High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the blood's long-term force against your artery walls is high enough to cause health problems such as heart disease.
Blood pressure is determined by both the amount of blood pumped by your heart and the resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The higher your blood pressure, the more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury. It has two digits.
Systolic pressure - When your heart beats, the first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries.
Diastolic blood pressure - The second, or lower, the number is the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats.
High blood pressure can exist for years without causing any symptoms. High blood pressure that is uncontrolled increases your risk of serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure, fortunately, is easily detectable. Once you've determined that you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.
