What is high blood pressure – and why does it matter?
140/90 mmHg or over. Normal is 100/70 – 135/85.
This does not mean that all people with a one-off reading of 140/90 either a. have a disease, or b. need treatment.
The only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure measured – and more than once. Full stop.
In this article we will describe what is high blood pressure, and why it matters.
First of all ..
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by your blood against the walls of your arteries as it’s pumped around your body. It’s measured in two numbers: systolic and diastolic pressure.
- Systolic pressure – is the higher number, representing the pressure when your heart is contracting and pumping blood, whilst ..
- Diastolic pressure – is the lower number, representing the pressure when your heart is at rest between beats.
It is written on the form of ‘systolic/diastolic’, e.g. 127/73.
What is normal blood pressure?
There is no such thing as normal blood pressure (BP).
Blood pressure (BP) is a complex and dynamic parameter, and what’s considered ‘normal’ can vary significantly between individuals and across different age groups.
OK OK. But what is low, normal and high blood pressure?
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Low blood pressure: <90/<60 mmHg
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Normal (average): around 130/80 mmHg (range 100/70 – 135/85)
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Normal to high: 131-139/81-89 mmHg
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High blood pressure: >140/>90 mmHg
Why does high blood pressure matter?
Blood pressure is not a disease. It is a biomedical variable, and part of you – like height or hair colour.
Who needs treating?
For most adults, blood pressure readings fall into the following categories:
- Normal (healthy) range: Clinic/home BP <135/85
- Stage 1 Hypertension: Clinic BP ≥140/90 mmHg – repeat 2 weeks later – treat some
- Stage 2 Hypertension: Clinic BP ≥160/100 mmHg – treat soon
- Severe Hypertension: Clinic BP ≥180/120 mmHg
- Needs medical attention
- Treat now
- Investigate for secondary cause.
No, not usually. High blood pressure typically doesn’t have any warning signs. That’s why it’s often called the ‘silent killer.’ Because there may not be any symptoms, many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is dangerously high (especially if it has gone up rapidly), you may have the following symptoms:
- Headaches – this is unusual, high BP rarely causes headache
- Visual disturbance
- Nosebleeds
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Of an underlying cause.
But, it’s important to know about your high blood pressure and the health risks it poses before it gets to this stage.
The only way to know for sure if you have hypertension is to get your blood pressure measured. You can then work with your doctor to find the treatment options that work best for keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range.
Summary
We have explained what is high blood pressure – and why it matters. We hope it has been helpful.
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