High blood pressure does not involve pain and is usually
controlled by drugs, hypertensive people prefer to pop the pill and forget
about their sickness rather than spend one hour on yoga, they do not seem like
to realise how these drugs are damaging their system. These medicines are known
to have the following effects.
·
DIURETICS
These medications cause the body to produce more urine and evacuate
sodium, leading to a drop in blood pressure. Side effects of these drugs may
include hypotension (low blood pressure), weakness, muscle weakness, loss of
appetite, constipation, and potassium depletion-which in turn can lead to
cardiac arrhythmia. Diuretics may have an opposing effect on sugar metabolism
and raise the blood sugar level. The uric acid level may also go up, leading to
gout and arthritis. One type of diuretic is even known to increase blood
cholesterol. From time to time it causes hypertonia due to potassium loss.
·
BETA-BLOCKERS
These drugs suppress the sympathetic nervous system whose
job is to gear-up the body parts to work—thus reducing the heart rate. At the
same time these lessen the force with which the heart muscle contract and
reduce blood vessel contraction in the heart, brain and thoughtout the body.
While the slow pulse rate effectively reduces blood pressure, it also reduces
circulation to outlying body tissues and cause unfamiliar tiredness,
sensitivity to cold and sunlight and hurt exercise tolerance. Beta blockers
also aggravate asthma.
·
METHYLDOPA
This drug is related to dopamine and hence can cause sleepiness
and depression. It can also damage the liver.
·
PERIPHERAL VASODILATORS
These drugs dilate blood vessels and can lead to hypotension
and fainting.
·
CLORIDINE
It inhibits the hypothalamic and other brain centres
blocking the transmission of instincts from the brain to the blood vessels with
the result that major resistance and blood pressure drop. Side effects can lead
to reduced mental functioning and nervous system disorder.
Though the drugs are harmful, it may be necessary to take
them initially as leaving the ailment uncontrolled can be dangerous. Once a gentlemen
had come to me treat his high blood pressure. To motivate him to continue with
his practise regularly, I had told him that ill effects of the
anti-hypertensive drugs were worse than ailment itself. Years later, he brought
his young son who had very high blood pressure and proudly announced that he
did not allow his son to take the medication! Fortunately the body’s ailment
was at an early stage and did not do any harm.
As high blood pressure decreases blood flows to body
tissues, but if left untreated it can lead to serious and irreversible
conditions such as:
·
Brain damage
Serious problems that can develop due to weakening of brain
tissues are encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. According to a study in
Finland, people with hypertension and high level of cholesterol have nearly
eight times the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease than those with normal
levels. At a milder level, high blood pressure can lead to loss of memory and
concentration.
·
Kidney damage
The kidneys are important organs, which are brought with one
fifth of the total volume of blood pumped bye the heart. When these vital
organs do not receive the usual amount they react aggressively by releasing an
enzyme called rennin, which causes the blood vessels to contract to force the
heart to pump harder. The blood pressure rises leading to further decrease in
the blood supply to the kidney’s, which in turn results in more rennin
secretion. A vicious cycle is thus formed leading to the gradual failure of
these vital organs. When the kidney’s do not function well the balance of
salts, acids and water goes haywire and toxins pile up, which invariably causes
death.
·
Eye problem
With less blood supply, the faint optic nerves and powers
start degenerating, leading to blurring, double vision and gradual or sudden
loss of eyesight.
·
Blood vessel damage
The constant high pressure against the walls of the blood
vessels causes them to stiffen. As a protective reaction, these vessels start stiffening
resulting in arteriosclerosis, a condition where the blood vessels are rigid
and brittle and are prone to rupture.
·
Atherosclerosis
Small scars look in the inner walls of blood vessels. These injuries
are covered with plaque making the arteries thicker and stiffer, resulting in
more injuries. Gradually the passage becomes narrow and these narrowed arteries
not only restrict blood flow to important body parts but a plaque can get
dislodged and block the passage cutting off the blood supply completely by
resulting in heart attack.
·
Stroke
A solidified artery can breach in the brain causing a
stroke. A blood clot or a piece of plaque can also cause a stroke by blocking
an artery supplying blood to the brain.
·
Heart damage
The inflexible arteries exert a tremendous pressure on the
heart. To keep up with the ever-increasing load, the heart increases in size,
which may make its muscle rigid. This losses the efficiency of the heart. Blood
is not circulated well enough, causing fluid build-up in various parts of the
body including the lungs. To clear the congestion, the heart struggles harder,
which may result in a heart failure due to sheer exhaustion.
All these damages can be prevented if yoga is taken up early
enough.
After stabilising the pressure over a period of few months,
the following yogic cleansing technique be practiced to remove the harmful
chemicals of the anti-hypertension drugs remove the dangerous chemicals of the
anti-hypertension drugs from the body.
