High Blood Pressure

The high blood pressure (HBP) represents a serious condition which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, a stroke, kidney failure, and other problems with health.

Blood pressure is the force of the blood which presses on the walls of arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure raises and stays high over time, the body can be damaged in many respects.

About 1 of 3 adults in the United States has HBP. HBP itself does not usually have symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. But at this time, it can damage the heart, veins, kidneys, and other your body parts.

For this reason knowing your blood pressure numbers is important even if you feel well. If your blood pressure is in norm, you can work with your health care team to keep it normal. If your arteriotony is too high, you need treatment to prevent damage to the organs of your body.

Blood pressure numbers

Blood pressure numbers include systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats pumping the blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

You most often see arteriotony numbers written with the systolic number before or above the diastolic, for instance 120/80 mmHg. The mmHg, millimeters of mercury, is a unit used for measuring blood pressure.

The table shows normal numbers for adults. It also shows which numbers indicates you in high risk for problems with health. Arterial pressure tends to ascend or descend even in people who have normal blood pressure. If your numbers remain above the normal most of the time, you are in danger.

Categories for levels of blood pressure in adults (in mmHg, millimeters of mercury)

The ranges in the table apply to most adults (aged 18 and older) who do not have short-term serious illnesses.

All levels above 120/80 mmHg raise your risk, and the risk increases with blood pressure levels. Pre-hypertension means you are likely to end up with HBP, unless you take steps to prevent it.

If you are being treated for high blood-pressure and have repeat measuring in the normal range, your blood pressure is under control, but you still have the condition. You should see a doctor and stay on treatment to keep you blood pressure under control.

Your systolic and diastolic numbers may not be in the same category of blood pressure. In this case, the more strict category is the one you are in. For instance, if your systolic number is 160 and your diastolic number is 80, you have stage 2 hypertension. If your systolic number is 120 and your diastolic number is 95, you have stage 1 hypertension.

If you have normal blood pressure

If you don't have high blood pressure (HBP), you can take steps to prevent it. Lifestyle measures can help you maintain normal blood pressure.

• Follow a healthy eating plan. This includes limiting the amount of sodium (salt) and alcohol that you consume. An example of a healthy eating plan is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH).
• Lose weight if you're overweight or obese.
• Do enough physical activity.
• Quit smoking.
• Limit Alcohol Intake.
• Manage your stress and learn to cope with stress

Many people who take one or more of these steps are able to prevent or delay HBP. The more steps you take, the more likely you are to lower your blood pressure and avoid related health problems.

If you have high blood pressure

If you have HBP, you can still take steps to prevent the long-term problems it can cause. Lifestyle measures (listed above) and medicines can help you live a longer, more active life.

Follow the treatment plan your doctor prescribes to control your blood pressure. It can help you prevent or delay coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other health problems.