Effectiveness of thai herbal inhalation to reduce blood pressure in patients with White Coat Hypertension at Samrong Thap Hospital, Surin Province

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Thai herbal inhaler on blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and stress levels among outpatients at Samrong Thap Hospital, Surin Province. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. The sample consisted of 100 outpatients with White Coat Hypertension, selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants inhaled a Thai herbal inhaler composed of Polyscias fruticosa leaf, Kaempferia galanga, Curcuma longa L., Amomum testaceum (cardamom), Syzygium aromaticum, Piper nigrum L., Coriandrum sativum L., Cinnamomum tamala, borneol, camphor, and menthol for 5 minutes while seated in a rest position. Measurement tools included an automated blood pressure monitor, a vital sign recording form, and the ST-5 stress assessment scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Paired t-test was applied to normally distributed variables, while the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used for non-normally distributed data. The results showed a significant reduction in mean systolic blood pressure from 152.05 to 127.90 mmHg (Mean diff = 24.15; t(99) = 16.16; p < 0.001; d = 1.62) and mean diastolic pressure from 82.38 to 72.63 mmHg (Mean diff = 9.75; t(99) = 9.28; p < 0.001; d = 0.93). Pulse rate decreased from 81.58 to 73.04 beats/min (t(99) = 6.46; p < 0.001), and respiratory rate decreased from 18.60 to 17.64 breaths/min (t(99) = 4.02; p < 0.001). Stress levels assessed by the ST-5 decreased markedly, with the median score dropping from 3 to 1 (z = –8.68; p < 0.001; r = 0.87). Satisfaction with the herbal inhalation was rated at a very high level (mean = 4.90). In conclusion, the Thai herbal inhaler demonstrated short-term effectiveness in reducing blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate, and psychological stress among individuals with White Coat Hypertension. However, due to the one-group pretest–posttest design, causal inference is limited, and randomized controlled trials are recommended to confirm these findings