Keeping your blood pressure under control requires adopting several healthy lifestyle changes. This includes quitting smoking, losing weight, eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Managing your stress level also plays a role and you may be considering using the herb kava, as is known to treat anxiety. However, high blood pressure is a serious condition and all herbs have the potential to cause side effects, so kava should only be used under medical supervision.
High Blood Pressure
As your heart pumps blood through your body, the blood puts force against the blood vessel walls. When your blood pressure gets too high, you are at a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke. There are many factors that raise the risk of high blood pressure such as age; gender; family history; nationality; a sedentary lifestyle; unhealthy eating habits and smoking, notes National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Some medications and chronic diseases can also cause your blood pressure to get too high. Treating high blood pressure requires finding the underlying cause so that the best treatment approach can be determined. If your blood pressure is dangerously high you may need medication.
Anxiety and High Blood Pressure
Anxiety on its own does not usually cause high blood pressure, however anxiety attacks can cause spikes in blood pressure that over time can damage your blood vessels, reports MayoClinic.com. Chronic stress and anxiety can also cause damage to the heart muscle and kidneys which is concern, because the kidneys help to control fluid balance and in turn, blood pressure. In addition, if you are constantly stressed or anxious you may turn to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as overeating, smoking and drinking all of which also make your blood pressure rise. Given the above managing stress and anxiety needs to be part of an overall plan to keep your blood pressure under control.
Kava
Kava, kava kava or piper methysticum is an herb that grows as a shrub in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The root of this plant is often ground and used in teas and capsules for many medicinal purposes. The most common use of kava is to treat anxiety and depression. While research is limited it appears that taking kava can have a sedative or relaxing effect on the body, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It can cause drowsiness and may be used to treat insomnia as well.
Warning
While kava may help to reduce anxiety levels, which may help to lower your blood pressure, there are many safety concerns about this herb. MedlinePlus does not recommend using kava because it appears to cause liver damage that in severe cases can be fatal. Kava can worsen depression and interact with many herbal, over-the-counter and prescription medications you may be taking. For safety, always check with your physician before taking kava and be sure to have frequent liver function tests.
