HYPERTENSION/High Blood Pressure Treatment^©
(Precursor to heart disease)
by Jeanne Rose

ABSTRACT:
Definitions and Essential Oils.
Hypertension – High blood pressure
Hypertensive – raises blood pressure
Hypotension – Low blood pressure
Hypotensive – lowers blood pressure

Essential Oils of Basil CT camphor (?), Birch Bark, Melissa, Rosemary CT camphor (?), Lemon/ Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Juniper, Sweet Marjoram, Litsea (May Chang), Owyhee, Neroli, Rose, Ylang-Ylang #3.

Early Warning Signs include morning headache, sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, swollen ankles and fingers, recurrent nosebleeds, dizziness and vision disturbances.

To stimulate Circulation use Black Pepper, Spanish Marjoram, Rosemary and Ginger.
Circulatory Tonics and Astringents - Cypress, Rose Geranium, Yarrow and Lemon are used for edema, swellings, inflammations and varicose veins.

Symptoms - Headaches, persistent morning headaches, eye and vision problems (sees lights) or vision disturbance (has temporary visions), dizziness, raised blood pressure (normal is about 120/80 systole/diastole), sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, elevated cholesterol.

Essential Oils - See Above.

Hydrosols - Hydrosols can be added in all the usual ways: to baths, to nasal lavage, in teas, 2 t. in a liter of water per day, as part of your skin care program.

Cypress, may balance the blood pressure, use with Juniper as a diuretic to excrete excess water. Use Cypress with Elecampane if the respiratory system is also involved.
Goldenrod may have mild heart tonic effects and can be used with Cypress and Juniper.
Melissa is antiviral and a good all-around tonic and is a good addition in a regime to lower blood pressure or act as a tonic.
Scotch Pine is a good addition to the other hydrosols, especially when the respiratory system is also involved.

Foods - Garlic, Onions, Ginger, Oats, Buckwheat noodles and pancakes, Violet flowers and leaf

Diet - Total fats in diet should be less than 20%. Remove all trans fats. Increase intake of fish, fish oils or cold-pressed oils such as Borage Seed oil. Flax seed is also useful for both hypertension and high cholesterol. You should also reduce intake of salts to 2-3 gm per day (this will eliminate all junk food, chips, packaged foods and meats, processed foods), which should all but eliminate the trans fats, and excess salt. Reduce the methyl xanthines such as black tea, coffee, cola, and chocolate. Increase fiber with more raw fruits and hearty green vegetables and beans and nuts. Reduce alcohol to no more than one glass of wine per day. Reduce weight by 15-20%.

Herbs - Hawthorn berries, Fu Ling, Yi yi ren, Ju Hua, Motherwort, Parsley tea

Morning Herbal Tea for Circulation and Blood: Melissa, Hawthorn berries and Rosemary tea.
Nighttime Herbal Tea for Hypertension and to sleep: Herbs of Linden (high blood pressure), Red Clover (menopause symptoms and deep sleep), and Lemon Balm.
General Daily Herbal Treatment should include an herbal mixture of 40% Hawthorn, 10% each of Linden flowers, Oats, Cramp bark, Yarrow flowers, Melissa and Motherwort. Drink this tea, 1 cup/4X/day >1 oz mixed herbs infused 10-20 minutes in 1 quart of just of-the-boil water.
“...Achillea millefolium, Yarrow flowers, relax the peripheral blood vessels and improves blood flow.
Chrysanthemum morifolium, Ju Hua flowers, dilates the coronary arteries and increases blood flow; clears “liver heat”, which can cause hypertension.
Crataegus spp., Hawthorn flowering tops and berries, improves coronary circulation, strengthens heart muscle, and helps stabilize blood pressure as the cardiac function improves.
Stachys officinalis, Wood Betony herb and flowers, is a circulatory tonic, relaxant and mild sedative; it calms the heart and makes a great tasting tea.
Tilia europaea, Linden flowers, relaxes and heals blood vessels and helps prevent arteriosclerosis. ...” --------------Penelope Ody, the Complete Medicinal Herbal

Herbs & Hydrosols to Avoid - Sage (raises blood pressure), Rosemary camphor (?)

