How high is your blood pressure?
 |
| systolic ≥160 and diastolic ≥100 in stage 2 hypertension |
Blood pressure
readings are usually given as two numbers, for
example 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). The top number is called
the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the
diastolic blood pressure. Both numbers are equally important to consider
in the diagnosis of hypertension.
The
classification of hypertension or high blood pressure in the Seventh
Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, and
Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7) is as follow:
Normal : systolic <120 mmHg and diastolic <80 mmHg
Prehypertension : systolic 120-129 mmHg and diastolic 80-89 mmHg
Hypertension, stage 1 : systolic 140-159 mmHg and diastolic 90-99 mmHg
Hypertension, stage 2 : systolic ≥160 mmHg and diastolic ≥100 mmHg
If
you are measuring your blood pressure by yourself, the best time to
measure your blood pressure is in the morning after you wake up. Blood
pressure tends to be higher after exercise. Anxiety, such as in the
cases of white coat hypertension, pain, a full bladder, caffeinated
drinks, and smoking can also cause the measurement to go higher than it
should. Therefore, make sure you are in a resting condition when taking
your measurement.
When
you find your blood pressure to be higher than normal, don't start
panicking. More importantly, do not engage in self-medication. A few
years back, I met a person who took over five types of herbal
medications to treat hypertension. She ended up getting a kidney failure
either because of the disease itself or because of the numerous shady
treatment options she undertook. Consult your doctor first if you think
your blood pressure readings are abnormal. There's always a possibility
for error in measurement.
Note
that some electronic self measuring devices may yield slightly
different numbers with the ones obtained by a healthcare professional.
Some factors like the cuff size and your position when taking your
measurement may also affect your result. When in doubt, repeat your
measurement over a few days or ask trained individual to repeat it for
you.
Hypertension is a silent disease.
According
to the American Heart Association, hypertension affects one in three
adults in the United States. Approximately one in three people with high
blood pressure don't realize they have it. Under diagnosis is a major
problem even with the campaign to routinely screen for hypertension in
people as young as 18 years old.
What causes hypertension?
The majority (about 95%) cases of hypertension is called primary or essential hypertension, which is caused by a combination of many risk factors like age, genetics, lifestyle, obesity, and dietary habit (especially salt intake). A small number of cases (around 5%) is caused by a specific disease that affects one or more organs in our body and is called secondary hypertension. Kidney diseases or a tumor of the adrenal gland may cause secondary hypertension.
What are the symptoms and complications of hypertension?
Most of the time people feel no symptoms even when their blood pressure is high. Because of this, people can develop complications like cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, eye problems, and brain damage without knowing they have high blood pressure. The range of symptoms varies from mild headache or dizziness in mild hypertension to heart attack or stroke in severe cases. If you experience severe headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, changes in your vision, or nosebleeds you may have a dangerous form of high blood pressure that requires immediately medical attention.
Other articles on hypertension:
- The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure to <140/90 mmHg in otherwise healthy subject and to <130/80 in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Read more about hypertension treatment
- The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan was originally designed to lower blood pressure, but it turns to be beneficial for other conditions like diabetes, stroke, and even several types of cancer. Read more about DASH eating plan
- Here are a few things you need to know so you can choose the right blood pressure monitor that suits your needs. Read more about choosing blood pressure monitor
