High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). In general, hypertension is a blood pressure reading of 130/90 mm Hg or higher.

Blood pressure higher than 180/120 mm Hg is considered a hypertensive emergency or crisis. Seek emergency medical help for anyone with these blood pressure numbers. Untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems. It's important to have your blood pressure checked at least every two years starting at age 18. Some people need more-frequent checks.

Symptoms

Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. You can have high blood pressure for years without any symptoms. A few people with high blood pressure may have:

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds

However, these symptoms aren't specific. They usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.

Causes

Blood pressure is determined by two things: the amount of blood the heart pumps and how hard it is for the blood to move through the arteries. The more blood the heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher the blood pressure.

There are two main types of high blood pressure.

• Primary hypertension: also called essential hypertension. For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure is called primary hypertension or essential hypertension. It tends to develop gradually over many years. Plaque buildup in the arteries, called atherosclerosis, increases the risk of high blood pressure.
• Secondary hypertension: This type of high blood pressure is caused by an underlying condition. It tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Conditions and medicines that can lead to secondary hypertension include: Adrenal gland tumors, Blood vessel problems present at birth, also called congenital heart defects, Illegal drugs, Kidney disease, sleep apnea, Thyroid problems etc.

Sometimes just getting a health checkup causes blood pressure to increase. This is called white coat hypertension

* Consult Your Physician For More Information & Best Treatment Options Available…