Biofeedback machine and its role in high blood pressure
By definition, blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against the blood vessel walls. This means that the higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to pump to circulate blood. In order for one’s blood pressure to be considered normal, it has to be 120/80. 120 is the maximum pressure or known as the systolic measurement and 80 is the minimum or the diastolic pressure. When the blood pressure is over 140/90 it is considered to be hypertension.
Given the info above, hypertension can either be primary or secondary. When it is secondary hypertension, the cause is known which can be the following: cancer, diseases, or certain medications.
Hypertension and its Causes
In spite of not being able to determine the cause of primary hypertension, we can look into various factors that appear to increase the risk of this type of hypertension.
- Stress
- Aging
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise or physical activity
- Obesity or being overweight
- Diabetes (especially uncontrolled diabetes)
- Chronic alcohol use, especially at a high level
- Vitamin or mineral problems (high sodium, low calcium, low potassium, low magnesium, low Vitamin D)
- Genetics (family history)
Standard Treatments for Hypertension
Perhaps one of the most common and easiest treatments to hypertension is lifestyle change. Among all the risk factors above, the majority of them can actually be controlled which can reduce the risk of hypertension. Eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and controlling alcohol intake can all greatly help reduce hypertension.
There are also some types of drugs and medications that can be used for the treatment of hypertension. Some of them may work directly to reduce high blood pressure while others can work to reduce cholesterol (another risk factor that can exacerbate hypertension.)
Alternative Treatments
In most cases, hypertension can be controlled through lifestyle and dietary changes. In this case, striving to lose and becoming more physically active, as well as eating healthy food, managing stress, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol can help in decreasing blood pressure.
In the case of biofeedback, there have been studies that showed some conflicting results. As Dr. Robert Brook says, “It is plausible that some techniques may be more effective than others.” He goes on to say that since no significant health risks were reported in any of the studies, “Biofeedback may be considered in clinical practice to lower BP.”
