Hypertension
Hypertension is a silent killer that can cause serious damage to the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. In most cases, the condition is discovered during a routine checkup.
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, hypertension or high blood pressure usually originated from overstimulated emotions, poor diet and internal weakness. These cause an imbalance of yin and yang and a disturbance of chi (vital energy) and blood. The liver and kidneys are the organs most affected because they deal with the production and movement of these throughout the body. The formation of internal pathogens such as wind, fire, phlegm and blood stasis gives rise to different disharmony patterns.
Since Chinese medicine rarely checks blood pressure, hypertension is diagnosed through symptoms such as dizziness headaches and sudden blackouts. (One Chinese medical classic says: “dizziness caused by wind is related to a liver disorder.”) there may also be thirst, constipation, yellowish urine, bloodshot eyes and a red tongue coated with yellow “fur”. Treating the condition means suppressing the hyperactive liver, calming the body’s yang, expelling heat and extinguishing wind. One formula is a decoction of gastrodia and uncaria (Tianma Gouteng Yin)in this recipe, gastrodia root, uncaria stem and abalone shell calm the liver and suppress exuberant yang. Gardenia fruit and baical skullcap root clear heat in the liver meridian and stop it ascending to the head. Achyranthes root ensures a proper downward flow of blood from the head and motherwort herb activates the blood and promotes urination. Eucommia bark and mistletoe nourish the liver and kidneys, and fleece-flower stem and poria calm the mind.
When a TCM practitioner diagnoses the disharmony patterns associated with hypertension, it may mean the condition has progressed to a stage where complications or organ damage has occurred. TCM may not be as quick and convenient as western medicine when it comes to lowering blood pressure, but it can still be a complementary treatment, helping to alleviate symptoms, reducing organ damage, preventing complications and improve quality of life.
Before taking any medicine, consult your TCM or medical practitioner
Rose Tse and Jenny Eagleton, info@shen-nong.com
Edited by Suzanne Harrison suzanne.harrison@scmp.com
Published: May 21, 2007 Source: South China Morning Post
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, hypertension or high blood pressure usually originated from overstimulated emotions, poor diet and internal weakness. These cause an imbalance of yin and yang and a disturbance of chi (vital energy) and blood. The liver and kidneys are the organs most affected because they deal with the production and movement of these throughout the body. The formation of internal pathogens such as wind, fire, phlegm and blood stasis gives rise to different disharmony patterns.
Since Chinese medicine rarely checks blood pressure, hypertension is diagnosed through symptoms such as dizziness headaches and sudden blackouts. (One Chinese medical classic says: “dizziness caused by wind is related to a liver disorder.”) there may also be thirst, constipation, yellowish urine, bloodshot eyes and a red tongue coated with yellow “fur”. Treating the condition means suppressing the hyperactive liver, calming the body’s yang, expelling heat and extinguishing wind. One formula is a decoction of gastrodia and uncaria (Tianma Gouteng Yin)in this recipe, gastrodia root, uncaria stem and abalone shell calm the liver and suppress exuberant yang. Gardenia fruit and baical skullcap root clear heat in the liver meridian and stop it ascending to the head. Achyranthes root ensures a proper downward flow of blood from the head and motherwort herb activates the blood and promotes urination. Eucommia bark and mistletoe nourish the liver and kidneys, and fleece-flower stem and poria calm the mind.
When a TCM practitioner diagnoses the disharmony patterns associated with hypertension, it may mean the condition has progressed to a stage where complications or organ damage has occurred. TCM may not be as quick and convenient as western medicine when it comes to lowering blood pressure, but it can still be a complementary treatment, helping to alleviate symptoms, reducing organ damage, preventing complications and improve quality of life.
Before taking any medicine, consult your TCM or medical practitioner
Rose Tse and Jenny Eagleton, info@shen-nong.com
Edited by Suzanne Harrison suzanne.harrison@scmp.com
Published: May 21, 2007 Source: South China Morning Post
