The patients manifest persistent high blood pressure, accompanied by general symptoms like vertigo and headache. Some senile patients have high blood pressure, but are free from marked subjective symptoms. In this case, diagnosis should be made on the basis of the lab examinations.
1. Syndrome differentiation and treatment
(1) Hyperactive yang due to yin deficiency
It manifests headache, dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, soreness and flaccidity of the waist and knees, occasional flushed face, numbness of limbs, red tongue with thin fur or without fur, taut, thready and rapid pulse. It is advisable to nourish yin and suppress yang. The prescription used is the modified Tianma Gouteng Decoction (Decoction of Gastrodia and Uncaria). As for the traditional Chinese patent medicine, select Zhibai Dihuang Pill (Pill of Anemarrhena, Phellodendrono and Rehmannia). More information, please go on reading Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) in TCM.
(2) Yin deficiency of the liver and kidney
It manifests light-headedness, unsmooth and dry eyes, tinnitus, deafness, lumbar soreness, and flaccidity of legs, pain of heels, red tongue without fur, and deep, thready and slow pulse. It is suitable to nourish and tonify the liver and kidney. The prescription used is the modified Qiju Dihuang Decoction (Bolus of Six Drugs, Rehmannia with Wolfberry and Chrysanthemum). It is also advisable to select its patent.
(3) Deficiency of both yin and yang
It manifests light-headedness with the sensation of walking like sitting in a boat, lusterless complexion, occasional fever, palpitation, short breath, soreness and flaccidity of the waist and knees, frequent and profuse nocturnal urine, or edema, pale and tender tongue, deep and thready or tense pulse. It is advisable to regulate and strengthen yin and yang. The prescription used is the modified Erxian Decoction. As for the traditional Chinese patent medicine, select Jinkui Shenqi Pill. More information, please go on reading Causes of Hypertension in TCM.
2. Rehabilitation methods
(1) Regulating emotions
Emotional dissatisfaction, excessive joy and anger often affect the hepatic function of regulating qi and blood, the renal function of nourishment, giving rise to continuous high blood pressure. Therefore, regulating emotions is of great importance for the rehabilitation of the disease.
(2) Enlightening method: Adopt the methods of interpretation, consolation, encouragement and assurance to lessen and eliminate abnormal emotional reactions and pathogenic emotional factors.
(3) Behavior therapy: Adopt mostly biofeedback therapies, apply the continuous value-displaying electronic manometer, dermothermometer and electromyograph to instruct patients in judging the effect of lowering blood pressure from the readings of these instruments or other visible and audible signals. Besides, train the patients to practice muscular relaxation and normal respiration. Synthesize the results displayed in the instruments to adjust the training methods constantly. Maintain the self control over blood pressure by means of repeated self somatopsychic training. More information, please go on reading Symptoms of Hypertension in TCM.
2. Recreation therapy
Participate in recreational activities like gardening, fishing, practicing calligraphy and painting, playing a musical instrument and appreciating music. As for the musical therapy, select the type of music of "expressing emotions" and "removing depression" alternately.
3. Physical training
Physical training can lower blood pressure to a certain extent. Practicing Taijiquan is very suitable. The patients with good constitution may play the whole set of simplified Taijiquan while the patients with poor constitution may play half, or several postures of it. Besides, the patients can have other activities like jogging to increase the amount of exercise, extend the distance and quicken the speed gradually.
The patients should not have the activities with the movement of the head below the horizontal position so as to avoid aggravating the symptom of discomfort of the head due to the gravitational influence no matter whatever sports events are selected；it is not advisable to have competitive activities to prevent emotional excitement, do not have weight-carrying activities to avoid breath holding which conversely and reflexively elevates blood pressure. More information, please go on reading TCM Diagnosis for Hypertension.
4. Acumox and massage
Acumox The commonly-used acupoints include Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui (GV 20 ), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. In the case of marked hyperactive hepatic yang, add Xingjian (LR 2), Xiaxi (GB 43) and Taichong (LR 3)；in the case of hepatorenal yin deficiency, add Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23)；in the case of excessive phlegm, add Fenglong (ST 40), Zhongwan (CV 12) and Jiexi (ST 41). Puncture the acupoints once every other day and 7 days constitute one course of treatment. More information, please go on reading Atrial Fibrillation in TCM.
Besides, the acupoint injection may be alternately applied on the above-mentioned acupoints. Select two acupoints each time with the acupoint injection of 1 ml of 0.25 % procaine hydrochloride for each acupoint, once a day, or select Chimai (TE 18) with the acupoint injection of 1 ml of vitamin B12, once a day and seven days constitute one course of treatment.
The commonly-used auricular acupoints includes Pizhixia (MA- AT 1), Jiangyagou, Naogan, Neifenmi (MA- IC 3), Ershenmen (MA- TF 1), Xin, etc. Select one or two acupoints every day or every other day and retain the needle for 30 minutes. Besides, the needle-embedding therapy may be adopted, or apply Wangbuliuxingzi (Semen Vaccariae) on the auricular acupoints instead of the needle-embedding therapy.
