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| Home > Yoga and Diseases > Yoga and Hypertension
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| | Yoga and Hypertension
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Hypertension should not be considered as a disease in the regular sense but as a state in which blood pressure is maintained at 140 mmHg (systolic) or more and 90 mmHg (diastolic) or more. It is called essential hypertension when no specific cause is known and secondary hypertension due to kidney function impairment and sympathetic overpowering on account of stress and rarely due to tumors like pheochromocytoma.
Causes:
Apart from stress, lack of physical exercise, overweight, faulty dietary habits, smoking lead to hardening of the arterial wall. This narrowing of peripheral blood vessels gives rise to increased peripheral vascular resistance, increasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Persistent raised BP brings about cerebral ischaemia, paralytic attack, and acute myocardial infarction leading to sudden death.
Angina at different levels, congestive failure, renal function impairment, renal failure, peripheral vascular diseases and ocular blood vessel damage due to atherosclerotic changes.
Symptoms:
Systolic blood pressure increases above 140-mmHg & Diastolic blood pressure increases above 90 mmHg.
Patient is restless with congested heaviness in head.
Pathological changes in various organs.
Treatment:
Yoga, by its holistic approach produces sustained fall in BP without any side effects. Yoga in other ways brings about changes in an individual at physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual levels.
Asanas: Vajrasana, Padmasana, Gomukhasana, Ardha-Matsyendrasana, Vakrasana, Makarasana, Ardha-Shalabhasana, Pavanmuktasana, Vrikshasana Tadasana. Most important is Shavasana to produce prolonged relaxative state of mind as well as whole musculature of the body.
Pranayama: Yogic breathing techniques like Anuloma viloma, Ujjayi, Sitkari, Shitali, Bhramari. (10 rounds of selected pranayama).
Omkar mantra recitation: (10 to 20 times).
Meditation: (for 10 to 20 min.)
Also conventional treatment consists of BP reducing drugs under various groups such as diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, and Ace inhibitors.
Apart from these treatments, one should avoid fast foods, spicy and excessively oily foods. Whole grain food should be preferred. Regular timings for meals are to be observed, whereas late evening meals are to be discouraged. The last meal should be taken at least two hours before sleep.
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