Exercise - Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 days/week. Add light weights to your walking regime.

Baths - Showers are to clean the body while baths are to heal the mind and body. Hydrotherapy has been a system of therapeutic bathing rituals or various therapeutic baths to aid in the healing of various systems of the body. It has been prescribed since before the advent of the Roman baths with their distinct and separate rooms of various temperature baths.

However, full body immersion is the key to cleansing the body of illness and with modern baths where only the lower part of the body is fully immersed this does not lend itself to a healing experience. In a modern bath, one must lay down flat on your back in the tub with the legs up and out, in order to get the proper healing effects. Worried about your hair? Wear a shower cap.

In a bath/hydro-therapy treatment, it is important to use three baths per week of 20 minutes each. The temperature of the water is not important. Start with warm baths, add Seaweeds, Moor mud, herbs and/or hydrosols.

For hypertension, shower and clean first, then fill the tub and use body temperature water, add 1 cup of Melissa hydrosol, soak for 20 minutes, wrap in a large towel, drink a cup of your Hypertension Tea Blend and go to bed. Melissa is the most useful, but Lavender or Rose Geranium hydrosols can also be used. You don't have hydrosols? Use herbal infusions of the herbs mentioned.

Aromatherapy Blends: Mix essential oils of Lavender -20 drops, Marjoram-5 drops, Ylang-Ylang-5 drops and Lemon/Bergamot-5 drops together. Use succussion. Then add the synergy to 2 ounces of Lavender/Yarrow infused oil. Massage around the solar plexus and sternum and have someone massage this into your back from tailbone to neck bone.

Sources:
A “Blood, Heart & Circulation Kit” is available from New Age Creations. The kit contains five one-dram (4 ml) vials of pure essential oil and a two-dram vial each of hydrosol and Infused Oil of Lavender + Yarrow essential oil as a carrier. The single essential oils include Birch Bark, Ylang-Ylang #3, May Chang, sweet Marjoram, Lemon/Bergamot, Melissa Hydrosol and Lavender Infused oil with Lavender and Yarrow essential oils. The kit comes in a beautiful tapestry bag with full directions. $45 + $8 .50 shipping >415/564-6785.

Hydrosols. Different hydrosols are available from different producers.
You can get
1. Yarrow and other hydrosols from Celestial Body, 21298 Pleasant Hill Road, Boonville, MO 65233, 660/882-6858
2. Lavender Hydrosol and Lavender herb for your infused oils from Gladstone Lavender •31397 Seaview Rd.• Cazadero, CA 95421.Wonderful selection of products.
3. Hydrosols of many kinds from Prima Fleur at 415/455-0957.
4. Hydrosol of Melissa and Infused Oil of Lavender as well as the "Hypertension Kit" already mentioned from New Age Creations, 415/564-6785.

Hypotension

Hypotension - Have low blood pressure
Hypertensive - raises blood pressure

Essential Oils of Scotch Pine, Winter Savory, Peppermint and Eucalyptus.

Hydrosols - Sage, Clary Sage.

Herbs - Lily-of-the-Valley, Broom flowers and tops, Motherwort, Rosemary herb, Sage

Author Bio:
Jeanne Rose has been a practicing aromatherapist for 30 years, author of 18 books on herbs and aromatherapy and founder of the Institute of Aromatic Studies with two courses in aromatherapy. The basic Course is for those with some interest while the Intermediate/Advanced Course is for those wishing to practice the arts and craft of Aromatic Essential Oil Therapy. Jeanne Rose's Correspondence course is approved for Nurses for 150 CE.

Bibliography
Battaglia, Salvatore. The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy
Catty, S., Hydrosol the Next Aromatherapy
Hoffman, David. Herbal Tea Suggestion from a 2002 lecture.
Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1993
Rose, Jeanne. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols
________. The Aromatherapy Book, Applications & Inhalations
________. Herbs & Things
________. Herbal Guide to Food