High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that

is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the

day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures
consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood
pressure (or hypertension).

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for
other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack,
and stroke.

Your health care team can diagnose high blood pressure and make
treatment decisions by reviewing your systolic and diastolic blood
pressure levels

What causes high blood pressure?

There are two types of hypertension. Each type has a different cause.

Essential (primary) hypertension

Essential hypertension is also called primary hypertension. This kind of

hypertension develops over time. Most people have this type of high
blood pressure.

A combination of factors typically play a role in the development of

essential hypertension:

 Genes: Some people are genetically predisposed to hypertension.

This may be from gene mutations or genetic abnormalities inherited
from your parents.
 Age: Individuals over 65 years old are more at risk for
hypertension.
 Race: Black non-Hispanic individuals have a higher incidence of
hypertension.
 Living with obesity: Living with obesity can lead to a few cardiac
issues, including hypertension.
  High alcohol consumption: Women who habitually have more
than one drink per day, and men who have more than two drinks
per day, may be at an increased risk for hypertension.
 Living a very sedentary lifestlye:lowered levels of fitness have
been connected to hypertension.
 Living with diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome: Individuals
diagnosed with either diabetes or metabolic syndrome are at a
higher risk of developing hypertension.
 High sodium intake: There’s a small association between daily
high sodium intake (more than 1.5g a day) and hypertension.

Secondary hypertension

Secondary hypertension often occurs quickly and can become more

severe than primary hypertension. Several conditionsTrusted Source that
may cause secondary hypertension include:

 kidney disease
 obstructive sleep apnea
 congenital heart defects
 problems with your thyroid
 side effects of medications
 use of illegal drugs
 chronic consumption of alcohol
 adrenal gland problems
 certain endocrine tumors

Symptoms
Most people with hypertension don’t feel any symptoms. Very high blood
pressures can cause headaches, blurred vision, chest pain and other
symptoms.
Checking your blood pressure is the best way to know if you have high
blood pressure. If hypertension isn’t treated, it can cause other health
conditions like kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.

People with very high blood pressure (usually 180/120 or higher) can
experience symptoms including:

 severe headaches
 chest pain
 dizziness
 difficulty breathing
 nausea
 vomiting
 blurred vision or other vision changes
 anxiety
 confusion
 buzzing in the ears
 nosebleeds
 abnormal heart rhythm

Treatment options for high blood pressure

A number of factors help your doctor determine the best treatment option
for you. These factors include which type of hypertension you have and
what causes have been identified.

Primary hypertension treatment options

If your doctor diagnoses you with primary hypertension, lifestyle changes

may help reduce your high blood pressure. If lifestyle changes alone
aren’t enough, or if they stop being effective, your doctor may prescribe
medication.

Secondary hypertension treatment options

If your doctor discovers an underlying issue causing your hypertension,
treatment will focus on that other condition. For example, if a medication
you’ve started taking is causing increased blood pressure, your doctor will
try other medications that don’t have this side effect.

Sometimes, hypertension is persistent despite treatment for the

underlying cause. In this case, your doctor may work with you to develop
lifestyle changes and prescribe medications to help reduce your blood
pressure.

Treatment plans for hypertension often evolve. What worked at first may
become less useful over time. Your doctor will continue to work with you
to refine your treatment.

Medications

Many people go through a trial-and-error phase with blood pressure

medications. Your doctor may need to try different medications until they
find one or a combination that works for you.

Some of the medications used to treat hypertension include:

 Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers make your heart beat slower and

