High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as high pressure (tension) in the arteries, which are the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Hypertension risk factors include obesity, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, and family history.
High blood pressure may not have any symptoms and so hypertension has been labeled "the silent killer." Longstanding high blood pressure can lead to multiple complications including heart attack, kidney disease, or stroke.
Some people experience symptoms with their high blood pressure. These symptoms include:
Headache
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Blurred vision
Feeling of pulsations in the neck or head
Nausea
There are two types of high blood pressure.
For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure, called primary (essential) hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.
Some people have high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions and medications can lead to secondary hypertension, including:
· Obstructive sleep apnea
· Kidney problems
· Adrenal gland tumors
· Thyroid problems
· Certain defects you're born with (congenital) in blood vessels
· Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the counter pain relievers and some prescription
High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:
· Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age
· Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families.
· Being overweight or obese. The more you weigh the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
· Not being physically active. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.
· Using tobacco. smoking or chewing tobacco raise your blood pressure.
· Too much salt (sodium) in your diet. Too much sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.
· Too little potassium in your diet. Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells. If you don't get enough potassium in your diet or retain enough potassium, you may accumulate too much sodium in your blood.
· Drinking too much alcohol. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart.
· Stress. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure. If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you may only increase problems with high blood pressure.
· Certain chronic conditions. Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of high blood pressure, such as kidney disease, diabetes and sleep apnea.
· Sometimes pregnancy contributes to high blood pressure, as well.
To measure your blood pressure, doctor or a specialist will usually place an inflatable arm cuff around your arm and measure your blood pressure using a pressure-measuring gauge which will show elevated blood pressure.