Controlling blood pressure at will?

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binocular
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Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by binocular »

Greetings.


My mother was invited for a routine checkup at her GP. They discovered that she has high blood pressure. For starters, she was advised to measure her blood pressure daily and keep a record of the results.
I measure her blood pressure with a new automatic device for measuring blood pressure. I've noticed a peculiar pattern: relatively low heartbeat along with higher blood pressure; and a somewhat higher heartbeat and lower blood pressure.

I've talked to her about this. It seems that before and during measuring blood pressure, she is trying to relax at will, which indeed seems to lower her heart rate -- but which seems to raise blood pressure. It also seems that as she is trying to relax, she consciously breathes more slowly and more shallowly.

My preliminary conclusion is that when one tries to lower the breathing rate and the heart rate at will (and they can be lowered at will, at least to some extent), the body compensates for this with higher blood pressure.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Is it possible to do something to control blood pressure at will, similarly as one can control the breathing rate or even the heart rate?

(And yes, I'm well aware about what medicine says is required to lower blood pressure in terms of medications, adjustments to diet, exercise.)


Thanks.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
dharmacorps
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Re: Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by dharmacorps »

I've meditated for 15 years and have had blood pressure rise during that time up until a point of me needing to take medication. I do believe that for mild cases primarily caused by stress, you could modulate your blood pressure with meditation. But for any serious condition, you need to take medication. It is a significant disease but there is little volition or will involved in the vast majority of cases.
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DNS
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Re: Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by DNS »

I had one of those sport heart rate monitors and would track my heart rates during exercise and after and then later started using it for checking heart rates after meditation. I noticed that it does lower the heart rate some. When I've gone for some check ups the medical staff has commented on my low heart rate but of course it's hard to tell how much of the low rate is from meditation and how much is from exercise making the heart more efficient.

I have noticed some times my heart rate is low, but blood pressure is high, which is found in some people. It could be diet related, for example when eating fatty foods, high sodium foods, etc. I don't believe I can control blood pressure, but haven't checked blood pressure that often.
binocular
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Re: Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by binocular »

It's difficult to figure out what could cause what, given that there are so many factors to consider ...
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form
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Re: Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by form »

Quite unlikely.
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Pondera
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Re: Controlling blood pressure at will?

Post by Pondera »

The pace-maker of the heart (called the "apex") is located at the bottom of the heart. I regularly meditate on this region. The benefits of doing so go beyond heart rate and blood pressure; but lowering both is a side effect.
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
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