High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes
Blood pressure:
Blood pressure is the
pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry
blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
Your blood pressure
normally rises and falls throughout the day.
Blood pressure numbers mean:
Blood pressure is measured
using two numbers:
The first number, called systolic blood
pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
The second number,
called diastolic blood
pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between
beats.
If the measurement reads 120
systolic and 80 diastolic, you would say, “120 over 80,” or write, “120/80
mmHg.”
Normal blood pressure numbers:
A normal blood pressure level
is less than 120/80 mmHg.1
High blood pressure (hypertension):
High blood pressure, also
called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood
pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood
pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high
blood pressure (or hypertension).
The higher your blood pressure
levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart
disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Your health care team can
diagnose high blood pressure and make treatment decisions by reviewing your
systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and comparing them to levels found
in certain guidelines.
The guidelines used to
diagnose high blood pressure may differ from health care professional to health
care professional:
- Some
health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if
their blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher(2). This limit
is based on a guideline released in 2003, as seen in the table below.
- Other health care professionals
diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is
consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher(1). This limit is based on a guideline
released in 2017, as seen in the table below.
|
Blood Pressure Levels |
|||
|
The Seventh Report
of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and
Treatment of High Blood Pressure (2003 Guideline)2 |
The American College
of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention,
Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (2017
Guideline)1 |
||
|
Normal |
systolic: less than
120 mm Hg |
Normal |
systolic: less than
120 mm Hg |
|
At Risk (prehypertension) |
systolic: 120–139 mm
Hg |
Elevated |
systolic: 120–129 mm
Hg |
|
High Blood Pressure
(hypertension) |
systolic: 140 mm Hg
or higher |
High blood pressure (hypertension) |
systolic: 130 mm Hg
or higher |
If you are diagnosed with
high blood pressure, talk with your health care team about your blood pressure
levels and how these levels affect your treatment plan.
Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure:
High blood pressure usually
has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have
it. Measuring
your blood pressure is the only way to know
whether you have high blood pressure.
Causes high blood pressure:
High blood pressure usually
develops over time. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such
as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health
conditions, such as diabetes and having obesity, can
also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure. High
blood pressure can also happen during pregnancy.
What problems does high blood pressure cause?
High blood pressure can damage
your health in many ways. It can seriously hurt important organs like your
heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
The good news is that, in most
cases, you can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health
problems.
Heart Attack and Heart Disease
High blood pressure can damage
your arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood
and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease.
In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:
- Chest
pain, also called angina.
- Heart attack, which happens when the blood supply
to your heart is blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough
oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to
the heart.
- Heart failure, a condition
that means your heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to your other
organs.
Stroke and Brain Problems
High blood pressure can cause
the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to burst or be blocked,
causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do
not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech,
movement, and other basic activities. A stroke can also kill you.
Having high blood pressure,
especially in midlife, is linked to having poorer cognitive function and
dementia later in life.
Kidney Disease
Adults with diabetes, high
blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney
disease than those without these conditions.
How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
There’s only one way to know
if you have high blood pressure: Have a doctor or other health professional
measure it. Measuring
your blood pressure is quick and painless.
Talk with your health care
team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called
self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring.
High blood pressure is called
the “silent killer” because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and
many people do not know they have it.
What can I do to prevent or manage high blood pressure?
Many people with high blood
pressure can lower their blood pressure into a healthy range or keep their
numbers in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes. Talk with your
health care team about
- Getting
at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (about 30 minutes a
day, 5 days a week)
- Not
smoking
- Eating
a healthy diet, including limiting sodium (salt) and alcohol
- Keeping
a healthy weight
- Managing stress
In addition to making positive
lifestyle changes, some people with high blood pressure need to take medicine to
manage their blood pressure.
Talk with your health care
team right away if you think you have high blood pressure or if you’ve been
told you have high blood pressure but do not have it under control.
By taking action to lower your
blood pressure, you can help protect yourself against heart disease and stroke,
also sometimes called cardiovascular disease (CVD).
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