Health ConditionsCardiovascular DiseasesHypertension

Hypertension

by
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is when the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is too powerful. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other health issues. Regular blood pressure checks are important because high blood pressure doesn’t always cause symptoms. Dealing with hypertension can involve eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, and taking prescription medications.

Common Questions & Answers

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Someone can have high blood pressure for years with no symptoms at all, which is why it’s known as the “silent killer.” Severe hypertension may cause headaches, vision problems, shortness of breath, and nosebleeds.

A blood pressure reading of 180/120 mm Hg or higher is considered a hypertensive crisis that requires immediate medical attention. Call 911 if there’s also chest pain, shortness of breath, vision changes, weakness, or speech difficulties.

Many factors raise your risk of high blood pressure, including age, race, family history, and genetics. A poor diet, not exercising enough, chronic stress, heavy alcohol consumption, and smoking also increase your risk.

There’s no cure for hypertension, but high blood pressure numbers can be effectively lowered with a combination of medication and healthy lifestyle choices, such as limiting salt, maintaining a healthy weight, and consistently getting enough sleep.

Limit your intake of sodium, saturated and trans fats, red meat, processed foods, and added sugars. Instead choose fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, skinless poultry and fish, nuts, and legumes.

Meet Our Experts In Hypertension
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
chung-yoon-bio

Chung Yoon, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Chung Yoon, MD, is a noninvasive cardiologist with a passion for diagnosis, prevention, intervention, and treatment of a wide range of heart and cardiovascular disorders. He enjoys clinical decision-making and providing patient care in both hospital and outpatient settings. He excels at analytical and decision-making skills and building connection and trust with patients and their families.
See full bio
anurag-sahu-bio

Anurag Sahu, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Anurag Sahu, MD, is the director of the adult congenital heart program at Inova Health System in Fairfax, Virginia. Previously, he was an associate professor of medicine as well as an associate professor of radiology at Emory University in Atlanta, where he also served as director of cardiac intensive care.

He attended medical school at the University of Missouri in Kansas City in its combined six-year BA/MD program. He then completed his internal medicine residency at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC; fellowship training at Rush University in Chicago; and advanced training in cardiac imaging and adult congenital heart disease at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Dr. Sahu has published book chapters on cardiovascular imaging as well as a variety of journal articles in publications including The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant, JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, and the Journal of Thoracic Imaging.

Among the places that his career has taken him, his favorite was Kauai, Hawaii, where he was the only cardiologist on the island.

See full bio

Michael Cutler, DO, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Michael Cutler, DO, PhD, is a cardiac electrophysiologist at Intermountain Heart Rhythm Specialists in Salt Lake City, Utah. His research interests include understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia, gene therapy for cardiac arrhythmias, neural control of the circulation in sleep apnea, role of exercise in health and disease, and improving the management of cardiac arrhythmias (i.e., atrial fibrillation).

He completed his BS and MS in exercise physiology and was a member of the track/cross country team at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Cutler was an adjunct clinical instructor in the College of Health at the University of Utah and also served on the Utah Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness. He then attended the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth for medical school and for his PhD in cardiovascular physiology.

After medical school, Cutler entered the highly selective ABIM Research Pathway physician-scientist training program at the MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. During this time, he completed his clinical training in internal medicine, cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, served as chief cardiology fellow, and received the Kenneth M. Rosen Fellowship in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology from the Heart Rhythm Society. Following residency and fellowship, Cutler accepted a position as an assistant professor of medicine at the MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University until he joined his current partners at Intermountain Heart Rhythm Specialists.

Cutler's research has received meritorious recognition from the American Physiological Society, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society.

Cutler has been an author on publications in journals such as Circulation, Circulation Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and Nature. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology through the American Board of Internal Medicine.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. What is High Blood Pressure? American Heart Association. May 2024.
  2. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Mayo Clinic. February 29, 2024.

ALL HYPERTENSION ARTICLES

See All Articles