The first step is to understand what high blood pressure means.  Hypertension or high blood pressure means high pressure in the arteries.  The top number in a normal blood pressure reading, 120 is called systolic and the second number in a normal reading, is 80, which is the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction, and this number is the diastolic number.  There are three stages in a blood pressure cycle:  the first stage, as discussed above is when you have a normal reading, below 120/80.  If you are termed as having “pre-hypertension”, you would have a pressure between 120/80 and 139/89.  If you are deemed to have high blood pressure, your measure would be 140/90 or above.

It is advisable to have your blood pressure taken at every doctor’s visit.  The reasons are two-fold 

Woman Testing Her Blood Pressure

By doing this, your doctor will be able to establish a baseline, or an average at what your normal blood pressure will be.  Then, should you experience a spike or a decrease in your pressure, this will be readily apparent.  Everyone’s pressure is not the same and it is best to see what your “normal pressure” is.  If your pressure is deemed to be consistently higher, then in all likelihood, you will be diagnosed with hypertension.

Now that you have received your blood pressure warning, you’ve been advised that it is high, what do you do next?  Know this:  If high blood pressure is well controlled, most serious complications may be avoidable. However, for people with very high, uncontrolled blood pressure combined with retinopathy, serious problems could develop. Coronary artery disease and stroke are the most common causes of death for people with very serious high blood pressure. Talking to your doctor and taking steps now to lower blood pressure are the best ways to prevent more serious problems from developing. 

The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure to a level where there is decreased risk of complications. Treatment may occur at home with close supervision by the health care provider, or may occur in the hospital and the course of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and whether you have other health problems, such as heart failure or diabetes, or you are pregnant.

Your doctor may want you to try lifestyle changes first, including losing weight, increasing activity, and eating a balanced diet.  If your blood pressure is above a certain level, your doctor may prescribe medication along with the lifestyle changes.