Health for All says
In modern society, smoking has become a bad Xi and one of the culprits of many diseases. Smoking not only has serious effects on lung health, but is also strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. In particular, the relationship between smoking and hypertension has been increasingly well understood, and smoking not only raises blood pressure, but also further increases the risk of hypertension.
As early as ancient times, Chinese medicine has observed the effect of smoking on raising blood pressure. Traditional Chinese medicine theories believe that smoking will cause qi and blood disorders in the human body, and the harmful substances in tobacco will destroy cardiovascular function, which will lead to an increase in blood pressure. Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in ancient times, once said in "Treatise on Typhoid Fever": "Smoke hurts the lungs, fuels the fire and flourishes, makes people red, and sleeps more", which is precisely to point out the adverse effects of smoking on the lungs and cardiovascular system.
Modern science has confirmed that smoking can cause blood vessels in the human body to constrict and increase vascular resistance. The nicotine in tobacco can prompt the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, increase the load on the heart, and lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, long-term smokers are much more likely to develop high blood pressure than non-smokers.
At the same time, smoking also destroys a substance in the body called nitric oxide (NO), which can lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. Smoking reduces nitric oxide production in the body, constricts blood vessels, and increases blood pressure. In addition, the harmful substances in tobacco can also cause platelet aggregation, the formation of thrombosis and atherosclerosis, which further aggravates the occurrence and worsening of hypertension.
Traditional Chinese medicine has rich experience and unique methods for lowering blood pressure. As we all know, traditional Chinese medicine takes the "holistic concept" as the core, focusing on adjusting the balance of yin and yang in the human body. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, hypertension mostly belongs to the category of hyperactivity of liver yang and deficiency of kidney yin. For example, the commonly used gastrodia, hook vine, scutellaria, houttuynia cordata, etc., these herbs have the effect of clearing heat and lowering blood pressure, diuresis and swelling, and can achieve the effect of lowering blood pressure.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there are also some ancient prescriptions that are widely used for hypertension. For example, the cinnamon branch soup recorded in the "Jin Kui Yaolu", this formula is made of cinnamon branches, ginger and jujube decoction, which can invigorate blood and remove blood stasis, warm yang and clear the channels, and has a good effect on some patients with hypertension caused by heart and pulse stasis. In addition, the "antihypertensive soup" recorded in the "Jingyue Quanshu" is composed of ginseng, salvia, gentian grass and other combinations, which has the effect of clearing heat and lowering blood pressure, promoting qi and invigorating blood.
In conclusion, smoking elevates blood pressure and has been confirmed by scientific research and traditional Chinese medicine practice. The harm of smoking is not limited to lung health, but is also closely linked to cardiovascular problems. The theory of traditional Chinese medicine provides a unique solution for hypertension through a holistic concept and the method of adjusting the balance of yin and yang. Not only can we use some commonly used Chinese medicines and ancient prescriptions**, but also guide people to establish a correct concept of life, refuse to smoke, and protect cardiovascular health.
Health References:
1. zhang, l., li, y., zhang, j., liang, x., ding, l. (2015). smoking and risk of hypertension: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. journal of hypertension, 33(11), 2211-2219.