Hypertension Reversal Program

When a patient first comes to us with medical concerns such as hypertension, we begin with a detailed history and requesting their medical records. After we review these items, we have extensive consultation with the patient to determine the gaps, deficiencies, anthropometric measurements, Ayurveda profiling to determine the body type and blood screening as markers which is often the lead cause of bigger issues.

The real question is to determine what is causing the hypertension in the first place. Similar to diabetes (type II), the patient’s lifestyle is often blamed. In the integrative and functional medicine approach, the management of hypertension includes not only the long-term management of high blood pressure, but genetic, environmental and micronutrient factors are included in the assessment of the underlying cause.

Non-pharmaceutical supplements plus lifestyle changes are a powerful combination. If you can control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle and natural supplements recommended after careful assessment of your body type, you may be able to reduce, delay or avoid medication altogether.

Integrative and Functional medicine involves various interventions involving diet and supplements that has an impact on nourishment, elimination, metabolic correction and detoxification, backed by yogic-exercises and patient education.

Non-invasive Ayurveda and Naturopathy therapies such as hydrotherapies, Ayurveda body based treatments for waste elimination or body purification therapies enhances the blood circulation and helps in reducing the elevated blood pressures.

Control of daily stress being one of the goal, regular emotional freedom techniques and meditation sessions in the treatment plan helps to calm your mind and helps in reducing adrenal influx into the blood.

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. High blood pressure happens when there’s an increase in the blood’s pressure on the arteries. If this high blood pressure is persistent (chronic) it has serious implications. It is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and chronic kidney disease. If hypertension goes untreated, studies show that blood pressure will continue to rise and cause irreversible damage to the arteries, vision and kidneys. Hypertension has few symptoms — until it’s too late. This silent killer affects over one billion globally. This deadly disease has a wide scope of victims, but if caught early, it can be managed effectively. Hypertension is one of the most preventable causes of chronic illness and premature death worldwide

Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessels (arteries). This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

Types

1. Primary, or essential, high blood pressure: is the most common type of high blood pressure. For most people who get this kind of blood pressure, it develops over time as you get older.
2. Secondary high blood pressure: is caused by another medical condition or use of certain medicines. It usually gets better after you treat that condition or stop taking the medicines that are causing it.

Causes

• Smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much salt in the diet
• Too much alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day)
• Stress
• Older age
• Genetics
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• Adrenal and thyroid disorders
• Sleeping disorder
• Certain defects you're born with (congenital) in blood vessels
• Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the- counter pain relievers and some prescription drug
• Addiction through drugs or long intake of Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines

Symptoms

• headaches
• shortness of breath
• nosebleeds
• flushing
• dizziness
• chest pain
• visual changes
• blood in the urine

Complications

• Hypertensive heart disease
• Brain infarction(reduced blood supply) and hemorrhage(bleeding)/Stroke, Dementia
• Hypertensive retinopathy
• Chronic kidney disease

Conventional approach of Hypertension

• Oral medicines of hypertension
• Eating a heart-healthy diet with less salt
• Getting regular physical activity
• Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you're overweight or obese
• Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink

According to Ayurveda Vyan Vayu (The vyana vayu, is one of the five energies which governs the nerves, veins, joints and muscle functions and is a connecting force of energy, supporting the function of the other four energy system), responsible for blood circulation. In hypertension there is predominance of Doshas. Hypertension is often worsened by the experience of continuous stress. Hence stress management plays an important role for the management of hypertension

Doshas are the metabolic function that are divided into three metabolic types (tri-doshas). Doshas are derived from the Five Elements and their related properties. Vata is composed of Space and Air, Pitta of Fire and Water, and Kapha of Earth and Water. People are thought to be born with a combination of doshas. There are usually one or two dominant doshas which determine our physical, mental, and emotional characteristics.

