Biology

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the blood vessel walls. Having high blood pressure means that this force is higher than it should be or the normal, and could lead to health problems.

There are two types of blood pressure measurements: Systolic blood pressure, which is a measure of the force of the blood when the heart beats, and diastolic blood pressure, or the force of the blood between heart beats. A person is considered to have high blood pressure when their systolic pressure is 140mmHg or higher most of the time, or when their diastolic pressure is 90 mmHg or higher most of the time, according to the National Institutes of Health.

High blood pressure is a serious disease that can, damage the blood vessel walls and increase a person's risk of heart attack, stroke and other conditions.

Symptoms

People with high blood pressure usually have no symptoms, so patients can have the condition for years without knowing it.

Hypertension is like a silent killer because patients are often asymptotic. In rare cases, some people with high blood pressure experience headaches.

Although many patients may not have symptoms at first, over time, high blood pressure can lead to "wear and tear" on the body. For example, high blood pressure can stretch and damage blood vessels, which in turn, can increase the risk of health problems, according to the American Heart Association. Stretched blood vessels can have weak spots that are more likely to rupture, leading to a hemorrhagic strokes or aneurysms. Stretching of the blood vessels can also cause tears and scars that create places for cholesterol or blood to build up.

Diagnosis

High blood pressure is diagnosed from a blood pressure test. Typically, doctors place a blood pressure cuff on the arm, which has a gauge that measures pressure in the blood vessels. Patients should avoid drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes for 30 minutes before the test, because such behaviors...