Elevated or high blood pressure refers to the condition wherein the pressure being exerted on blood vessels and arteries becomes increasingly high; also, the walls of the arteries become distorted, which exerts extra pressure on your heart. Elevated blood pressure for longer periods increases your chances of getting diabetes, heart attacks and stroke. Reasons behind elevated blood pressure include emotional stress, caffeine, smoking, a diet rich in salt, alcohol, heavy-metal poisoning, inactivity, birth control tablets and obesity.
There are many treatments available for high blood pressure, including essential oils. Essential oils for high blood pressure are helpful as they lower the blood pressure and calm down your nerves.
What Can Essential Oils Do to the Body?
Essential oils can affect your body in two main ways. When you apply them on your skin, the oils penetrate via the follicle cells and the sweat glands, becoming absorbed into your body’s fluids. When they are inside your body, they can have numerous amazing effects on your body.
- Enhancing the process of toxin elimination
- Stimulating your immune system
- Stimulating and boosting digestion
- Promoting the growth of new cells in the body
- Boosting the natural healing practices and processes in your body
In addition to entering your body via its follicles, essential oils also gain entry into your body via inhalation. The tiny molecules of the oils get absorbed into your bloodstream as your lungs oxygenate your blood. This makes these oils excellent for use in candles, vaporizers and baths. Aromatherapy works quite well on your emotions as well and soothes your stressed nerves. Moreover, it harmonizes your body and mind.
Essential oils for high blood pressure works by slowly dilating your arteries, decreasing the emotional stress and acting as antioxidants for reducing the oxidative stress.
What Kind of Essential Oils Should You Use?
Though essential oils prove to have many benefits for the body, not every kind of it can be used to help with high blood pressure. Here are some of the best and most effective essential oils for high blood pressure.
1. Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia)
Lavender is high in alcohols and esters. It is a calming and gentle essential oil that works as a tonic on your nervous system and balances it. Considered as the grandmother of all the essential oils, lavender oil has a supportive ad soothing effect on your body as well as emotions. It is an effective antidote for treating depression, unbalanced emotions and nervous disorders. It helps in releasing a positive mental energy that helps in soothing stressed behaviors and high blood pressure. Lavender oil has an herbaceous, floral and sweet aroma.
2. Sweet Marjoram (Origanum Marjorana)
This oil has balancing and comforting properties similar to that of lavender. It is high in alcohols and is a tonic that warms, uplifts and balances your body. It calms your mind and is used for treating nervous exhaustion and lethargy. It also helps in calming obsessive thinking, eases emotional cravings and promotes self-nurturing in your body. It has a spicy, woody and warm fragrance, which is herbaceous and fresh as well.
3. Ylang Ylang (Cananga Odorata)
This oil is rich in sesquiterpenes that have a hypotensive and calming nature. It is also found in esters and alcohols, which is why its properties resemble those of lavender. It is supportive and calming and effectively clears nervous tension in your body that often causes high blood pressure. Ylang ylang calms agitation and restlessness and promotes sleep. It also soothes frustration and anger while uplifting and relaxing your body. It has a very sweet and intense floral aroma.
4. Other Oils That May Help
Besides these essential oils for high blood pressure, you can use several other essential oils that have an antidepressant, sedative, calming and relaxing effect on your body. These include:
- Roma chamomile: It relieves nervous stress, eases frustration and depression.
- Bergamot: It helps in releasing accumulated stress in your body as well as repressed emotions by releasing those feelings. It also promotes optimism and spontaneity.
- Frankincense: It stops mental chatter, agitation and calms your mind. It encourages insight, spiritual self-discipline and tranquility in your body as well.
- Neroli: It offers strength and comfort while releasing repressed emotions from your body. Moreover, it encourages joy and hope.
Note: People who are victimized by elevated blood pressure must avoid using sage, rosemary, thyme and hyssop essential oils.
How to Use Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure
Inhalation and massage are effective and efficient means of using essential oils for treating high blood pressure.
Massage
You can massage the following blends on your body for reducing elevated blood pressure.
- Evening blend 1: You need to mix two drops each of sweet marjoram and lavender with one drop of neroli and 15ml of carrier oil like almond or apricot oil and massage it on your body.
- Evening blend 2: Mix two drops of frankincense, one drop of ylang ylang, two drops of bergamot and 15ml of carrier oil.
Massage these blends on your body every evening after taking a bath. These blends help in relieving stress and help you sleep well.
Inhalation
- Evening blend 1: Mix one drop each of yalng yalng, lavender and bergamot.
- Evening blend 2: Mix one drop each of frankincense, lavender and sweet marjoram.
Add all the essential oil drops into a bowl containing steaming water. Cover your head with any soft towel and then inhale the mixture for a minimum of three minutes when going to bed or when you return home from work.