To diagnose high blood pressure, your doctor needs to know if your blood pressure is high throughout the day. footnote 3, footnote 4 This is because your blood pressure can change throughout the day. Your doctor may ask you to test it again when you are home. How is it diagnosed?ĭuring a routine visit, your doctor will measure your blood pressure. Very high blood pressure (such as 180/120 or higher) can cause severe headaches and vision problems. Most people don't know they have it until they go to the doctor for some other reason. High blood pressure doesn't usually cause symptoms. These include aging, drinking too much alcohol, eating a lot of sodium (salt), being overweight, and not exercising. But they know that some things are linked to it. What causes it?Įxperts don't fully understand the exact cause of high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other problems. The bottom number may be 80 or 90 or higher. For diagnosis, the top number may be 130 or 140 or higher. ![]() High blood pressure means that the top number stays high, or the bottom number stays high, or both. It shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when your heart is relaxed and filling with blood. The second (bottom) number is the diastolic pressure. It shows how hard the blood pushes when your heart is pumping. The first (top) number is the systolic pressure. Two numbers tell you your blood pressure. But if it stays up, you have high blood pressure (hypertension). It's normal for blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day. Condition Basics What is high blood pressure?īlood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries.
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