High Blood Pressure Facts

March 1, 2022

In the United States, 116 million adults have hypertension, a.k.a., high blood pressure. Whether your doctor has recently diagnosed you or you wonder if you’re at risk, you’re in the right place.

We want to help you understand how hypertension could impact you or someone you love.

After exploring high blood pressure facts, you’ll have a better understanding of this prevalent health condition. We’ve also briefly covered the risk factors of hypertension and shared tips on how you can control hypertension.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

Measuring your blood pressure — it only takes a minute, but it could save your life. Think of blood pressure as a force. It’s what moves your blood through your circulatory system.

Without blood pressure, your blood cannot deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the tissues and organs in your body. Doctors use blood pressure measurements as a tool to help identify a patient’s risk for a stroke or heart disease.

The Silent Killer

You could be living with hypertension and not know it. Unlike many other health conditions, high blood pressure doesn’t always come with recognizable symptoms.

Because symptoms often don’t arise until it’s too late, hypertension has earned the name of the “silent killer.” Even so, there are symptoms you can watch for, including:

Headaches
Vision changes
Shortness of breath
Chest pain

If you experience any of these, it’s wise to make an appointment with your doctor.

Learn About Your Blood Pressure Numbers

When you visit your doctor’s office, do you ask about your blood pressure? Most people do but may not understand the numbers. For example, your doctor may tell you your blood pressure is 120/80. But what do those numbers even mean?

The top number (120) represents systolic pressure — the pressure inside the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number reflects diastolic pressure — the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats.

Your doctor uses guidelines put together by the American Heart Association to help identify hypertension. A reading less than 120/80 is considered normal. A reading higher than 180/120 indicates a hypertensive crisis.

Tip: If you’re performing a home test, a reading this high requires immediate contact with your doctor.

Preventing and Managing High Blood Pressure

Most people don’t worry much about high blood pressure until they get older. Age is one of the risk factors of hypertension. So is family history.

While you can’t stop aging or change your genetic predisposition to hypertension, you can help reduce your risk.

To avoid developing high blood pressure, focus on:

Reduce salt
Exercise
Healthy weight
Stress management

These are only a few ways to prevent high blood pressure. Hypertension management may also include other dietary changes beyond cutting salt. Some people may need medication as well.

If you’ve already developed hypertension, you and your doctor can work together to lower your blood pressure. The key is to schedule regular checkups and follow-ups when you’re not feeling well.