High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

What is it?

A condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure.

There are 2 types of hypertension

1)Primary hypertension

When the cause is unknown (estimated to make up 95% of cases)

2) Secondary hypertension

When a cause can be found

Symptoms

Hypertension is generally a silent condition. Many people do not experience any symptoms. It may take years or even decades for the condition to reach levels severe enough that symptoms become obvious.

Symptoms of severe hypertension can include:

headaches
shortness of breath
nosebleeds
flushing
dizziness
chest pain
visual changes
blood in the urine

Diagnosis

A device called a sphygmomanometer or an electronic blood pressure monitor will be used to measure your blood pressure.

High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher (or 150/90mmHg or higher if you're over the age of 80)

Ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg

Available treatments

Simple lifestyle changes can help reduce high blood pressure, although some people may need to take medicine as well. Your GP can advise you about the most suitable options.

Management of high blood pressure

Public Health England suggests that the following risk factors may increase a person’s risk of hypertension:

Other lifestyle recommendation

Reduce caffeine intake.

Reduce your stress with the help of yoga and physical exercise.
Reduce salt intake or try the Dash diet with the help of your nutritionist, as it has shown to be an effective dietary approach in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) (90%) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (91%).

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