E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, MAY 30 -

In Ayurveda, there are two categories of high blood pressure - one is related to the heart and family history, and the other is a symptom of many other diseases, like kidney disease, diabetes or cancer.

 “If a person’s high blood pressure is related to the heart or family history, we usually advise him or her to change their diet and lifestyle. Sometimes, we may also prescribe some medications, as there are some herbs we can use to lower our patients’ blood pressure,” says ayurvedic physician Dr C.D. Siby.

 “But if it is caused by another condition, we need to treat the underlying disease so that the blood pressure can be lowered,” he explains.

While there are cases where a person’s blood pressure is high due to no obvious reasons, ayurvedic physicians believe that lifestyle factors like unhealthy dietary habits, a sedentary lifestyle, and stress play a more important role in the development of the disease.

You can have a strong family history, but you may not necessarily develop it if you

practise good lifestyle habits and dietary choices, according to Dr Siby.

These good practices include waking up and sleeping early, eating healthfully, and exercising regularly. Ayurvedic physicians believe that if you keep up these good habits, you might even be able to pass on better genes to your children.

“We often recommend sleeping about three to four hours after the sun sets. This is because our body naturally detoxifies itself during that time. If we are still working or eating at that time, our body has to work harder, and does not have time to rest,” says Dr Siby.

As for waking up early, Dr Siby says that it is best if we could wake up within three to four hours before the sun rises. This is because our body naturally releases anti-stress hormones during those hours to prepare it for stressful times.

When it comes to exercise, Dr Siby recommends simple exercises that do not overexert the body. “We usually advise our patients that if you think you can manage an hour’s exercise at one go, do half of it every day,” he explains. Diet wise, Dr Siby encourages people to simply eat slower. While some lifestyle factors may not be avoidable, there are ways to overcome them.

“For people who cannot avoid these factors, we usually recommend detoxification or rejuvenation treatments to make them physically fit,” says Dr Siby.

“And if your blood pressure is found to be related to your emotional or mental stress, counselling might help,” he adds.

- The Star

Posted on: 2011-05-30 09:57

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