies, such as acupuncture or yoga, meditation, massage therapy and herbal medicine.

What is the opposite of holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine is an approach to health care that considers all aspects of the human body and its emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental dimensions. Holistic medicine is based in the notion that any illness must have multiple causes. This means that it needs a combination of treatment options to be effective.

Holistic medicine doctors believe that prevention is more effective than treatment. They are able to work closely with patients in order to ensure optimal wellness.

They look for the root causes of disease to prevent them from returning. Holistic physicians treat the entire body, not just its organs. Holistic physicians often refer to the whole being as “the Body”.

This means they see beyond the skin and treat your body holistically. The doctor may suggest changes to diet, lifestyle, and exercise. He might also recommend yoga or meditation, herbal supplements, massages, acupuncture, chiropractic care, or other forms alternative medicine.

What are alternatives to medicine?

Alternative medicine is a treatment that does not fit the criteria of mainstream medicine. These include traditional Chinese medicine.

Alternative medicine may also refer to practices not based on scientific evidence but used successfully in clinical practice. Examples include meditation, hypnosis, yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, flower essences, and many others.

Is holistic health care equivalent to alternative medicine?

Holistic Health Care is different from Alternative Medicine in that it treats the whole person and not the symptoms.

Holistic Health Care focuses on all aspects in an individual's lives, including mental and physical, emotional, religious, spiritual, socio-environmental, occupational, culture, and family.

Alternative Medicine does nothing to address these issues. It focuses solely on the body, mind, emotions, etc.

Statistics

These studies found that 38.4% concluded positive or possibly positive effects for CAM (12.4%), 4.8% concluded no effect, 0.7% concluded harmful effects, and 56.6% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
A 15-year systematic review published in 2022 on the global acceptance and use of CAM among medical specialists found the overall acceptance of CAM at 52% and the overall use at 45%. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

How To

What are the four types of complementary and alternate medicine?

The main categories of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are mind-body, natural products as well as manipulative therapies. Mind-body medicine includes yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, Reiki, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, naturopathy, biofeedback, hypnosis, and herbalism. Natural products can include herbs, vitamins and minerals, dietary supplement, and botanicals. Manipulative therapies include physical manipulation such as osteopathic and chiropractic care, acupuncture, therapeutic exercise, and bodywork. Energy healing involves techniques such as prayer and visualization.

CAM can be used to describe a range of alternative health practices, which are not part of the traditional Western medical model. The scientific evidence supporting these practices is varied, as are the types of drugs they use and what conditions they treat. Some CAM professionals also perform diagnostic testing, such as blood tests, and prescribe medication. Others may do neither.

In addition to these four primary categories, there are many subcategories within each category. Mind-body medicine includes relaxation techniques, mindfulness training and guided imagery. It also includes self-hypnosis, meditation, qigong and Tai chi. Natural products include nutritional supplements as well botanical medicines, homeopathic treatments, essential oils and herbal preparations. Manipulative therapies include manual, movement, traction, electrotherapies, cupping, stretching, soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, orthopedics, and neurostimulation. Spiritual healing can be done through prayer or faith healing.

Many CAM remedies treat symptoms, but don't address the cause. Some chronic diseases can be helped by CAM. When used appropriately, CAM could complement traditional treatment options.

There are many different reasons people use the CAM.

To improve their overall well-being.
To manage a particular condition.
To reduce pain or discomfort.
To prevent illness.
To promote wellness.
To address a personal belief.

Some people use CAM to have more control over their own health than traditional medicine. Some may feel it has less side effects. Others choose CAM to avoid taking prescription medications. Some people prefer not to use pharmaceuticals. Many people also seek out CAM because of bad experiences with traditional medicine.

Some people who use CAM say they want to be sure about what they are doing before trying something new. Many CAM users ask questions about the safety and effectiveness of CAM. Others rely on the word of mouth among family and friends.

Although CAM is sometimes viewed negatively in society, many users have positive feelings about it. People who use CAM tend to be healthier and happier than those who don't. This is true regardless age, gender and race.

The majority of Americans use some form of complementary and alternative medicine. Nearly all adults–95%–use one type of CAM at least once during their lifetime. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NCCIH, estimates that approximately 40 million people visited CAM providers in 2010.

According to the NCCIH, 10 percent of Americans use chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists.3 This compares with only 2 percent who use medical doctors.

2013 was a year that the American Medical Association (AMA) reaffirmed its support of integrative medicine. It recognized that physicians should “integrate scientifically valid complementary and alternative medicine into clinical practice…to meet patients ‘ needs and expectations.”5

The Institute of Medicine published a groundbreaking report in 2007 entitled “Relaxing Contraints: Improving access to Complementary and Alternative Healthcare.” It concluded that there is no credible evidence that any particular CAM intervention is effective in treating or preventing cancer.

CAM continues its popularity despite the fact that it has been proven to be very popular. In 2008, CAM practitioners saw an 8 percent increase in number compared with 2007.

A recent study showed that nearly half of respondents had used CAM to supplement their primary care.

CAM therapies can include natural products, mind/body practices, manipulative methods, energy healing techniques, exercise, dietary supplementation, and other approaches.

Many CAM treatments are used primarily for pain relief. However, they can also be used to improve mood, sleep quality, stress reduction, and immunity.

Acupuncture is a treatment that can reduce chronic back pain, anxiety, depression and improve the immune system, promote weightloss, and improve menstrual symptoms.

Many CAM treatments draw on Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine. These roots can be traced back thousands of decades.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), for example, was developed 5,000 years ago. It has been used in China since ancient times.

TCM, although it gained prominence in the late 1800s, is still an integral part of health care.

TCM is used for treatment by more than 70% of Americans today.

Yoga is another popular CAM therapy. Yoga was developed in India circa 5000 B.C. and is now embraced worldwide.

Yoga is becoming more popular because it has many positive effects on the body, mind, and spirit.

Yoga can help ease stress, enhance flexibility and increase strength while improving cardiovascular fitness and reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Even though there are limited scientific studies, yoga appears to have positive effects upon sleep33. This may make it useful for people suffering from insomnia.

Other CAM therapies like aromatherapy, homeopathy, meditation, and/or homeopathy are also becoming accepted in mainstream medicine.

The most widely used CAM today is herbal medicine.

Herbal medicines contain herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, fruits, mushrooms, bark, leaves, roots, and stems.

They are often considered safer than prescription drugs and are used widely by consumers.

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health estimates that about 90 million Americans use some form of complementary/alternative medicine.

According to American Cancer Society, 45% adults diagnosed with cancer reported that they used alternative medicine during treatment.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 60% of cancer patients use CAM. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 50% of cancer survivors have used CAM.

According to a recent survey, 51% reported that they used at least one type (CAM) of CAM.

Only 8% of these people discussed the use of this medication with their doctors.

Healthcare delivery suffers from a large gap because of the lack of communication between CAM users, conventional medical providers, and traditional medical providers.

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