February is Heart Month in the US. I thought we would start this month by talking about the important topic of high blood pressure. We have all heard about high blood pressure, but do we really understand what it is and why it is bad for us? Did you know that nearly half of US adults have elevated blood pressure, and many of them have no idea that they have it. Let’s talk more about this important topic.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is too high. The top number of the blood pressure reading (systolic pressure) is the pressure in your arteries when your heart is contracting, and the bottom number (diastolic pressure) is the pressure when your heart is resting between contractions.What are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it usually has no noticeable symptoms while is it quietly damaging your blood vessels and important organs. Many people already have damage to blood vessels and organs before they even know their blood pressure is high. Having your blood pressure measured is the only way to know that your blood pressure is high.
What is Considered Normal Blood Pressure?
The definition of “normal” blood pressure has changed over the years. It is now lower than it was previously, as more research has given us better insight into what levels of blood pressure can cause damage to the body’s organs and blood vessels. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, abbreviated mm Hg, and all the numbers below are in mm Hg. The current definition for normal blood pressure is a systolic (top number) of LESS THAN 120, and diastolic (bottom number) of LESS THAN 80. Any numbers higher than that are broken into the following stages of hypertension:
- Elevated – 120-129 systolic AND LESS THAN 80 diastolic
- Stage 1 – 130-139 systolic OR 80-89 diastolic
- Stage 2 – 140 and above systolic OR 90 and above diastolic
Severe Hypertension and Hypertensive Emergency are above 180 systolic OR 120 diastolic. We will talk more about these two stages in another article.
How is the Diagnosis of High Blood Pressure Made?
The only way to diagnose hypertension is by measuring blood pressure. But we don’t make a diagnosis based on a single blood pressure reading. Here are the things we do to make the diagnosis:
- Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and family history, then listen to your heart and lungs, listen to the blood vessels in your neck and abdomen, and do an overall physical exam.
- Your blood pressure will be checked.
- If your blood pressure is elevated, then your blood pressure should be checked again, two or more times on separate visits.
- We then take the average of these blood pressure readings to make the diagnosis.
Next week, we will talk more about how to get the most accurate blood pressure readings, as well as some of the things that might be done once you are diagnosed with hypertension.
If you have any questions about high blood pressure, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.
Dr. Anita Bennett MD – Health Tip Content Editor