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• Your heart pumps blood around your body to supply it with the oxygen and energy it needs. As your blood moves, it creates pressure against the sides of your blood vessels. The only way to know your blood pressure is to have a blood pressure reading using either an aneroid (manual) monitor or a digital monitor.
• Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The reading consists of two numbers. Firstly, the top number is your systolic blood pressure, which is the highest pressure in an artery when your heart is pumping blood to your body. Secondly is your diastolic blood pressure. This is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats i.e. when your heart is at rest.
• A blood pressure reading is considered normal when the blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or lower.  It is commonly said as “120 over 80.”

• In general, high blood pressure refers to a reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
• When your blood pressure is consistently high at different times of the day, across several different days, you may be diagnosed with hypertension.

Symptoms of Severe High Blood Pressure:

If your blood pressure is extremely high, you may experience these symptoms:

• Severe headache
• Nosebleeds
• Fatigue or confusion
• Vision problems, like blurred vision
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in your urine
• Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears

There are several factors that increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Some of these are related to who you are (age, race, gender and family history). Others are modifiable risk factors i.e. risk factors you can change to help prevent and manage high blood pressure.

• Being overweight or obese: Excess weight can increase your blood pressure. Carrying too much weight puts an extra strain on your heart and circulatory system, as well as increasing the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• Lack of physical activity: Not getting enough physical activity or exercise as part of your lifestyle increases your risk of getting high blood pressure.
• Poor diet: A diet that is high in salt, fat, and calories can increase your risk of high blood pressure.
• Smoking and vaping: Smoking can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of high blood pressure.
• Drinking too much: Excessive alcohol consumption can raise your blood pressure.
• Chronic conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep apnea, can increase your risk of high blood pressure.

• Age and Gender: The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Up until the age of 64, men are more likely to get high blood pressure than women. From the age of 65, women are more likely to get high blood pressure.
• Family history: If you have a family history of high blood pressure, you may be more likely to develop it yourself. In other words, if your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, there’s an increased chance that you will get it too.
• Race: The World Health Organization estimates that the prevalence of hypertension is highest in the African region, with about 46% of adults aged 25 years and older being hypertensive compared to 35% in the Americas and 40% elsewhere in the world. What’s more, black adults have more severe and resistant hypertension than other racial/ethnic groups.
• It’s important to note that having one or more of these risk factors does not guarantee that you will develop high blood pressure. Conversely, not having any of these factors does not mean that you won’t develop high blood pressure.

Your best chance to avoid hypertension involves changing the modifiable risk factors. In other words, a lifestyle change. These include:

• Exercise – Even moderate amounts of regular exercise can help your heart. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure as well as lose weight.
• Don’t smoke or vape – Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
• Limit your alcohol intake – Avoid drinking too much alcohol as it can raise your blood pressure and contributes to weight gain, which increases your risk of heart problems.
• Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight.
• Get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day.
• Reduce your sodium intake. That is to say, eat a healthy diet with less salt.

• Chronic stress can increase your blood pressure. Stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure spikes as well as stimulating your nervous system to produce hormones that narrow the arteries, which in turn increases blood pressure.
• Although the link between stress and high blood pressure is still being studied, stress can encourage behaviors that increase blood pressure, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking or drinking alcohol more than usual.

If your blood pressure is not responding to lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe specific high blood pressure medication to reduce your blood pressure.