Hypertension—or high blood pressure—is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases in the U.S. today, affecting more than 75 million Americans. Unfortunately, less than 50% of those with hypertension manage to keep it under control. Because high blood pressure is one of the few diseases with virtually no outwardly noticeable symptoms, it is often referred to as “the silent killer”. Complications from high blood pressure can seem to come on quickly. If and when symptoms do present, they commonly include occasional dizziness, headaches, sporadic high heart rate, nervousness, and skin flushing. However, these symptoms are not specific to hypertension.

For someone to be diagnosed with hypertension, they must have a blood pressure reading consistently over 140/90 mm Hg. While it is normal for blood pressure to rise and fall during normal daily activities, such as exercising and sleeping, when blood pressure is consistently elevated over a period of time hypertension is more likely the cause.

Fortunately, your blood pressure is easy to check every single day. You can do this at almost any local drug store. And, if you have been diagnosed with hypertension, then your naturopathic doctor can absolutely help you get to the bottom of how and why this is presenting.

Root Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be potentiated by several factors, including high stress, and (to some extent) genetic predisposition. Lifestyle and diet, however, plays the most significant role in both the presence of hypertension, and as an effective solution. Stress is the key player in how and when high blood pressure is present. And here’s why:

High stress is one of the leading causes of hypertension, and when addressed first, it can have an almost immediate positive impact on blood pressure. Stress causes a cascade of hormonal responses, physically constricting the arteries and leading to a more rapid blood flow and higher pressure against the endothelial layer of the arterial walls. When under stress, we release aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland. Aldosterone sends a message to the kidneys to retain salts. This signals nephrons to increase reabsorption of sodium and water, and releases potassium in the kidneys. Water will always follow sodium, leading to an increase in blood volume, which ultimately leads to an increase in blood pressure. Your kidneys play an enormous role in maintaining healthy blood pressure, and the kidneys are directly responsive to stress.

Aldosterone receptors (many of which are in the heart) can bind glucocorticoids, another class of steroid hormones. So, if you’re really stressed, your glucocorticoid levels go up, and you will start filling up aldosterone receptors and your blood volume will increase, thus increasing blood pressure. By controlling our response to stress (or better yet – reducing the causes of stress), we can effectively reduce the amount of aldosterone that is released on a daily basis, and therefore protect the kidneys.

Naturopathic Approach

Your Naturopathic doctor will first review any blood pressure medications that you may be taking in order to safely work alongside them. Then, they will thoroughly assess your lifestyle to determine what may be contributing to high blood pressure on a daily basis. Likely, they will suggest stress and lifestyle modifications to support your goal of lowering blood pressure sustainably, and often recommend appropriate herbal medicines or supplements – as well as dietary suggestions – to support your cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and your kidneys. All of their recommendations will be tailored for you and your lifestyle, and whether or not you are currently taking any medications to address high blood pressure.

Long term, the goal of a naturopathic approach to managing hypertension is to eliminate the cause, and thus prevent blood pressure from elevating again. This occurs by educating patients on the cause of their high blood pressure (which may differ from person to person), and offering tools and techniques to manage this effectively and sustainably over time. They can also easily work collaboratively with your other health care providers to deliver the most holistic and comprehensive care possible.

Are you interested in learning more about incorporating a naturopathic approach when managing high blood pressure? Request an appointment with one of our Naturopathic Doctors or give us a call at 804-977-2634 today.

Read More: Naturopathic Approach to Cardiovascular Health

Read More: 5 Supportive Remedies for High Blood Pressure