What exactly is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the artery walls. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
Throughout the day, your blood pressure naturally rises and falls.
What do blood pressure readings indicate?
Two numbers are used to calculate blood pressure:
The first number, systolic blood pressure, measures how much pressure is in your arteries when your heart beats.
The second number, diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats.
If the systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80, you would say “120 over 80” or write “120/80 mmHg.”
What are the normal blood pressure readings?
Blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg.
Every day, no matter your age, you can take steps to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
What exactly is hypertension (high blood pressure)?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is characterised by blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day as a result of your activities. Having blood pressure readings that are consistently higher than normal may lead to a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).
The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of developing other health issues such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
By comparing your systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels to those found in certain guidelines, your health care team can diagnose high blood pressure and make treatment decisions.
The guidelines for diagnosing high blood pressure may differ from one health care professional to the next:
Some doctors diagnose high blood pressure when a patient’s blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher.
2 This limit is based on a 2003 guideline, as shown in the table below.
Patients with high blood pressure are diagnosed by other health care professionals if their blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
1 This limit is based on a 2017 guideline, as shown in the table below.
What are the signs and symptoms of hypertension?
Many people are unaware they have high blood pressure because there are no warning signs or symptoms. Only by measuring your blood pressure can you determine if you have high blood pressure.
What factors contribute to high blood pressure?
High blood pressure typically develops gradually. It can occur as a result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as a lack of regular physical activity. Diabetes and obesity are two health conditions that can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. High blood pressure can occur during pregnancy as well.
What are the consequences of high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can harm your health in a variety of ways. It can seriously harm vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
The good news is that you can usually control your blood pressure and reduce your risk of serious health problems.
Heart Disease and Heart Attack
High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic, reducing blood and oxygen flow to your heart and leading to heart disease. Furthermore, decreased blood flow to the heart can result in:
Angina is a type of chest pain.
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to your heart is cut off and your heart muscle begins to die due to a lack of oxygen. The greater the damage to the heart, the longer the blood flow is blocked.
Heart failure is a condition in which your heart is unable to supply enough blood and oxygen to your other organs.
Stroke and Brain Issues
High blood pressure can cause the arteries that supply the brain with blood and oxygen to burst or become blocked, resulting in a stroke. During a stroke, brain cells die due to a lack of oxygen. Stroke can result in significant impairments in speech, movement, and other fundamental activities. A stroke can also be fatal.
High blood pressure, particularly in middle age, is linked to impaired cognitive function and dementia later in life. The National Institutes of Health’s Mind Your Risks® campaign can help you learn more about the link between high blood pressure and dementia.
Kidney Illness
Adults who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease than those who do not have these conditions.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
There is only one way to find out if you have high blood pressure: have it measured by a doctor or other health professional. It is simple and painless to take your blood pressure.
Discuss with your health care team the possibility of measuring your blood pressure at home on a regular basis, also known as self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring.
High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” because there are usually no warning signs or symptoms, and many people are unaware they have it.
What can I do to avoid or control high blood pressure?
Many people with high blood pressure can lower or maintain their blood pressure in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes. Discuss this with your medical team.
Participating in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week (about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week)
Smoking cessation
Eating a healthy diet, which includes limiting sodium (salt) and alcohol consumption
Maintaining a healthy weight
Stress administration
Learn more about managing and preventing high blood pressure.
Some people with high blood pressure require medication to manage their blood pressure in addition to making positive lifestyle changes. Learn more about high blood pressure medications.
If you suspect you have high blood pressure or have been told you have high blood pressure but it is not under control, consult your health care team right away.
By lowering your blood pressure, you can help protect yourself from heart disease and stroke, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Why should I take my blood pressure?
Only by measuring your blood pressure can you determine if you have high blood pressure. Many people are unaware they have high blood pressure because there are no warning signs or symptoms.
Where can I have my blood pressure taken?
You can have your blood pressure checked.
At a doctor’s office, by a member of the health care team.
In a pharmacy that has a digital blood pressure machine.
With a self-contained home blood pressure monitor.
Bring this form [PDF – 105 KB] with you to your first blood pressure check to record vital blood pressure information.
What factors influence a blood pressure reading?
A blood pressure reading can be affected by a variety of factors, including:
Fear of having your blood pressure taken. This is known as “white coat syndrome.” One in every three people who have a high blood pressure reading at the doctor’s office may have a normal blood pressure reading elsewhere. 1
What you ate, drank, or did before starting to read. Your blood pressure reading may be higher if you smoked, drank alcohol or caffeine, or exercised within 30 minutes of having your blood pressure measured.
How are you sitting?
Crossing your legs and allowing your arm to droop at your side instead of resting it on a table at chest height can cause your blood pressure to rise.
It’s critical to get an accurate blood pressure reading so you can see your risk for heart disease and stroke.
A blood pressure reading that indicates your blood pressure is lower than it is may give you a false sense of security about your health. A reading that indicates your blood pressure is higher than it is may result in unnecessary treatment.
Medications for erectile dysfunction and high blood pressure
Malegra 200 is also used to treat the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension in both men and women. This is a form of hypertension that occurs between the heart and the lungs. When pulmonary hypertension occurs, the heart must work harder to pump enough blood through the lungs. Sildenafil relaxes blood vessels by acting on the PDE5 enzyme in the lungs. This increases the supply of blood to the lungs while decreasing the workload on the heart.
If you’re thinking about using super p force to help with erections, consult with your doctor first. Sildenafil (Revatio, Viagra), vardenafil, avanafil (Stendra), and tadalafil are examples of these medications (Adcirca, Cialis, others). The pill forms are generally thought to be safe for otherwise healthy men with high blood pressure.
These medications are not recommended for men who have severe heart disease. They are also not appropriate for men with high blood pressure who have difficulty urinating or other urinary tract issues. These medications should never be combined with nitrates, which are used to treat chest pain. This can result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
