There are some steps for removing Blood Pressure and Sleeplessness

Boil some water with the leaves of Thespesia, let the water coo, and then have a bath in this water.

Treatment

Line of treatment

Since vayu (one of the physical dosas) and jajas (one of the mental dosas) are involved in the causation and pathogenesis of these two ailments, it is necessary to bring both of them to their states of equilibrium by drugs, therapies, diet, drinks and regimens. One of the important causes for the aggravation of vayu is constipation. In both these ailments, care should be taken to keep the bowels clear. In both these conditions the practice of religious prescriptions in general and yoga in particular is useful. The patient should avoid pungent, hot, ununctuous and dry things in general. Mental rest and adequate physical exercise are useful in both these conditions.

Prevention is better than cure

Individuals in their advanced age are more prone to get high blood pressure and sleeplessness. A disciplined life in the young age prevent such occurrences. A person should take the following steps to prevent high blood pressure and sleeplessnesss:

i. Avoid hurry and worry

Hurry and worry-both cause aggravation of rajas and vayu. One should be patient, peace-loving and avoid the tendency to do things at the last moment. One shuld not worry about trifles but must try to practice the precepts of Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita to remain unattached to work (anasakta Karma). This improves performacnce and keeps one happy as well as healthy. There is no scope for hurry and worry in such a situation.

ii. Avoid smoking

Smoking tobacco in any form is harmful and may lead to either or both these ailments sooner or later. Nicotinecauses roughness and dryness in the body and helps in the aggravation of both vayu and rajas. To a certain limit, the body can compensate the injury; but in the long run nicotine afficts the individual. The urge for smoking is indicative of mental strain. The person should develop will power to resist such urges and temptations. In addition, he should resort to such drugs, diet and regiments (such as the practice of yoga) which can give mental tranquility by which the urge for smoking will subside.

iii. Avoidance of excessive intake tea and coffee

Imbibing tea and coffee and serving them to guests and visitors has become a part of our lives today. Businessmen, administrators and intellectuals take several cups of these drinks during the day and often even at night. The caffeine content of these drinks causes hardening of the vessels resulting in high blood pressure and sleeplessness. These drinks should be avoided or used in moderate quantity.

iv. Avoidance of fatty food

Fat people are more prone to high blood pressure. One should avoid excessive fatty and starchy foods. Dietary articles fried with oil, ghee, and so on, are very harmful, if consumed in excess.

v. Avoidance of sedentary habits

Lack of physical exercise and sedentary habits are major factors contributing to high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Those who perform a lot of mental work must do some physical exercise daily. Morning walks and walking after dinner are very useful to prevent high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Constant use of cars and scooters for attending office should be discouraged.

vi. Lower intake of salt

Salt taken in excess is harmful for the body. It causes hardness of the vessels, retains water in the body and damages the functioning of the kidneys. To keep the consumption of slat to a minimum, in India the practice of several religious rituals involve taking salt free diet. This prevents the occurrence of high blood pressure. Instead of common sea salt, one should use rock salt (saindhava lavana). The latter is less harmful.

vii. Avoidance of alcohol intake in excess

Alcoholic drinks stimulate the nerves to produce a sense of exhilaration. They increase blood pressure temporarily. Generally, after some time the blood pressure comes down. But if a person indulges in excess of alcohol, it leads to the excessive accumulation of fat and increase in blood pressure. In the beginning, alcohol may induce sound sleep. But if taken in excess it causes sleeplessness.

viii. Avoidance of vayu-aggravating food and regimens

Aggravated vayu is the primary cause of high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Rough, dry, un-unctuous, pungent and bitter food ingredients cause aggravation of vayu. Fasting for a long time, taking food irregularly, taking food before the previous meals is digested, hard exercise, injury to the body, emaciation, remaining awake at night for a long time, excessive anxiety, fear and exposure to excessive cold are also responsible for the aggravation of the vayu. These should be shunned.

ix. Natural urges should not be suppresses

Nautural urges such as those for defecation, urination, eructation, and so on, should not be suppressed. Suppression of these natural urges causes aggravation of vayu which leads to high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Suppression of the urge to urinate generally impairs the functioning of the kidneys. The urge to sleep, if suppressed, leads to aggravation of vayu. These ultimately lead to high blood pressure and sleeplessness.

x. Preventing constipation

Constipation is one of the important causes for the aggravation of vayu. Those habitually constipated, mostly suffer from high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Instead of taking a laxative or purgative to remove constipation, they should take such food and resort to such regiments which will induce normal bowel movement.

xi. Daily bath

Taking a cold water bath early every morning, produces a cooling effect on the body and the mind. In summer a second bath can be taken in the evening. In winter, a bath with every warm water is harmful. For those who can not take cold water baths during winter, tepid water should be used. Washing feet in cold water before retiring to bed is very useful. In tropical countries, specially in the summer, washing the feet before a meal is useful for the eyes and for sleep.

xii. Oil massage

Oil massage before a bath in the morning and before retiring to bed helps keep a person free from high blood pressure and sleeplessness. Gingely oil should be used for this purpose. One can massage the bodyu for about ten minutes in the bathroom and after waiting for about five minutes, a bath with cold water can be taken.

Massage of gingelly oil mixe4d with cold water on the soles of feet induces good sleep and helps maintain normal blood pressure. Medicated oils such as Brahmi tailsa, Bhrngaraja taila and Amalaki taila are very useful in this connection. They are extremely cooling for the body. In addition, they are very useful for healthy eyes and hair. A gentle massage of the scalp with these oils before a bath or before sleep induces good sleep.

Regular inhalation of a fe drops of gingelly oil, cow’s milk ghee or almond oil is also beneficial.

The measure described above for the prevention of high blood pressure and sleeplessness are equally useful for the treatment of these ailments even after they are manifested. However, other curavtive measures are also needed for such patients.