What to do when my blood pressure high?

• Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline. Blood pressure often increases as weight increases.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Reduce salt (sodium) in your diet.
• Limit alcohol.
• Quit smoking.
• Get a good night's sleep.
• Reduce stress.

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day.

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers:

The first number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.

The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.

If the measurement reads 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, you would say, “120 over 80,” or write, “120/80 mmHg.”

A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg.1

No matter your age, you can take steps each day to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Your health care team can diagnose high blood pressure and make treatment decisions by reviewing your systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and comparing them to levels found in certain guidelines.

Usually, high blood pressure causes no signs or symptoms. That’s why healthcare providers call it a “silent killer.” You could have high blood pressure for years and not know it. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that 46% of adults with hypertension don’t know they have it.

When your blood pressure is 180/120 mmHg or higher, you may experience symptoms like headaches, heart palpitations or nosebleeds. Blood pressure this high is a hypertensive crisis that requires immediate medical care.

Your provider will diagnose you with one of two types of high blood pressure:

Primary and secondary high blood pressure (hypertension) can co-exist. For example, a new secondary cause can make blood pressure that’s already high get even higher.

You might also hear about high blood pressure that comes or goes in certain situations. These hypertension types are:

Primary hypertension doesn’t have a single, clear cause. Usually, many factors come together to cause it. Common causes include:

Secondary hypertension has at least one distinct cause that healthcare providers can identify. Common causes of secondary hypertension include:

Researchers believe genes play a role in high blood pressure. If one or more of your close biological family members have high blood pressure, you have an increased risk of developing it, too.

Risk factors that make you more likely to have high blood pressure include: