Blood pressure is the force with which blood moves around the body pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart is responsible for pumping blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the blood throughout the body.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means that you have increased blood pressure. It is a medical disorder that should be monitored, treated and controlled by lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of both.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked. Your healthcare provider can tell if you have high blood pressure by measuring your blood pressure with a special measuring device that includes an arm cuff and a pump.
There are no typical symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, so it is difficult to recognise. This means that it is a disease that has no warning symptoms.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (or mmHg) – the force with which mercury is physically moved . A blood pressure reading is shown as two numbers, for example 140/90 or 160/110. The top number measures the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels when the heart is pumping blood to your organs ("systolic blood pressure"). The bottom number measures the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels when the heart is between beats and resting ("diastolic blood pressure"). The top number is often a stronger indicator of your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
It is normal for your blood pressure to vary. It varies with the time of day or night. It can even vary slightly with each heartbeat. Normally, it increases during activity or excitement, and decreases at rest. Therefore, it is important to have your blood pressure taken under proper conditions and on more than one occasion.
Normal blood pressure is defined as 120/80mmHg. High blood pressure is usually classed as systolic blood pressure above 140mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure above 90mmHg, or both (140/90mmHg). For people with other risk factors such as diabetes, the impact of raised blood pressure is greater therefore high blood pressure is defined as 130/80mmHg.
