Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. A healthy systolic blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg. A healthy diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure is high when you have consistent systolic readings of 130 mm Hg or higher, or diastolic readings of 80 mm Hg or higher.
Factors that affect Blood Pressure (BP)
High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:
- Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases with age.
- Race. High blood pressure is particularly common among Black people.
- Family history.
- Obesity or being overweight.
- Lack of exercise.
- Tobacco use or vaping.
- Too much salt.
- Low potassium levels.
Blood pressure levels
| Blood Pressure Category | Systolic and Diastolic Pressure (mm Hg) |
|---|---|
| Normal | Less than 120 systolic pressure AND Less than 80 diastolic pressure |
| Elevated | 120 to 129 systolic pressure AND Less than 80 diastolic pressure |
| High Blood Pressure Stage 1 | 130 to 139 systolic pressure OR 80 to 89 diastolic pressure |
| High Blood Pressure Stage 2 | 140 or higher systolic pressure OR 90 or higher diastolic pressure |
| Hypertensive Crisis | Higher than 180 systolic pressure OR Higher than 120 diastolic pressure |
Causes of B.P.
Lifestyle habits can increase the risk of high blood pressure, including if you:
- Eat unhealthy foods often, especially foods that are high in salt and low in potassium.
- Drink too much alcohol or caffeine.
- Don’t get enough physical activity.
- Don’t get enough good-quality sleep.
- Experience high-stress situations.
Problems in High Blood Pressure
blood pressure reaches a certain level, symptoms begin to show:
- Blurry or double vision.
- Lightheadedness/fainting.
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Heart palpitations.
- Nosebleeds.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nausea and/or vomiting.
Remedies to Control B.P.
Health care professional might recommend that you:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Losing weight will help reduce your blood pressure if you are overweight or obese.
- Eat healthier
- Reduce sodium or salt
- Get active
- Limit alcohol
- Avoid smoking or stop smoking
- Regular physical activity
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