Cupping therapy:
Select the acupoints of the first lateral line of the dorsal gallbladder meridian and Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanli (LI 10), Weizhong (BL 40), Chengjin (BL 56), Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40), Fengchi (GB 20), etc. Cup ten acupoints or so each time for ten to fifteen minutes. More information, please go on reading Causes of Atrial Fibrillation in TCM.
Massage:
Apply self-massage mainly. The commonly-used methods include kneading Zanzhu (BL 2), scrubbing the nose, beating the Heavenly drum (Tiangu), combing the hair with the hand, kneading Taiyang (EX- HN 5), wiping the forehead, pressing-kneading Naohou, rubbing the hands to bathe the face, kneading Yaoyan (EX - BT) and scrubbing Yongquan (KI 1 ). Simultaneously, pat the relevant regions with the fist and palm. More information, please go on reading Chinese medicine Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation.
5. Dietary therapy
In the case of hepatorenal yin deficiency, select Haizhe Biqi Soup (Soup of Cavum Rhopilemae and Bulbus Heleocharis Dulcis). If the conditions permit, select Fengru (Lac Apis Melliferum) to eat. In the case of hyperactive yang due to yin deficiency, select cold celery in sauce. Meanwhile, it is also advisable to decoct 5 to 10 g of Juhua (Flos Chrysanthemi) or Yejuhua (Flos Chrysanthemi Indici) in water until the water boils for three to five minutes. Drink the decoction as tea. In the case of deficiency of yin and yang, select 20 g of Heizhima (Semen Sesami), Gouqizi (Fructus Lycii) and Hutaorou (Semen Juglandis) respectively to be decocted in water. Take the dregs and the decoction simultaneously, once a day. More information, please go on reading Chinese medicine Treatment for Hypertension.
The commonly-used dietary prescriptions for lowering blood pressure are as follows.
Stewed Sea Cucumber:
Stew 30g of sea cucumber (soaked in water) in a proper amount of water with slow fire until it is thoroughly cooked. Then, add a proper quantity of crystal sugar to be dissolved. Eat it.
Stewed Edible Fungus:
Soak 10g of tremella or black fungus in water. Then, wash it clean and add a proper amount of water to it. Next, stew it with slow fire until it is thoroughly cooked. Finally, add a proper quantity of crystal sugar to it. Take it in the evening.
Shelled Peanut Pickled in Vinegar:
Soak 250g of shelled peanut (with the red coating) in a proper amount of vinegar for five to seven days. Eat it three times a day, a proper amount each time.
Fermented Juhua (Flos Chrysanthemi):
Cook 10g of Ganjuhua (Flos Chrysanthemi) and a proper amount of glutinous rice wine in a pot until the wine boils. Take it at a draught, twice a day.
Egg Stewed with Tianma (Rhizoma Gastrodiae):
Decoct 9g of Tianma (Rhizoma Gastrodiae) in water for one hour. Then, remove the dregs and stew two eggs in the decoction. Take it orally.
The patients should eat more melon, fruit and vegetable usually, of which celery and water melon have the action of lowering blood pressure to a certain extent. Do not overeat fat meat and fine grain and do not eat the vegetarian diet all the time, either. They should eat the low salt diet with a daily intake of less than 5g of salt. More information, please go on reading TCM Treatment Evaluation for Hypertension.
6. Drugs for external treatment
Mix a proper amount of the minced Wuzhuyu (Folium Evodiae) with vinegar. Then, apply the drug on Yongquan (KI1) on the sole. Conduct the dressing change once a day.
Decoct 6g of Cishi (Magnetitum), Shijueming (Semen Cassiae), Dangshen (Radix Angelicae Sinensis ), Huangqi (Radix Astragali seu Hedysari), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Sangzhi (Ramulus Mori), Zhike (Fructus Aurantii), Wuyao (Radix Linderae), Manjingzi (Fructus Viticis), Baijili (Fructus Tribuli), Baishaoyao (Radix Paeoniae Alba), Chaoduzhong (parched Cortex Eucommiae) and Niuxi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae) respectively and 18 g of Duhuo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis). Soak the feet in the decoction for an hour once a day.
Make a medicinal pillow with Yejuhua (Flos Chrysanthemi Indici), Danzhuye (Herba Lophatheri), Dongsangye (Folium Mori collected in winter), Shengshigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Baishaoyao (Radix Paedoniae Alba), Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong), Cishi (Magnetitum), Manjingzi (Fructus Viticis) and Cansha (Excrementa Bombycum). Use it for more than six hours a day. It is applicable to the patients with hyperactive yang due to yin deficiency. Besides, Ludouke (Testa Phaseoli Radiati) can be used to make the medicinal pillow as well. More information about Hypertension, please go on reading Hypertension Pills.