Hypertension care

When it comes to the management of lifestyle diseases, Ayurveda offers various regimens such as  dinacharya (daily regimen), ritucharya (seasonal regimen), panchakarma (fivefold detoxification and bio-purification therapies), and rasayana (rejuvenation) therapies. The sadvritta (ideal routines) and aachara rasayana (code of conduct) are of utmost important to maintain a healthy and happy psychological perspective. The inclusive utilisation of all these treatment modalities has a great effect on lifestyle disorders.

Understanding the condition
Hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure has exceeded the normal range. The pressure exerted by the column of blood on the wall of arteries is normally 120 (systolic pressure) over 80 (diastolic pressure) mm of Hg. Hypertension is one of the major causes of disability and death all over the world. It can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failures and other disorders, if neglected and untreated. In many cases, there are no symptoms until it causes complications such as heart attack and stroke. So, it is important to realise that you may have high blood pressure and the only way to find out is to get your blood pressure checked at regular intervals.

The causative factors of hypertension:
n Rasavaha sroto dushti — It is caused by heavy, unctuous and cold food or beverages (guru, sheeta, atisnigdha), excessive eating and mixing of different types of food (atimatra asama bhojana) and grief, anxiety, tension and fear (chintyanam atichintana).

n Raktavaha sroto dushti — It includes dietetics causing excessive acid production (vidaahi annapaana), consumption of a lot of unctuous, hot drinks and food (snigdha, ushna, drava), wine and other fermented drinks (sura, sauveera) and incompatible diet (viruddha bhojan). It can also be due to the non-compliance towards the code of eating — by having food even before the earlier meal has been digested (ajeerna bhojan, adhyashan), by consuming excessive food (atiadana), sleeping in the daytime after a meal (bhuktava divasvapna) or due to excessive anger (krodha).

n Medovaha sroto dushti — It may be due to the absence of physical activity (avyayama), sleeping during the day (divasvapna), a fatty diet (medyanam atibhakshanat) and excessive intake of unsuitable beverages (varunyati sevana).

n Manovahasroto dushti — The cause may be tension, worries (chinta), fear (bhaya), grief (shoka), anger (krodha) and excessive sexual desire or possessiveness (kama).

Clinical symptoms
More than 50% of patients remain asymptomatic. Symptoms include headache (back of the head and neck), burning sensation, talkativeness, excessive anger, nervous tension, dizziness, tinnitus, chest pain, palpitations, excessive perspiration, frequent urination, vision disturbances, easy fatiguability, drowsiness and tremors.

The objective of Ayurveda is to manage newly diagnosed cases of hypertension by using it as an adjuvant therapy for better control, prevention of complications and reduction of dependence on modern-day medication.

Management
Preventive action can be taken through lifestyle moderation, compliance to the dietetic code of conduct and seasonal panchakarma purificatory procedures. Therapeutic actions include intake of herbs and herbo-mineral compounds, bio-purification, regular exercise (vyayama), yoga and managing stress.

Herbal benefits
Garlic is a wonder herb for hypertension. It contains allicin, a substance which has antibacterial, antioxidant, lipid lowering and anti-hypertensive properties. Studies have proven that garlic significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

n Lashuna-ksheera paaka: Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic into a mixture of 1 glass of milk and 2 glasses of water; boil until the milk portion remains (1 glass) and consume warm at bedtime.

n For high blood pressure, take one clove of raw garlic everyday in the morning. Three cloves of garlic made into a paste mixed with one cup of buttermilk (150 ml) can be taken twice daily. It helps reduce hypertension and lowers cholesterol levels.

n Amla juice and honey should be taken on empty stomach in the morning.

n Lemon juice and amla juice are rich in Vitamin C and are effective in controlling hypertension.

n Herbs like sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina), brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) and shankapushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis) are also effective in managing the condition.

n Herbs like aloe vera, katuka, gotu kola, calamus, valerian, myrrh, jatamansi and aswagandha are beneficial in treating hypertension.

n Consuming one crushed clove with honey once or twice a week is also recommended.

Diet basics
n Follow a routine of well-balanced diet, exercise and rest.

n Avoid red meat, egg yolk, oily and fatty food.

n Reduce intake of salt and proteins.

n Vegetables should be taken in raw form if digestive capacity is good. Cucumber, carrot, tomato, onion, radish, cabbage and spinach are good for your body.

Sample diet chart

n Morning: One glass warm water with one teaspoon lemon juice and two teaspoon honey.

n Breakfast: Papaya, guava, or sprouts, or juice of seasonal fruits.

n Lunch: Boiled vegetables, clear vegetable soups, whole wheat chapati, green salad with sprouted beans and curd.

n Dinner: Whole wheat chapati, phulka, or roti, boiled vegetables and fruits

(The author is head-spa, Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam)