Zight-ud-Dam Qawi [hypertension]: a silent killer

ABSTRACT

Zight-ud-Dam Qawi [Hypertension] is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for over 347,000 adults in 2008. It was projected to cost the United States $93.5 billion in health care services in 2010, medications and missed days of work current situation after 5 years. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. In normal adult it is defined as a blood pressure of 120 mm Hg when the heart contracts [systolic pressure] and a blood pressure of 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes [diastolic pressure]. It is well established that when systolic blood pressure is persistantly equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure is constantly equal to or above 95 mm Hg the blood pressure, it is considered to be raised or high. In Unani system of medicine, Zight-ud-Dam Qawi [hypertension] is not defined as a disease but as a cause of various disorders and can be traced in the classical literature under the clinical features and complications of diseases such as sanguineous headache, dizziness, vertigo, etc. The management provided by allopathic medicine is target based which has its consequences in the form of side effects. In this paper efforts have been made to elaborate the real concept of Zight-ud-Dam Qawi [hypertension] in Unani system of medicine as well as its classification, aetiopathology, characteristic features and holistic management