The effect of combined alternate nostril breathing exercise and lemon aromatherapy inhalation on blood pressure in hypertensive patients: a quasi-experimental study
Abstract
Background: Hypertension is a non-communicable disease known as a silent killer because it often presents without symptoms until reaching a severe stage. According to WHO (2022), approximately 1.28 billion adults worldwide suffer from hypertension.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise (ANBE) combined with lemon aromatherapy inhalation on blood pressure among hypertensive patients in the working area of Puskesmas Jembatan Kecil, Bengkulu City.
Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test with control group design. A total of 34 respondents were selected using purposive sampling and divided into an intervention group (n=17) and a control group (n=17). The intervention group received ANBE and lemon aromatherapy inhalation twice daily for 4 consecutive days with a duration of 5–15 minutes per session, while the control group received slow deep breathing with the same frequency. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test.
Results: The intervention group showed an average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 17.18 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 15.47 mmHg, while the control group experienced decreases of 7.35 mmHg systolic and 6.94 mmHg diastolic. Statistical analysis showed p=0.001 (p<0.05), indicating a significant effect of the intervention on reducing blood pressure.
Conclusion: The combination of ANBE and lemon aromatherapy inhalation was effective in reducing blood pressure and can be used as an independent non-pharmacological therapy for hypertension.
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References
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