Overview:
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).
The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Your health care team can diagnose high blood pressure and make treatment decisions by reviewing your systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and comparing them to levels found in certain guidelines.
Symptoms:
High blood pressure usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it. Measuring is the only way to tell whether you have high blood pressure.
How to Test for Hypertension:
The guidelines used to diagnose high blood pressure may differ from health care professional to health care professional:
· Some health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher.2 This limit is based on a guideline released in 2003, as seen in the table below.
· Other health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher.1
How Can Acupuncture Help Hypertension:
Acupuncture can relieve blood pressure in several ways:
· by triggering the release of natural, opiate-like substances in the brain (endorphins) which have a relaxing, anti-stress effect
· by dilating blood vessels
· by stimulating the kidneys to flush excess sodium and fluid from the body
· through effects on hormone secretion
· by reducing circulating levels of inflammatory substances such as TNF-alpha and IL-6
· Addressing stress and anxiety
Acupuncture can help improve blood pressure following a stroke, improve the function of the left side of the heart, and improve the effectiveness of medication in some people who are not responding adequately to anti-hypertensive drugs alone.
Acupuncture is safe in people receiving anticoagulant medication – for example, following a heart attack or following hip/knee surgery.
E-Stim or electroacupuncture can lower blood pressure for up to 6 weeks in patients with hypertension.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that applies low-intensity electrical pulses through needles inserted at specific points on the body.
Since electroacupuncture decreases peak and average systolic blood pressure over 24 hours, this therapy may reduce the risk of stroke, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, and myocardial infarction in hypertensive patients.
At Gulf Coast Acupuncture and Fertility, we are here to help you feel better. Our office is minutes away from the Pensacola International Airport and is easily accessible from the I-10. Book your appointment today. (850) 331-9991
Sources:
High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes | cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
Acupuncture For High Blood Pressure - Lower Blood Pressure. https://mylowerbloodpressure.com/acupuncture-for-high-blood-pressure
Acupuncture may reduce high blood pressure. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298376