Did you know that high blood pressure is the same as hypertension. It actually the medical term for high blood pressure. High blood pressure has no signs or symptoms. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get tested.
By taking steps to lower your blood pressure, you can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Lowering your blood pressure can also help you live a longer, healthier life.
Blood pressure is how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries when your heart pumps blood.
Arteries are the tubes that carry blood away from your heart. Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood through your arteries to the rest of your body.
To test your blood pressure, the nurse or doctor will put a cuff around your upper arm and pump up the cuff with air until it feels tight.
This usually takes less than a minute. The doctor or nurse can tell you what your blood pressure numbers are right after the test is over.
You can also check your own blood pressure with a blood pressure machine. You can find blood pressure machines in malls, pharmacies, and grocery stores.
A blood pressure test measures you how hard your heart is working to pump blood through your body.
Blood pressure is measured with 2 numbers. The first number is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number is the pressure in your arteries between each beat, when your heart relaxes.
Compare your blood pressure to these numbers:
Normal blood pressure is lower than 120/80 (said “120 over 80”).
High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
Blood pressure that’s between normal and high (for example, 130/85) is called pre hypertension , or high normal blood pressure.
One in 3 Americans has high blood pressure. Most Americans over age 40 are at risk.
You may be at extra risk for high blood pressure if you:
By taking steps to lower your blood pressure, you can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Lowering your blood pressure can also help you live a longer, healthier life.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries when your heart pumps blood.
Arteries are the tubes that carry blood away from your heart. Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood through your arteries to the rest of your body.
How can I get my blood pressure checked?
To test your blood pressure, the nurse or doctor will put a cuff around your upper arm and pump up the cuff with air until it feels tight.
This usually takes less than a minute. The doctor or nurse can tell you what your blood pressure numbers are right after the test is over.
You can also check your own blood pressure with a blood pressure machine. You can find blood pressure machines in malls, pharmacies, and grocery stores.
What do blood pressure numbers mean?
A blood pressure test measures you how hard your heart is working to pump blood through your body.
Blood pressure is measured with 2 numbers. The first number is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number is the pressure in your arteries between each beat, when your heart relaxes.
Compare your blood pressure to these numbers:
Normal blood pressure is lower than 120/80 (said “120 over 80”).
High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
Blood pressure that’s between normal and high (for example, 130/85) is called pre hypertension , or high normal blood pressure.
Am I at risk for high blood pressure?
One in 3 Americans has high blood pressure. Most Americans over age 40 are at risk.
You may be at extra risk for high blood pressure if you:
- Are overweight or obese
- Smoke
- Have a family history of high blood pressure
- Eat foods high in sodium (salt)
- Get less than 30 minutes of activity on most days
- Drink more than a moderate amount of alcohol (2 drinks a day for men or 1 drink a day for women)
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