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Home : Your Physical Health : High Blood Pressure: Treat it for Life
High Blood Pressure: Treat it for Life
From the National Institutes of Health
Your High Blood Pressure
As many as 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, or "hypertension,"
which is the medical term for it.
In fact, if you have found out about your high blood pressure, you
are one step ahead of many Americans. Millions don’t know they
have high blood pressure.
One in four American adults has high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, find out how to treat it.
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Because high blood pressure has no warning signs, it is often
called the "silent killer." People may not find out they
have it until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidney.
When high blood pressure is not detected and treated, it can cause:
- The heart to get larger, which may lead to heart failure.
- Small blisters (aneurysms) to form in the brain’s blood
vessels, which may cause a stroke.
- Blood vessels in the kidney to narrow, which may cause kidney
failure.
- Arteries throughout the body to "harden" faster,
especially those in the heart, brain, and kidneys, which can cause a
heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure.
In fact, high blood pressure plays a role in about 700,000 deaths a
year from stroke, and heart and kidney disease. The illnesses brought
on by uncontrolled high blood pressure cost Americans billions of
dollars each year. It’s easier and wiser to treat your high blood
pressure right from the start.
What
Is Blood Pressure?
Blood is carried from the heart to all of your body’s tissues and
organs in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the
blood pushing against the walls of those arteries. In fact, each time
the heart beats (about 60-70 times a minute at rest), it pumps out
blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its greatest when
the heart contracts and is pumping the blood. This is called systolic
pressure. When the heart is at rest, in between beats, your blood
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What Causes High Blood Pressure?
The causes of high blood pressure can vary and most of the time, the cause is not known. It might be due to a narrowing in the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should. With any of these conditions, there is always an increased force against the artery walls. This form of the condition is called "essential hypertension."
Sometimes high blood pressure can be caused by another medical problem, such as kidney disease. When this happens, the condition is called "secondary hypertension." As the name indicates, by treating the main problem, the blood pressure goes down.
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pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic
and diastolic pressures. Both are important. Usually they are written
one above or before the other, such as 120/80 mm Hg, with the top
number being the systolic and the bottom the diastolic.
Blood pressure changes during the day. It is lowest as you sleep
and rises when you get up. It also can rise when you are excited,
nervous, or active. Throughout the day, blood pressure can vary.
Still, for most of your waking hours, your blood pressure stays
pretty much the same. That level should be normal, around 120/80 mm
Hg. When the level stays high, 140/90 mm Hg or above, you have high
blood pressure. And, with high blood pressure, the heart has to work
harder and you are at an increased risk of a stroke, heart attack, and
kidney problems.
Testing
for High Blood Pressure
You probably found out about your high blood pressure during a
visit to a clinic or doctor. Maybe you wen to a doctor for a physical
exam. The doctor asked for your medical history and did some simple
tests, such as urine and blood tests. And, your blood pressure was
measured.
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Blood Pressure Categories for Adults Age 18 and
Older* |
| Category |
Systolic
(mm Hg) |
Diastolic
(mm Hg) |
| Normal |
<130 |
<85 |
| High
Normal |
130-139 |
85-89 |
High
Blood Pressure
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage
4
|
140-159
160-179
180-209
>= 210
|
90-99
100-109
110-119
>= 120
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*For those not taking medicine for high blood pressure and not
having a short-term serious illness. These categories are from the
National High Blood Pressure Education Program.
< less than
>= greater than or equal to |
Having your pressure taken is easy. The doctor uses a device called
a "sphygmomanometer." Here’s how it works: A blood
pressure cuff is placed around an arm and inflated with air until
blood circulation in the artery is temporarily stopped. A valve is
opened and some of the air is slowly let out from the cuff, which
allows the blood flow to start again. Using a stethoscope, the doctor
listens to the blood flow in an artery at the inner elbow. The first
sound heard is the heart as it pumps. This is the systolic
pressure—the maximum pressure in the artery produced as the
heart contracts and the blood begins to flow. More air is slowly
released from the cuff. When the beating sound is no longer heard, the
heart is at rest. The lowest pressure that remains within the artery
when the heart is at rest is the diastolic pressure.
Some blood pressure devices use a column of mercury or a gauge to
record the systolic and diastolic sounds. Others use electronic
devices or digital readouts. In these cases, the blood pressure
reading appears on a small screen or is signaled in beeps, and no
stethoscope is used.
It’s not unusual to have your blood pressure measured more
than once during your doctor or clinic visit. It is often taken twice
and then averaged to get a truer picture. Also, the first time your
blood pressure level appears to be high, you will probably need to
have it taken again at another time to be sure that the reading is
accurate. Your doctor will likely ask you to come back in a week or
two in order to check your pressure again.
How Do
You Rate?
Do you know your blood pressure? Ask your doctor to tell you your
numbers. Look at page 6 to see where your reading fits in. Blood
pressure readings below 140/90 mm Hg are considered normal. If the
systolic blood pressure stays at 140 mm Hg or greater, or the
diastolic blood pressure stays at 90 mm Hg or greater, you have high
blood pressure. High blood pressure is categorized into four stages.
As blood pressure goes up, the risk of heart attack, stroke, or kidney
disease increases. So taking action becomes more important. For
instance, as your pressure rises from normal to Stage 1 high blood
pressure, your risk of dying from heart disease or stroke doubles; as
it rises to Stage 2, your risk triples. Look in section 2 to see what actions can be taken to control high blood pressure.
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. . . . . . Keeping Track Of Your Numbers . . . . . . .
Find a small piece of paper or an old business card you can write on the back of to keep track of your blood pressure readings.
Carry the card with you in your wallet. This way you can write
down your readings no matter where or when they are taken. Show it
to your doctor at your next visit. |
You may be asked to keep track of your blood pressure. There are
several reasons for this. Sometimes, because blood pressure changes
throughout the day, the doctor needs more readings to see your blood
pressure’s range and get a better picture. Another reason is that
some people become anxious when they visit a doctor and their blood
pressure goes up. This is called "white coat hypertension."
When your blood pressure is taken at home, you may be more at ease and
thus may get a truer reading.
You can keep track of your blood pressure outside of your doctor’s
office by taking it at home (see below). But,
there are also other ways to get your pressure tested. Many company
health clinics, community health centers, and hospitals have nurses
and trained professionals who often do blood pressure tests. Check
with your doctor or nurse. If these tests are in the normal range most
of the time, fewer checks at your doctor’s office my be required
to monitor your blood pressure.
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. . . . . . . . . Home Blood Pressure Devices . . . . . . . . .
Tests at home can be done with the familiar blood pressure cuff
and a stethoscope, or with an electronic monitor, such as a
digital readout monitor. Whatever the device, it must be checked
for accuracy when you first get it and, later, once a year. This
will keep it in good working order. Also, be sure that the person
who will use the device is trained to take blood pressure
readings. Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can help you check the
device and teach you how to use it. You may also ask for their
help in choosing the right one for you.
Blood pressure devices can be bought at medical products stores
and in drugstores. Check your yellow pages telephone book or with
your doctor or nurse to find a store. And above all, don’t
become a nervous "blood-pressure-taker." Testing your
blood pressure at home can be helpful if not overdone.
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