Ayurveda's tridosha theory identifies principles of motion (vata), metabolism (pitta), and structure (kapha) as discrete phenotypic groupings. Researches have proved that there is a genetic connotation to tridosha theory of individual prakriti types. The dominant dosha is the reason why, for example, one person may not be able to tolerate humidity or oily foods while another person may have no reaction to them. In Ayurveda, each of the doshas thrives under a specific diet, lifestyle, and exercise regimen. An imbalance among the doshas can be corrected by changing diet and lifestyle factors. If left unchecked, an imbalance can lead to illness

Role of Doshas in hypertension

• Excessive alcohol and salt intake- Pitta, Raktha vitiation
• Anger, stress, anxiety- Vata imbalance
• Excessive oily foods, sedentary lifestyle- Kapha imbalance

These are the causative factors for primary hypertension, which mean it does not occur as a result of any other disease. Diseases like Diabetes, Renal disease, Obesity, etc. are secondary causes.

By all these causes the blood gets accumulated with toxins. The vitiated doshas will negatively influence the quality of blood. The blood flow is influenced by Vata. And the quality of blood is affected by vitiated Kapha as well as pitta dosha. So there is high-pressure exertion on the walls of the blood vessels.

Management of primary hypertension

The first and foremost approach in Ayurveda is to avoid the causes (prevention). Then the vitiated doshas are treated respectively. If the dosha vitiation is extreme shodhana chikitsa is followed, which means cleansing therapy to remove excess doshas and ama (toxins) from the body. It is also known as waste elimination or body purification therapy

Elimination therapies

This treatment plan aim to restore equilibrium, boost overall health and wellbeing and stimulate agni (digestive fire). This cleansing process varies from a person to person based on his body type (dosha prakruti). By these cleansing therapies, doshas attain a balance, then shaman therapy is done. Vasti is done for Vata, Virechana for Pitta, and Vamana for Kapha dosha. Types of cleansing (Shodha chikitsa): Bahya-Snehan, Saravang Swedan, Shirodhara, Vaman, Virechan, Basti.

Shaman or shamanic therapy is considered as a holistic or non-linear approach to diagnosis and healing. Psychedelics are employed to improve psychological resilience in the face of stress or trauma, typically in the case of depression, and anxiety, which includes consuming kashaya, tablets, medicated water, etc. Prayers and daily chanting helps. Blood purifying herbs like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, Basil, etc. are highly effective in preventing hypertension. Dietary & lifestyle changes are recommended in Ayurveda. Improper life style and unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and stressful life increases the chances of hypertension.

Yogasanas have a positive influence on controlling the movement of prana Vata or circulation in your body. Breathing exercise or Pranayama is found very effective in controlling elevated blood pressures. Amazing results are seen when this is practiced daily.

Meditation can control your anger, stress –anxiety / depression. This reduces the adrenal influx into the blood. So blood flow is not altered in any manner. The normal circulation is maintained so as the blood pressure. Daily practice can improve the general well-being of the body.

Daily regimen (Dinacharya), Seasonal regimen (Ritucharyapalan), Rejuvenation therapy (Rasayana), Code of conduct and ethics (Achar Rasayana) plays an important role for the management of hypertension. That means healthy diet, exercise, avoids smoking and alcohol etc. will maintain blood pressure

Management of Secondary Hypertension

If hypertension occurs secondary to a disease, then disease-specific treatment has to be followed. In short, if you are diabetic, then we treat your diabetes first, automatically your blood pressure will be normalized.

