How could I have high blood pressure? I feel fine.

High blood pressure is called a "silent killer" because it usually does not cause any symptoms. Learn more about high blood pressure and
how to treat it.

What is blood pressure?

Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through blood vessels to all parts of your body. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels. Normal blood vessels are wide open and the blood moves freely. This leads to normal blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?

• High blood pressure occurs when your blood vessels become stiffer and more narrow.
• Your heart has to work harder to push blood through the blood vessels to all parts of your body.
• If high blood pressure is not treated, it can lead to serious health problems like heart attack and stroke.
  

What causes high blood pressure?

There are many risk factors for high blood pressure. Some of these risk factors can be controlled and others cannot:

My Blood Pressure Numbers—What Do They Mean?

Blood pressure is measured with a cuff that is wrapped around your arm and a pressure gauge that reads two numbers.

What do your numbers mean?

Blood pressure goes up and down throughout the day. But when your blood pressure stays above a certain level, it is called high blood pressure or "hypertension."

Why is high blood pressure dangerous?

If you have high blood pressure, you may feel fine. This is because high blood pressure does not always cause symptoms. It is called the "silent killer" because it puts you at risk for health problems like:

Taking care of your blood pressure every day may help you prevent and manage health problems that high blood pressure can cause over time.

Talk to your doctor about the changes you can make to lower your blood pressure.

• Get your blood pressure checked at every visit.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Follow a healthy diet that is low in salt (sodium) and fat.
• Start a regular exercise program.
• If you smoke, ask about ways to quit. 
• Try to lose weight and keep it off.
• Take your medicine as directed.

 

 

Other Tools

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