High blood pressure has been termed one of the modern ailments .It is associated with mental & physical stress and strain ,although modern city life puts lot of strain on its inhabitants yet strain factor is not the whole answer in this disease .Although in most of the cases the cause is not known yet some cases are secondary to an underlying disease such as renal disorders ,endocrine disorders coarctation of the aorta ,toxemia of pregnancy etc..
The type of hypertension for which no cause can be found is called essential hypertension The main incidence is associated with middle & old age but youth is not exempt ,businessmen & housewives are frequently affected .It is not difficult to understand how a harrassed businessmen is constantly subjected to mental strains builds up tension especially ,neck tension which deranges his arteries,.
The disease can be inherited ,this suggests that in such victims there is some specific costitutional taint ,here usually the ductless glands are affected ,children in these families having a predilection for hypertension if reared up under wrongful habits of living or subjected to too rigorous a discipline by their perfectionist parents are pushed into a state of nervous tension .This can cause the onset of the trouble .Although hypertension occurs more frequently in obese rather than lean persons .It may occur in individuals of any build ,when obesity and hypertension co-exist tendency for cardio-vascular disease is increased
In hypertension systolic&diastolic blood pressure have to be watched when the left ventricle contrcts and forcibly runs the blood into the arteries it causes increase in the blood pressure already in the arteries .upper limit of this pressure recorded is known as systolic pressure.Heart rests between each beat to recoup its spent energy
Blood pressure naturally falls during these intervals and the pressure recorded on the instrument at this moment is called the diastolic pressure .In adult life the differential pressure should vary between 40 and 50 points .High blood pressure is often detected on some routine physical check up .There are no marked symptoms for many years .The clinical features are no marked symptoms for many years .The clinical features are available ,early symptoms of hypertension are nervousness irritability,weakness ,easy fatigue and disturbed sleep.latter features are headaches ,dizziness impaired memory and digestive upsets .In some patients there is a desire to be always working and forcing the body onwards in the run ,the arteries collapse under the prolonged strain and the person then suffers from extreme weakness and low blood pressure is a common end result of high blood pressure and this condition is always a serious one .
Important criterion of the severity of the disease .In early stages the blood pressure is Low blood pressure is a common end result of high blood pressure and this ondition is always a serious one .The measure of blood pressure is not necessarily the most liable and therefore intermittent .It reacts sharply to such stimuli as emotion ,exercise and cold .later the resultant blood pressure becomes settled .In advanced stages most patients die of cardiac failures (60 %) cerebrovascular accidents (35%) and renal failures (5 %)
HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH;-
High blood pressure is only a symptom and not the whole of the disease .The real disease lies in the dynamic derangement of the vital force and the elevated blood pressure is the external tangible manifestation of that dynamic derangement .If we regard blood pressure as the whole of the disease and make it the object of treatment we ignore the logical relation between cause and effect and invert the natural direction of treatment .this results in resorting to palliative measure which often lead to metastasis to more important organs causing further complication and suffering ,in most of the cases of hyper tension ,a correct
Homoeopathic treatment can substantially bring down the BP .but even in cases where BP does not come down the patient improves in the general condition and the system develops adaptability towards such a condition .
The human system is endowed with a wonderful property of adaptability .The body seems to adjust itself to external and internal changes when forced upon it .our living organism always improvises means of meeting new situations .our organic states are very steady and to achieve this stability our entire organism remains in increasing activity and the converging efforts of all the functional systems come into play. We know of the speedy regeneration of blood after haemorrhage .we also knowhow animals adapt themselves to thirst and hunger .heat and cold animals unable to quench their thirst except at rare intervals learn to drink abundantly and their tissues store large quantity of water over lengthy period .we utilize our adaptive function much less than our ancestors did and diseases like hyper tension are on increase in modern times .palliative treatment atrophies adaptability .
TREATMENT IN HYPER TENSION
In the acute phase ,when hyper tension is due to fear ,fright or emotional causes .
1.ACONITE;-after fright or exposure to cold ,dry winds ,sudden rise of BP with anxiety ,restlessness and fear of death .fears the future , a crowd ,crossing the street.,music makes her sad thinks parts of his/her body are extremely thick ,thirsty .on rising from a recumbent position the red face becomes deathly pale or becomes faint and giddy.
2.BRYONIA;-high BP from chagrin ,mortification ,anger .persons who are irritable ,inclined to be vehement and angry and of rheumatic &gouty diathesis ,excessive dryness of mucous membranes ;constipated ,stools dry ;thirst ,headache .aggravation from any motion and corresponding relief from absolute rest ,either mental or physical.
3.CAUSTICUM;-useful both in acute and chronic cases ,hyper tension from getting cold ;from long –lasting grief and sorrow ;from loss of sleep ,night watching from sudden emotions ,fear ,fright ,joy from anger or vexation .When hyper tension is associated with rheumatic arthritic and paralytic affections .There is progressive loss of muscular strength ,tendons contraction,deformities about the joints , great restlessness at night but motion does not relieve constipation ,involuntary urination on coughing ,sneezing etc.great sympathy for sufferings of others ;melancholy mood sensation of rawness and soreness in different parts.
4.GELSEMIUM;- high BP from fear ,fright ,exciting news and sudden emotions ,fear of death ;utter lack of courage ;desire to be quiet to be let alone .dull, drowsy and dizzy ,great depression from heat of sun of summer ,complete relaxation and prostration of while muscular system with entire motor paralysis ;great heaviness of the eye lids ,can not keep them open ,weakness and trembling ,head ache and vertigo spreading from the cervical region .Fears that unless on the move the heart will cease beating ,thirstlessness.
