Patient's question:
Our family relative, an elderly grandmother, has had consistently high blood pressure. Although she has been managing it through dietary therapy, it hasn't been fully controlled. Now, she wants to seek help from the profound depth of traditional Chinese medicine to treat her hypertension. What kind of traditional Chinese medicine would be suitable for someone of her age? What are the herbal formulas commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat high blood pressure?Doctor's answer:
If blood pressure has always been slightly high, it may be a case of primary hypertension. Dietary therapy can be effective in controlling it. If it cannot be controlled through diet, oral antihypertensive medication is necessary. Additionally, many traditional Chinese medicine formulas can be used as supplementary treatment. For example, Tianma Gouteng Yin (Gastrodia and Peony Decoction) can be used. The specific treatment should be determined based on other symptoms. If the constitution is Yin deficiency, it can also be treated through syndrome differentiation and treatment, using many herbs to nourish kidney Yin. Additionally, Tianma can be used to make soup for daily consumption.