Symptoms and causes of high blood pressure: When is hypertension a medical emergency?

By Cristiano Antonino On Apr 18, 2023

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We are talking about hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure: blood pressure is the pressure of the blood that pushes against the walls of the arteries

Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day.

What do the blood pressure numbers mean?

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 is resting between beats.

If the measurement indicates 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, you would say “120 out of 80” or write “120/80 mmHg”.

What are normal blood pressure values?

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

Regardless of your age, you can take steps every day to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?

Also called hypertension, high blood pressure is blood pressure that is higher than normal.

Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities.

Having blood pressure measurements that are consistently above normal can lead to a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or high blood pressure).

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

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

The guidelines used to diagnose high blood pressure can differ from healthcare professional to healthcare professional:

Some healthcare providers diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher.2 This limit is based on a guideline published in 2003, as shown in the table below.
Other healthcare professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher.1 This limit is based on a guideline published in 2017, as shown in the table below.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, talk to your health care team about your blood pressure levels and how these levels affect your treatment plan.

What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?

Hypertension usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people are unaware they have it.

Taking your blood pressure is the only way to know if you have hypertension.

What causes hypertension?

High blood pressure usually develops over time.

It can happen due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity.

Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, can also increase your risk of developing high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can also occur during pregnancy.

What problems does high blood pressure cause?

High blood pressure can harm your health in many ways. It can seriously damage important organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.

The good news is that, in most cases, it is possible to manage your blood pressure to reduce your risk of serious health problems.

Heart attack

High blood pressure can damage the arteries by making them less elastic, which reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and leads to heart disease.

Also, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:

Chest pain, also called angina.
Heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and the heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
Heart failure, a condition that means your heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to your other organs.

Stroke and brain problems

High blood pressure can burst or block the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, leading to a stroke.

Brain cells die during a stroke because they don’t get enough oxygen.

Stroke can cause severe impairments in speech, movement, and other basic activities.

A stroke can even kill you.

Nephropathy

Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those without these conditions.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

There’s only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Ask a doctor or other health care professional to measure it.

Blood pressure measurement is quick and painless.

Talk to your healthcare team about regular home blood pressure measurement, also called self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP).

High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people are unaware they have it.

What can I do to prevent or manage high blood pressure?

Many people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure into a healthy range or keep their numbers in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes.

Talk to your healthcare team.

Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week)
Not smoking
Maintain a healthy diet, including limiting sodium (salt) and alcohol
Maintain a healthy weight
Manage stress

In addition to making positive lifestyle changes, some people with high blood pressure need to take medications to manage their blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor right away if you think you have high blood pressure or if you’ve been told you have high blood pressure but it’s not under control.

By taking action to lower your blood pressure, you can protect yourself from heart disease and stroke, also sometimes called cardiovascular disease (CVD).