What is normal blood blood pressure?

What are normal blood pressure numbers? A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg. No matter your age, you can take steps each day to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

How do you feel when you have high blood pressure?

Unfortunately, high blood pressure can happen without feeling any abnormal symptoms. Moderate or severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, palpitations, or feeling of pulsations in the neck are some signs of high blood pressure. Things that can increase your risk of getting high blood pressure You might be more at risk if you:

• are overweight
• eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
• do not do enough exercise
• drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks) smoke
• do not get much sleep or have disturbed sleep are over 65
• have a relative with high blood pressure
• are of black African or black Caribbean descent
• live in a deprived area

Known causes of high blood pressure

In about 1 in 20 cases, high blood pressure happens as the result of an underlying health condition or taking a certain medicine. Health conditions that can cause high blood pressure include:

• kidney disease
• diabetes
• long-term kidney infections
• obstructive sleep apnoea – where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing
• glomerulonephritis – damage to the tiny filters inside the kidneys
• narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys
• hormone problems – such as an underactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid, Cushing's syndrome, acromegaly, increased levels of the hormone aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism), and phaeochromocytoma
• lupus – a condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the body, such as the skin, joints and organs
• scleroderma – a condition that causes thickened skin, and sometimes problems with organs and blood vessels

Medicines that can increase your blood pressure include:

• contraceptive pill
• steroids
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – such as ibuprofen and naproxen
• some pharmacy cough and cold remedies
• some herbal remedies – particularly those containing liquorice
• some recreational drugs – such as cocaine and amphetamines
• some selective serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) antidepressants – such as venlafaxine

When treatment is recommended

• Everyone with high blood pressure is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes.
• Whether medicine is also recommended depends on your blood pressure reading and your risk of developing problems such as heart attacks or strokes.

Your doctor will carry out some blood and urine tests, and ask questions about your health to determine your risk of other problems:

• if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg (or 135/85mmHg at home), but your risk of other problems is low you'll be advised to make some changes to your lifestyle
• if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg (or 135/85mmHg at home) and your risk of other problems is high you'll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes
• if your blood pressure is consistently above 160/100mmHg you'll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes