High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Every time your heart beats, blood is pumped through the arteries to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body.

A normal blood pressure reading for adults is typically less than 120/80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day, depending on what you are doing. During rest, it will be lower, and when you exercise, it increases.

Blood pressure is important as it has a direct impact on your health, so it is important to get it checked regularly. If blood pressure is consistently too high (hypertension), it can be a risk factor for heart disease and other cardiac complications. If it is too low (hypotension), it can cause symptoms such as fainting and dizziness.

What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where the force of the blood in your arteries is consistently too high. This pressure means your heart has to work harder to pump blood and over time can damage the heart and blood vessels. This can lead to serious complications, such as a heart attack or stroke.

What causes high blood pressure?

High blood pressure can be caused by many things. Age, genetics, smoking, and a lack of physical exercise can all increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Other medical conditions can also cause high blood pressure.

There are two main types of high blood pressure, categorized by the underlying cause of the condition:

• Primary hypertension: There isn’t usually a single cause of this type of high blood pressure, but a number of factors, such as aging, family history and genetics all contribute to it. This type of high blood pressure usually develops gradually.
• Secondary hypertension: This type of high blood pressure is caused by an underlying condition, medication or substance. Causes can include kidney disease, renal artery stenosis, obstructive sleep apnea and certain medications.

Your risk of developing hypertension goes up as you age. Other risk factors include:

• A family history of hypertension
• Smoking or using other tobacco products
• Being overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity
• Eating a lot of food high in salt

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Very high blood pressure can sometimes be associated with symptoms such as:

• Severe headache
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Vision changes
• Weakness
• Numbness
• Difficulty speaking.

If your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg and you have concerning symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

What do blood pressure numbers mean?

A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, measured at two stages – one when your heart pumps blood out and one when it relaxes. The two numbers are referred to as:

• Systolic blood pressure: The first number, which is the pressure when your heart beats and sends blood into the arteries.
• Diastolic blood pressure: The second number, which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxing between beats.

What is a normal blood pressure?

A normal blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mm Hg (for most adults).

• Elevated: 120-129 mm Hg systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic.
• Stage 1 hypertension: 130-139 mm Hg systolic or 80–89 mm Hg diastolic.
• Stage 2 hypertension: 140 mm Hg or higher systolic or 90 mm Hg or higher diastolic.
• Severe hypertension: Higher than 180 mm Hg systolic and/or higher than 120 mm Hg diastolic.

A blood pressure reading below 90/60 mm Hg) is generally considered low (hypotension).

How is hypertension diagnosed?

Your blood pressure is taken via an electronic device that inflates and deflates a cuff around your arm to measure blood pressure numbers. This can also be done manually using a cuff and stethoscope to listen to your blood flow.

To diagnose high blood pressure, your doctor will take repeated blood pressure measurements and consider your readings over time.

How is high blood pressure treated?

Treatment for hypertension may include medication and lifestyle changes. Medications may include beta-blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers, depending on your individual needs.

Lifestyle changes are an important part of treatment and may include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Exercising more
• Eating a balanced diet with less salt and more potassium
• Getting enough quality sleep
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol intake

How can I lower my blood pressure?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone and can lower your blood pressure. Achieving a healthy weight, exercising more, eating a balanced diet low in salt, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol intake can all help to lower blood pressure and support your overall health and wellbeing.

Can high blood pressure cause heart disease?

Yes, high blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and is a risk factor for other heart problems, such as heart attack, heart failure, coronary artery disease and arrhythmia. If blood pressure stays high over a long period of time, your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to lowering your blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Can high blood pressure be prevented?

Some risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be changed, such as age, family history and genetics. However other things that you can control, such as diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes, can help to prevent or delay high blood pressure.

Remember, checking your blood pressure regularly is very important as hypertension often has no early symptoms.

Routine checkups can help identify hypertension early and reduce the risk of serious complications such as heart attack and stroke.