Blood pressure readings – separating fact from fiction
After five months of stopping medications and starting on alternative natural remedies to reduce blood pressure I started to get blood pressure reading below the 120/80 ideal!
For example, yesterday I came in from working on the roof of my house and decided just for interest to take a reading. I clocked in at 153/98 with a heart rate of 84. Had I lost all the ground I had been struggling to attain? Not at all. That night before bed I took a reading again and was back down to a respectable 128/87 with a heart rate of 68.
You see, blood pressure levels change – up, down, round-about, and back again – in the course a day depending on what your doing, thinking, or have eaten. This is why it can be a big mistake to conclude you a chronic sufferer of high blood pressure / hypertension from one reading or an occasional visit to the doctor’s office.
Add to this the fact that many people’s blood pressure level increases just stepping into a doctor’s office. It’s called white coat syndrome. I think I have it even though inwardly I feel reasonably calm at the doctor’s. But how else can I account that my highest blood pressure readings ever have been at the doctor’s?
How many people have been falsely diagnosed with one or two high blood pressure readings and put on medications for life when there was no need?
What to do if you think you have high blood pressure
What this means is that if you’re worried about your blood pressure levels:
- Get your own monitor and take readings at different times.
- Judge your blood pressure level according to ranges.
Remember, blood pressure readings are not as accurate tire pressure gauges. If you take two readings one after the other they will very rarely be the same (though they should be close). Don’t get too obsessed by exact numbers when it comes to blood pressure. Look for ranges.
Which is why the current blood pressure industry mantra of 120/80, 120/80, 120/80 … is just plain silly.
It has been speculated that it is largely driven by international pharmaceutical industries who have a large stake in the hypertension medications field. This is not just another conspiracy theory. Rather it is the outcome of a “confluence of interests”.
Look for a healthy range of blood pressure readings. Where you draw the line between ‘OK’ and ‘not OK’ readings is really up to you.
My own approach
A reasonable approach that works for me is this: When relaxed, blood pressure readings below 130/90 is good; readings below 140/105 is OK; readings over 140/105 is not OK – time for action.
Mind you I have discovered that high blood pressure ‘runs in the family’ for me which means I have to take extra diligence to keep me in a healthy range. Others, not genetically prone to higher blood pressure, may wish to lower their ‘OK’ ranges.
Blood pressure ranges are a bit like shoe sizes. It not natural that everyone has identical blood pressure readings – or should be medicated in an attempt achieve an ideal reading at all times.
Given the fact that undesirable side effects with many of these medications have been well documented, there’s every reason to look for alternatives if you suffer from high blood pressure.
That’s exactly the situation I found myself in back in April this year (2009). After two months of being prescribed an ACE inhibitor (Rampril) I had developed a persistant nagging cough that would wake me up often in the night. Meanwhile my blood pressure reading refused to budge from 190+ / 120+ readings.
After five months of following of exploring alternatives to medication I now enjoy blood pressure reading in an OK range – sometimes even below the ideal of 120/80.
Alternative blood pressure remedies
I’ve tried a number of alternative blood pressure cures offered on the internet but the ones I’ve used the most and come back to is Kevin Riley’s guidebook Get Natural! Drop Your Blood Pressure, and David O’Hara’s BreathEasy program of slow breathing exercises.
I have a 15 minute slow breathing session almost every night before bed and my blood pressure regularly drops to the 120/80 range and my heart rate below 70. (Slow breathing is actually the quickest way to lower your blood pressure without medications!)
Even though I have completed Kevin Riley’s program to lower blood pressure I often re-read parts. It’s a wealth of information and an enjoyable read (which is more than you can say for most ‘health guides’ on the Internet).
If you’re really serious about lowering your blood pressure without medication then you might want to consider what has worked for me so far:
- Get your own blood pressure monitor
- Take 15 minutes off a day to breathe slowly and reduce hypertension
- learn about how to adjust your diet and daily routine to be healthier
UPDATE: How to lower your blood pressure naturally
Both BreathEasy and Get Natural! are now unavailable. However, to replace (and improve on) them, I’ve created my own slow breathing audio program as well as a guide on how to lower your blood pressure naturally.
Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally – The Complete 9 Step Guide (with Slow Breathing Program included)
The guide contains simple and proven strategies for lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low through easy, effective and enjoyable changes in lifestyle.
It covers the large choice of affordable natural ingredients that lower blood pressure, many of which are available in local stores. It also looks at the best ways to exercise for lower blood pressure, with tips for being more active in your everyday life. Finally, it outlines handy techniques for stress reduction and relaxation.
To keep it simple, the guide is arranged in a series of 9 easy-to-follow steps.
These progressive steps are based on the principle that positive incremental change is always best in health matters. And each chapter will take you further along the road of greater vigour and peace of mind (and a healthy blood pressure).
You also get a full set of guided slow breathing audio tracks (mp3s) to complement the guide.
Click here for more information and to get a free sample and start lowering your blood pressure naturally today – Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally – The Complete 9 Step Guide
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After 9 weeks of following Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally and doing slow breathing exercises you should be feeling a lot better and your blood pressure readings should be down quite a lot.
That’s what’s worked for me.
Best wishes and let us know how you’re getting along with these or any other natural cures for high blood pressure.
Life, we’re all in it together.
I think it’s super that you have set up this blog for people with hypertension who are reluctant to take powerful medication. I took an ACE inhibitor and found too that I had an unpleasant dry tickling cough. Anyway I don’t like how the mainstream drugs work. They don’t cure the problem. They are just kind of plumbing solutions but with unpleasant side effects. I can’t believe they are the best solution. So it’s great to have the benefit of your previous experience!