with less force. This reduces the amount of blood pumped through
your arteries with each beat, which lowers blood pressure. It also
blocks certain hormones in your body that can raise your blood
pressure.
 Diuretics: High sodium levels and excess fluid in your body can
increase blood pressure. Diuretics, also called water pills, help your
kidneys remove excess sodium from your body. As the sodium
leaves, extra fluid in your bloodstream moves into your urine, which
helps lower your blood pressure.
 ACE inhibitors: Angiotensin is a chemical that causes blood
vessels and artery walls to tighten and narrow. ACE (angiotensin
converting enzyme) inhibitors prevent the body from producing as
 much of this chemical. This helps blood vessels relax and reduces
blood pressure.
 Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs):While ACE inhibitors
aim to stop the creation of angiotensin, ARBs block angiotensin
from binding with receptors. Without the chemical, blood vessels
won’t tighten. That helps relax vessels and lower blood pressure.
 Calcium channel blockers: These medications block some of the
calcium from entering the cardiac muscles of your heart. This leads
to less forceful heartbeats and a lower blood pressure. These
medications also work in the blood vessels, causing them to relax
and further lowering blood pressure.
 Alpha-2 agonists: This type of medication changes the nerve
impulses that cause blood vessels to tighten. This helps blood
vessels to relax, which reduces blood pressure.

There are several common blood pressure medicines:

 ACE inhibitors including enalapril and lisinopril relax blood vessels

and prevent kidney damage.
 Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) including losartan and
telmisartan relax blood vessels and prevent kidney damage.
 Calcium channel blockers including amlodipine and felodipine relax
blood vessels.
 Diuretics including hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone eliminate
extra water from the body, lowering blood pressure.

Home remedies for high blood pressure

Healthy lifestyle changes can help you control the factors that cause
hypertension. Here are some of the most common ones.

Developing a heart-healthy diet

A heart-healthy diet is vital for helping to reduce high blood pressure. It’s
also important for managing hypertension that’s under control and
reducing the risk of complications. These complications include heart
disease, stroke, and heart attack.

A heart-healthy diet emphasizes:

 fruits
 vegetables
 whole grains
 lean proteins like fish

Increasing physical activity

In addition to helping you lose weight (if your doctor has recommended
it), exercise can help lower blood pressure naturally, and strengthen your
cardiovascular system.

Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate physical activityTrusted Source each

week. That’s about 30 minutes, 5 times per week.

Reaching an optimal weight

If you’re living with obesity, maintaining a moderate weight with a heart-

healthy diet and increased physical activity can help lower your blood
pressure.

Managing stress

Exercise is a great way to manage stress. Other activities can also be

helpful. These include:

 meditation
 deep breathing
 massage
  muscle relaxation
 yoga or tai chi

Getting adequate sleep may also help reduce stress levels.

Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol

If you’re a smoker and have been diagnosed with high blood pressure,
your doctor will most likely advise you to quit. The chemicals in tobacco
smoke can damage the body’s tissues and harden blood vessel walls.

If you regularly consume too much alcohol or have an alcohol

dependency, seek help to reduce the amount you drink or stop altogether.
Drinking alcohol in excess can raise blood pressure.

Lifestyle tips to lower your risk of hypertension

If you have risk factors for hypertension, you can take steps now to lower
your risk for the condition and its complications.

Add fruits and vegetables to your diet

Slowly work your way up to eating more servings of heart-healthy plants.

Aim to eat more than seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Then aim to add one more serving per day for 2 weeks. After those 2
weeks, aim to add one more serving. The goal is to have 10 servings of
fruits and vegetablesTrusted Source per day.

Limit refined sugar

Try to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened foods, like flavored yogurts,

cereals, and sodas, you eat on a daily basis. Packaged foods hide
unnecessary sugar, so be sure to read labels.

Reduce sodium intake

People living with hypertension and those with an increased risk for heart
disease may be advised by their doctor to keep their daily sodium
intake between 1,500 milligrams and 2,300 milligrams per dayTrusted
Source.

The best way to reduce sodium is to cook fresh foods more often and limit
the amount of fast food or prepackaged food you eat, which can
sometimes be very high in sodium.

Set weight loss goals

If your doctor has recommended you lose weight, talk with them about an
optimal weight loss goal for you. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source recommends a weight loss goal of one
to two pounds a week. This can be achieved through a more nutritious
diet and increased physical exercise.

Employing the help of a trainer or fitness app, and possibly even a

dietician, are all methods to help you learn how to make the best choices
for your body and your lifestyle.

Monitor your blood pressure regularly

The best way to prevent complications and avoid problems is to

recognize hypertension early.

Keep a log of your blood pressure readings and take it to your regular
doctor appointments. This can help your doctor see any possible
problems before the condition advances