What is High Blood Pressure

What is High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, happens when blood pressure rises to unhealthy levels. Measuring blood pressure takes into account the amount of blood going through blood vessels and how much resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping. One thing that increases resistance is narrow arteries. The blood pressure will be higher, the narrower the arteries are. If left for a long time, increased pressure can cause health issues, including heart disease. High blood pressure is reasonably common, affecting around 1.13 billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. In fact, since the guidelines have recently changed, it’s expected that almost half of all American adults will now be diagnosed with this condition.

Hypertension usually takes several years to develop. It also comes with no noticeable symptoms most of the time. However it still can cause a lot of damage to blood vessels and organs, particularly your kidneys, eyes, heart and brain. 

It is important to identify this condition as early on as possible. This can be done using regular blood pressure reading which can help you and your doctor to notice if and when there are any changes. 

If when checked your blood pressure appears to be elevated, your doctor may want to keep checking your blood pressure over the period of a few weeks to see if it stays elevated or drops back down to normal levels. 

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for many ailments.

Treating hypertension can be done with prescription medication and healthy lifestyle changes. Acupuncture may also be a great option for treating high blood pressure as it is effective and has no risks and side effects that come with western medications. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to health issues and even heart attack and stroke.  

What causes high blood pressure?

There are different causes for each type of hypertension. The two types are primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. Here is a bit about the causes for each:

Primary hypertension

Primary hypertension, also called essential hypertension, develops over time and has no identifiable cause. This is the most common type of hypertension.

It is still unclear to researchers exactly which mechanisms are responsible for causing blood pressure to slowly increase. It is thought that a combination of factors may contribute. These could include:

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  • Genes: Some people are genetically predisposed to hypertension. This means they could simply have hypertension because of gene mutations or genetic abnormalities inherited from their parents.
  • Physical changes: If your body changes in some way, this may cause you to experience other issues as well. One of those issues could be high blood pressure. For example, it’s thought that changes in the function of your kidneys from ageing could upset the natural balance of salts and fluid in your body. This change may cause your body’s blood pressure to increase.
  • Environment: Unhealthy lifestyle choices like lack of physical activity and poor diet can take their toll on your body, especially over a long period of time. These lifestyle choices can also lead to weight problems. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for high blood pressure. Being generally unhealthy can also put you at more risk of developing issues like hypertension.  

Secondary hypertension

Secondary hypertension will often occur more quickly and can become more severe than primary hypertension. There are several conditions that may be the cause of secondary hypertension. These include:

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.