5.OPIUM;-high BP that originate from fright and the fear still remaining ,want of susceptibility ,to remedies ,apoplexy threatened ,there is a great spoor painlessness .patients complain nothing ,want nothing sleepy but can not sleep;sleeplessness with acuteness of hearing or sleep heavy stupid with stertorous breathing ;red face ,eyes half closed ,blood shot ,pupils contracted ;skin covered with hot sweat ,loss of breath on falling asleep .bed feels hot ,constipated ;hard round black balls or diarrhoea ;stools involuntary ,urine retained with full bladder .
6.GLONINE;- when condition in BP simulates sun stroke when high rise in BP is the result of mental excitement ,fear ,fright or from working under gas light ,heat of stove or walking in sun ,cerebral congestion of the head and heart .ead feels enormously large ,terrific shocks in the head synchronous with the pulse ;brain throbs at every jar ,step or pulse.
7.STAPHYSAGRIA;-high BP after sexual sins and excesses;ill effects of chagrin and unmerited insults .was insulted ;being too dignified to fight ,subdued his wrath and went home sick trembling and exhausted .
8.NAT.MUR.;- great emaciation losing flesh while living well .anaemic awkward hasty hot sad are worse from consolation ,at seashore from sunrise to sunset ,they have mapped tongue and hard dry stools which crumble at the verge of anus .they have craving for salt and aversion for bread and are better in open air and going without regular meals ,their head aches as if a thousand little hammers were knocking on the brain.
9.LACHESIS;-menses, regular but too short and scanty better during menses. High BP in climacteric period ,flushes of heat ,palpitations ,burning vertex ,head ache fainting spells touch throat ,abdomen etc.. sleeps into aggravation and is mentally and physically weak ,trembles.
10.GRAPHITES;-patient is obese relaxed ,cautions and timid costive ,chilly cold catching ,prone to get eczematous eruptions ,cracks and fissures ,has scanty and delayed manses ,leucorrhoea in gushes burning vertex and cobweb sensation on forehead ,high BP during climacteric period and from suppressed eczema.
11.LILIUM;prolapsus uteri with palpitation .sensation as if heart was grasped in a vise heart feels full to bursting .pulsations over whole body and full distended feeling as if blood would burst through the vessels ,rapid heart beat -150-170 / minute profound depression of spirits .wild crazy feeling on vertex and aimless hurried motion .menses early ,scanty ,dark clotted offensive flow only when moving about.
12.BELLADONNA;-bellodonna is the commonest anchor sheet remedy when BP suddenly shoots up high in plethoric persons who are lively and entertaining when well but violent and often delirious when sick .head is hot and painful face is flushed with rush of blood to head and face ,there is throbbing of brain and carotids ; worse from slight noise ,jar ,motion ,light ,lying down ;better from tight banding wrapping up .thirst for cold water with dread of drinking .
13.CONIUM;-bad effects of suppressed sexual desire or menses. High BP at the change of life of old maids and bachelors .weakness of body and mind .trembling and palpitation arterio-scherosis glands enlarged indurated. vertigo when lying down or turning in bed .sweat day and night as soon as one sleeps or even when closing the eyes (amyl nitrite ,belladonna , glonine, and verat. vit are very useful remedies in a very acute phase of hyper tension) .
14.RHUS-TOX;- high BP in persons who develop complaints from getting wet or in damp weather .A patient had high BP and sciatica ,rhus tox – 200 thrice a day cured both the complaints in a few weeks .it is seven years now and the patient has suffered no relapse of any of these complaints .
15. SEPIA;-mild temperament ,indolent sad ,weeping ,faints easily ,indifferent to those loved best ,yellow complexion ,is chilly and constipated and suffers from prolapsus-uteri .there are flushes of heat from least motion with anxiety and faintness followed by perspiration over whole body .She is worse from washing and better by continued motion .menses irregular .
16. NUX VOM.;-when high BP is incident of strains of modern life .digestive and nervous disorders ,over drugging etc.. there is no medicine ,so useful as NUX .the typical NUX patient is thin ,quick active ,nervous and irritable .he leads a sedentary life and is subjected to mental strains cares and worries ,he seeks stimulants like coffee and wine or resorts to sedatives to quiet his excitement .He takes rich and stimulating food ,and wine and women play their part to make him forget his worries .he sleeps late and wakes up with head aches ,dyspepsia and irritable temper .drug addiction soon becomes part of his life .he becomes hypersensitive and over impressionable ,such an organism becomes a good soil for BP to develop and NUX can do a lot of good to those patients provided they to orderly life .
17.CINA;-I have found this remedy very useful where the BP is due to round worms .variable appetite ,irritability of mind
18.AMYL NIT;-high BP with intense surging of blood to face and head with blushing &flushing followed by sweating often hot ,profuse parts below are icy cold
followed by great prostration ,tumultuous heart action intense throbbing of heart and carotids ;angina pectoris .The patient craves fresh air even in the coldest weather ,there is constant stretching for hours and profound and repeated yawning
19.VERAT VIR.;-threatened apoplexy rush of blood to head ,flushed face ,dilated pupils ,buzzing in ears .chest oppressed ,throbbing of arteries ,slow full pulse ,hard as iron ,tongue white yellow with red streak down the middle ,vomiting of food and drink .when high BP results from excessive use of salt ,’natrum mur’and ‘phosphorus’are very useful .
20.PHOSPHORUS;-tall slender persons of fair skin ,delicate eye lashes fine blond or red hair ,quick perceptions and very sensitive nature ,over sensitiveness of all the senses ,restless,frigidity ;moves continually .haemorrhage diathesis burning between scapulae ,a weak empty ,all gone sensation in different parts and great weakness ,prostration and trembling ,regurgitation of ingesta in mouthful,longing for cold food and drinks ,stools long ,slender ,tough and hard or diarrhoea as soon as anything enters the abdomen .Phosphorus has the odor of sulphur.