Ayurveda approach to the disease is according to the breaking of pathogenesis which should not be overlooked

• The first & foremost theory in treatment in Ayurveda is to avoid the causes (prevention). So for that the causes of Hypertension according to Ayurveda are: Alcohol intake, Salt intake, Sedentary life style (excessive protein, oil, day sleep), Mental Stress-Anger, Fear, Grief, Physical Strain.
• Secondary to other disease (Nidanarthkara Roga) – Diabetes, Obesity, Heart disease, Renal disease.
• Then the dosha which are vitiated by causative factors has to be normalized by Palliative Treatment (Shamana chikitsa) as less extensive medicines to maintain the equilibrium of dosha and to normalize the intensity of digestive fire and Elimination Treatment (Shodhana Chikitsa) as an extreme vitiation and toxin from body is to be eliminated.
• External Therapies like Dhara, Abhyanga, Avagaha etc. which helps in relieving one from stress, calm the nerves, improves circulation and relieve insomnia and blood pressure, relaxes the person physically and mentally and maintain the health.
• To maintain long term health Pathya and Apathya (Do’s and Don’t’s) playa great importance
  Do’s (PATHYA) - Diet should be light, low fat diet and preferably vegetarian foods. Include following diet- Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fix meal timing Mung, Jav, Honey, Pomegranate, Rock salt (Saindhav lavana) Butter Milk, Ginger, Garlic, Cinnamon. Fruits- Indian Gooseberry, Grape, Watermelon, Lemon. Daily Exercise, YOGA-pranayama (specific type of breathing is recommended)
  
  Don’t’s (APATHYA) - Meat, egg, excessive protein, oil, excessive spicy food and salt (>2000mg) in daily diet, Smoking and alcohol. Avoid uncontrolled weight - over eating, incompatible food, excessive intake of salt and sour taste. Avoid suppressing natural urges, Lazyness, Day sleep. Avoid Yogasana that include postures against gravitational force.

Naturopathy science focuses on non-pharmacological intervention in individuals with hypertension. Management of hypertension should be in line with prevention and treatment because the risk factor are not just at the physical level but also at the mental and social level. Lifestyle modifications is the first step in management of hypertension alongside pharmacotherapy. Addressing these challenges and changing patient behavior requires an intense lifestyle intervention in a structured and enabling environment using an integrated approach of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies.

The modifications include stringent dietary changes too. Regular exercise (two times a day) in the form of Yogic exercises and select breathing exercise are taught to the patients who practice under the supervision of qualified yoga teachers. Emphasis is given on ‘Asanas’ (yogic postures) which have an effect on weight reduction (especially reducing the abdominal fat stores). In addition, patients are encouraged to do aerobic exercises like walking, swimming.

So the objective of management in Naturopathy is as follows

1. Primary care In essential hypertension, prevention and treatment should begin with in early phases or at onset morbidity and mortality. Since essential hypertension is asymptomatic, regular screening of hypertension is crucial. Other measures at primary level include patient education and awareness about the disease process along with adoption of natural way of life, changes in lifestyle through fasting followed by healthy natural dietary pattern, simple yoga forms with combination of exercises, massage therapy and rest and relaxation with sound sleep.

2. Secondary care The objective of secondary care is effective treatment. The management includes counseling, therapeutic massage, hydrotherapy, detailed natural diet plan, therapeutic yoga, acupuncture and acupressure. In case of secondary hypertension the cause should be treated.

3. Tertiary care The objective of tertiary care is to reduce the risk of damage to end organs and control the cause of secondary hypertension. The conventional pharmacotherapy and naturopathy should work together to produce preventive and therapeutic effects. After the treatment plan is administered, patients will be followed at least for one year after 3 months.

Functional Diagnostics

As a part of natural healing and using functional medicine as an approach to discover the underlying reasons for health conditions involves evaluating possible causes. To find what is causing a patient’s hypertension, functional practitioners need to consider:

• Magnesium deficiency
• Depressed testosterone
• Bacterial infections
• Viral infections

Functional medicine approach believes that Hypertension is not always caused by increased levels of LDL or low HDL. In fact, there are multiple clinical factors that could be contributing to a patient’s hypertension. In fact, low HDL and high LDL are one of the risk factors for heart disease but out of 100 patients with heart disease, only 30 will have high LDL. This supports our reasoning for testing multiple different areas to ensure we get to the root cause.

Anthropometric measurements along with blood investigation allow us to create personalized plans and help patients who are suffering from hypertension and other similar health conditions