Which beta blocker is best

As natural health and beauty practices become more popular, more information about these alternatives is being discovered and discussed.

Anxiety is actually a general term used to describe several different disorders that contribute to a feeling of nervousness, apprehension, worrying, and fear. These feelings may affect how a person behaves and can often cause physical symptoms as well. In the United States, some 40 million people suffer from some type of anxiety disorder.

In fact, anxiety is the most common type of mental health condition in the United States, even though less than half of people with anxiety actually get treated for it. Normal feelings of anxiety are actually necessary for survival, and they have been since ancient days when humanity was just beginning.

On the other hand, however, people with an anxiety disorder experienced an increased amount of these symptoms for longer periods than is typically normal.

The reactions become disproportional in comparison to the original stressor, and there may be physical symptoms, such as nausea or an increase in blood pressure. Essentially, people with anxiety disorders have feelings of anxiety that are different than what might normally be expected. Generally speaking, anxiety disorders fall into one of six primary categories or types. These types include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or separation anxiety disorder.

Each of these types of anxiety disorders has their own symptoms and causes, depending on the severity and triggers involved. Generalized anxiety disorder is the most common and might not always have an identifiable cause. It involves long periods of anxiety and feelings of worry regarding nonspecific events or situations. Panic disorders, on the other hand, are characterized by sudden or short attacks of panic, apprehension, and terror. These attacks may be caused by prolonged times of stress or by frightening events.

With that said, they may also be caused by nothing at all. Similar to panic disorders, separation anxiety disorders occur when somebody exhibits separated from someone or someplace that makes them feel safe. This may often result in panic-like symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorders involve repetitive, intrusive, and distressing thoughts that are known to be irrational.

Compulsions typically include things like obsessive cleaning or constantly checking things like locks or light switches. Post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly known as PTSD , results from a traumatic experience. The person may experience anxiety or panic when triggers remind them of the event.

Social anxiety disorders are related to fears of social situations or being embarrassed or humiliated publicly. Phobias are different from most anxiety disorders because they are associated with a specific cause or trigger. People with phobias may know that their fear is irrational, but they are unable to control the anxiety they cause anyway.

Most of the time, people with anxiety are prescribed medications to help ease their symptoms and alter their brain chemistry to eliminate the anxiety altogether. There are, however, natural alternatives to the pharmaceutical medications that psychiatrists often prescribe.

Beta blockers are medications that work to reduce blood pressure by blocking epinephrine, which is the hormone otherwise known as adrenaline. When epinephrine is blocked, you become less likely to experience a racing heartbeat or a rise in stress levels, which are associated with symptoms of anxiety. Natural beta-blocking medications have been developed to slow the heartbeat, which is associated with the rushes of adrenaline that are associated with anxiety.

Beta blockers can also be developed to be selective in the types of beta they target, or they can be non-selective, which means they would affect both beta 1 and beta 2. As more people learn about the potentially negative side effects of mainstream medications, natural alternatives like beta blockers are becoming more and more popular.

While there are certainly medications made from natural beta blockers, there are also many natural substances that act as effective and safe beta blockers. When we refer to natural beta blockers we are talking about a herb, a vitamin or an amino acid. This additional action is not something that conventional beta blockers are designed to do. The other remarkable thing about natural beta blockers is that they perform these amazing functions with little or no risk of adverse side effects.

For example, passion flower has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, as well as high blood pressure. It may also frequently be used to treat other conditions such as insomnia , stress, tension, pain, or muscle stiffness.

Passionflower can be found in either liquid or supplementary capsule forms. Arginine is an amino acid that lowers blood pressure levels by widening the arteries. While this nutrient does occur naturally in some foods, including nuts, supplements allow the body to get more concentrated levels of it.

With that said, it is still frequently used to treat vascular disorders of many types and studies into its effects are promising. It is often prescribed by doctors for its proven positive effects. The herb helps to raise levels of serotonin and dopamine in the body, at the same time as it reduces levels of adrenaline. Some studies have also shown that it may reduce levels of estrogen in the body, as well.

Excess estrogen could contribute to depression, memory problems, and panic attacks. People in the South Pacific have been drinking kava for centuries to promote calm and relieve anxiety and it has recently become more popular in the West. While some people use it to promote a mild buzz, studies indicate that it can help relax the muscles and the mind by binding to GABA receptors.

The active ingredient in kava are known as kavalactones and the percentage of these compounds reflect its strength and potency. If you are looking for a natural beta blocker to calm your anxiety, kava may fit the bill. These drugs block beta receptors in the heart, thus, cardiac output, blood pressure and heart rate are reduced. This led to beta-blocker use in the treatment of a number of cardiovascular problems such as hypertension, angina and cardiac arrhythmias.

More recently, beta blockers have been used in psychiatry in order to treat anxiety specific disorders. They work as a treatment for anxiety because they can block the effects of the stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenaline.

These hormones are what cause the physical symptoms of anxiety. These medications may be taken as needed approximately one to two hours prior to a stressful event. Although beta blockers can be helpful in reducing the physical symptoms of performance anxiety, it is important to note that they are typically ineffective when it comes to reducing internal symptoms of anxiety caused by the fight-or-flight response.

In most cases, the use of beta blockers is considered safe. In healthy people who have no form of pre-existing illness, they come with only mild side effects occasionally and are not habit-forming. Beta blockers are not advised for use by those who have any form or respiratory disease such as asthma or emphysema, as well as those with diabetes or any form of heart disease.

The following recommended doses are considered the most effective according to research. One 50 mg tablet a day for the first week. If there is no response, increase to two 50 mg tablets, taken together or divided. You can take a 20 to 40 mg dose of propranolol as needed about one hour before a stressful situation. If necessary, you can also combine it with imipramine or alprazolam without adverse effects. If you are experiencing strong symptoms of generalized social anxiety, it may be worth visiting your doctor as beta blockers are only available as prescription medications.

Moreover, it is definitely worth discussing with a professional as they may be able to work with you in order to find the route cause of your anxiety. As mentioned, beta blockers only help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, however, these will not lessen the physical feelings of worry leading up to an event.

Also, they should only be considered as a short term solution. Establishing the route cause of your anxiety and working towards resolving the issue is a far better way to treat your anxiety entirely and prevent long term problems.

Accessed July 14, Argulian E, et al. Misconceptions and facts about beta-blockers. The American Journal of Medicine. Whelton PK, et al. Mann JFE. Choice of drug therapy in primary essential hypertension. Accessed June 28, Sidawy AN, et al. Atherosclerotic risk factors: Hypertension. Philadelphia, Pa. Bloch MJ, et al. Antihypertensive drugs and lipids.

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