Ayurvedic Approach to prevention of stroke and heart disease from hypertension

‘Ayurveda advises a well-balanced state of blood circulation’ says Dr Milind Jani. Ahead of his workshop at camexpo, he talks about the common causes of strokes and the Ayurvedic approach to prevention.

Why should we take High Blood Pressure seriously?

High Blood Pressure is common and a silent killer – you may not get any symptoms. Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure can cause:

• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Kidney Damage
• Retinal Damage – Loss of Vision

This is called end organ damage because these are terminal arteries which have no other collateral circulation: once they are blocked that’s it! The organ or tissue they supply dies without oxygen and nutrients.

High Blood Pressure and Stroke

What causes a stroke?

A common cause of stroke is Atherosclerosis – narrowing of the arteries. Similarly Arteriosclerosis is stiffening of arteries due to fibrosis of the elastic components of the blood vessel wall and muscle.

In Ayurveda this is called Dhamani Pratichaya– a change in the body’s normal equilibrium or balance normal condition of the blood vessel (arterial wall) vitality to more rigid and stiff walls. This causes Srotavrodha- obstruction of channels in due course and hence high blood pressure. If this remains unchecked it progresses to intimal damage, progressive deposit of fat and eventually micro tears leading to haemorrhage and further obstruction of vessel.

When the blood vessels to the brain get clogged up, the oxygen supply is compromised causing a Stroke – a death of the area of brain where the blood circulation has stopped – this can also be caused by a clot or Thrombus lodging in a blood vessel.

The other cause of Stroke from High Blood pressure is where the weakened wall of an artery bursts due to the high blood pressure, causing a haemorrhage or bleeding in the brain and hence a Stroke.

Plaque made of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances builds up in the arteries, narrowing down the space for blood to flow through the artery to the brain cells.

A blood clot may lodge in this narrow space and cause an ischaemic stroke.

Atherosclerosis also makes it easier for a clot to form.

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Dr Milind Jani will be hosting a workshop ‘Using Ayurvedic Medicine to Prevent and Treat Chronic Disease’ at 11:55am - 13.25pm on Sunday 27 September in W32 - Zone 2.

To book an entry ticket, please visit www.camexpo.co.uk/register-to-visit-camexpo-2015. Use priority code CMXP580 to register for £7.50 before 25 September. Entry to the Nutrition Theatre, Keynote Theatre, Demo Theatre and Business Clinic, is included with all tickets (space permitting). Workshops are £19.50 each inc VAT and can be booked at time of registering tickets, or through your unique log in when registering (subject to availability).