The solution to this problem is to use organic cotton sheets and pillowcases on your bed. As concern has grown over pesticides in conventionally grown cotton and phthalates in polyester, organic cotton bedding has become more widely available. Organic grown cotton is now being produced worldwide, from Texas to India. The organic cotton is woven into sheets and pillowcases that look and feel like commercially available bedding, without pesticides and polyester. I also find these sheets to be much more comfortable for sleeping because they don’t trap moisture like 50/50 cotton/polyester blends.

Better organic sheets are pre-shrunk using steam and are totally machine washable and dryable. They have just a few more wrinkles out of dryer than 50/50 blends, but that is a small price to pay for a healthy bed. We can all live with some wrinkles, but we may not be able to live with cancer.

Manufacturers of organic cotton bedding include:

-Coyuchi, located in Point Reyes Station, California, which imports organic cotton bedding and bath linens from India. -EcoDownUnder, which is located in Sydney, Australia, which imports organic cotton bedding and bath linens to United States. -Native Organic, located in El Segundo, California, which makes organic cotton bedding and bath linens from Texas-grown organic cotton. -Under Canopy, located in Boca Raton, Florida, which makes organic cotton sheets and towels that are imported from Brazil, as well as organic cotton clothing.

Organic cotton sheets, pillowcases, mattress pads, and blankets from these manufacturers are now being sold across United States through local retailers that specialize in natural fiber bedding. There are also a number of nationwide Internet retailers for organic cotton sheets and bedding, and one of largest is Dax Stores.

Organic cotton sheets and bedding cost a little more than conventional bedding, but, like my mother said, you shouldn’t be afraid to spare some expense your bedding because it will repay you with better health. I think your health is worth that extra expense, and so would my Mom, bless her heart.

That is why official guidelines do not recommend starting drug treatment at early stage of hypertension. Modern pharmaceutical treatment can not prevent or reverse disease; it needs to be taken for life-long to maintain blood pressure at recommended level.

What about non-pharmaceutical treatment?

The treatment guidelines include following non-pharmaceutical recommendations.

1.Stop smoking

2.Reduce body weight

3.Aerobic physical exercise of 30-40 min, daily or at least 3-4 days per week.

4.More fruits, vegetables and potassium, and less sodium.

5.Alcohol intake not more than 20-30 g of “pure alcohol” per day (it corresponds to 150-200 ml of wine or a pint of beer).

6.Reduce stress

These non-pharmaceutical approaches have a proven efficacy in reduction and prevention of high blood pressure. But they require substantial perseverance and will-power to comply with.

You should know how much effort is required to follow dietary restrictions or to stop smoking recommendations. Low compliance with these recommendations is usually accompanied by low compliance with drug therapy.

For people who want to be healthy and prevent or at least control this dangerous disease, there is a good news. Non-pharmaceutical recommendations really work; you will definitely reduce your risk by following them.

But people want more. People want treatment that can effectively reverse disease. The way to success here is in proper coping with stresses. Stress causes activation of sympathetic system. Chronic activation of sympathetic system causes hypertension and obesity. Four out of six classes of antihypertensive drugs are designed to act upon sympathetic system.

Can we manage stress and accompanied sympathetic activation without drugs? The task is not easy. You may say that effective stress reduction is only possible after radical change of working or family environment. I may add that even after that, man will be caught by new stress. The problem is in people’s attitude and ability to cope with stress and to avoid chronic anger. Those who are able, live more than hundred years. The researches on centenarians have demonstrated their unique ability to avoid damaging reactions on stressful situations.

To select most effective stress-management technique for yourself, I recommend you to try first those, having proven blood pressure reducing effect, like yoga, meditation and computerized devices reducing respiration rate. Coping with stress is obvious way to escape from Number One Killer and to live full life span we are designed for.

Summary. Five secrets you should know about pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment of high blood pressure:

1.Pharmaceutical treatment should be initiated if estimated risk of cardiovascular complications is greater that 10% during 5 years or greater than 20% during 10 years.

2.The real benefit of treatment is described by absolute risk reduction which very often is not disclosed.

3.Side effects of antihypertensive drugs during long-term consumption are common and serious.

4.Non-pharmaceutical treatments of hypertension really work. Although they require much more effort and will-power to implement in compare with daily chemical drugs consumption, they will protect you not only against hypertension, but also against high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, obesity and other diseases. Plus you will get better and healthier life, with much more energy and satisfaction.

5.We must learn from centenarians how to escape diseases. Centenarians have innate ability to cope with stress; they are natural stress-shedders. They are not preoccupied with worry, hostility and anxiety. They avoid unhealthy thinking, like anger, sadness, guilt and fear. It is possible to develop such personality with modern stress-management and personal development techniques.

Dr. Alexander Alfimov M.D, Ph.D. has graduated from St. Petersburg Medical Academy in 1987. He has been working for eleven years as a head of clinical research department of the big pharmaceutical company, producing and marketing six antihypertensive drugs.

www.slowbreath.com