What is high blood pressure? Blood pressure is the force at which blood flows through the arteries in your body. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries. As the blood flows, it puts pressure on the artery walls. This is called blood pressure. High blood pressure (also called hypertension) occurs when blood flows through the arteries at a higher pressure than normal. High blood pressure can be caused by many different factors. If blood pressure becomes too high or stays high for a long time, it can cause health problems. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, heart attack and kidney failure. There are 2 types of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension. This is also called essential hypertension. It is called this when the cause of your high blood pressure is unknown. It is the most common type of hypertension. This type of blood pressure usually takes several years to develop. It is probably caused by your lifestyle, your environment and the way your body changes as you get older. Secondary hypertension. This is when a health problem or medication causes high blood pressure. Things that can cause secondary hypertension include: Kidney problems. Anaapnoea. Thyroid or adrenal problems. Certain medications. What are the signs of high blood pressure?

• Severe headaches
• Nosebleeds
• Tiredness or confusion
• Vision problems
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in urine

What causes your high blood pressure? Common factors that can cause high blood pressure include. Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, salt, fat, fat, fat, salt, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, etc. Family history, especially if your parents or other close relatives have high blood pressure. How is high blood pressure diagnosed? High blood pressure is diagnosed with a blood pressure monitor. This is a common test at all medical appointments. A nurse will put a cuff around your arm. The strip is connected to a small pump and a meter. She squeezes the pump. She feels the tension around your arm. Then she stops and looks at the meter. It gives the nurse 2 numbers that make up your blood pressure. The top number is your systolic pressure (your maximum blood pressure when your heart is pushing blood out). The lower number is your diastolic pressure (the pressure when your heart fills with blood). You may also hear from your doctor or nurse that your blood pressure is '120 over 80'.

• Normal blood pressure is above 120 and below 80.
• Pre-hypertensive levels are between 120 and 139 above and 80 and 89 below.
• High blood pressure, stage 1, is 140-159 above and 90-99 below.
• High blood pressure, stage 2 is 160 or more above and 100 or more below.

The higher your blood pressure, the more often you need to monitor it. Once you turn 18, you should have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. Do it more often if you have a history of high blood pressure. Which home remedies lower blood pressure?

• Walk and exercise regularly
• Reduce your sodium intake
• Drink less alcohol
• Eat more potassium-rich foods
• Limit caffeine
• Learn to cope with stress
• Eat dark chocolate or cocoa
• Lose weight