What Is High Blood Pressure? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Cardiovascular DiseasesHypertension

What Is High Blood Pressure?

What Is High Blood Pressure?
Everyday Health
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Updated on February 18, 2026
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High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a common disease that occurs when the pressure in your arteries is higher than it should be.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood throughout the body. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss, and more.

Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms of it. That’s why the condition has been dubbed a “silent killer.”

In rare cases, and if blood pressure reaches dangerous levels, you may get headaches or more nosebleeds than normal.

Causes and Risk Factors of High Blood Pressure

The following can increase your chances of developing high blood pressure.

Age The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age; the older you are, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure. Blood vessels gradually lose their elasticity over time, which can contribute to high blood pressure.

Race High blood pressure is more common in Black American adults than in white, Asian, or Hispanic American adults.

 This is most likely due to systemic issues, like access to healthy food, environmental exposure, and genetic susceptibility.

Gender Men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, until age 64.

 However, after that age, women are more likely to have high blood pressure.
Family History Having a family history of high blood pressure increases your risk, as the condition tends to run in families.

Weight Obesity stresses your blood vessels and can often lead to high blood pressure.

Physical Activity People who aren’t active tend to have a higher heart rate and higher blood pressure than those who are physically active.

 Not exercising also increases the risk of being overweight.
Tobacco Use When you smoke or chew tobacco, your blood pressure rises temporarily, partly from the effects of nicotine. Moreover, chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls. This can cause your arteries to narrow, increasing your blood pressure.

Diet What you choose to eat (or not eat) can increase your risk of hypertension. For example, getting too much salt or too little potassium can raise blood pressure.

Alcohol Use Over time, heavy alcohol use can damage the heart and lead to heart failure, stroke, and irregular heart rhythm. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Stress Being under intense stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.

 Moreover, if you try to cope with stress by overeating, using tobacco, or drinking alcohol, all of these can contribute to high blood pressure.
Chronic Conditions Having kidney disease, sleep apnea, or diabetes can affect blood pressure. When high blood pressure arises suddenly due to an identifiable condition, it’s called secondary hypertension.

Pregnancy Being pregnant can cause an increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs in 5 to 10 percent of pregnant people.

Medication Medications like birth control, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), decongestants, and antidepressants can negatively affect blood pressure.

6 Ways to Prevent High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure may lead to stroke, heart attack, vision loss and sexual dysfunction among other things.
6 Ways to Prevent High Blood Pressure

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How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed?

Blood pressure checks are part of routine doctor visits. To check your blood pressure, your healthcare provider will place an inflatable cuff around your arm and use a pressure-measuring gauge.

Before giving a diagnosis of high blood pressure, your physician will likely take two or three readings during separate appointments. Your physician may also ask you to keep a record of blood pressure measurements you take at home. That’s because blood pressure varies throughout the day, and some people may be anxious before or during a doctor visit, causing elevated blood pressure.

If your blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mmHg or higher, you will most likely be diagnosed with high blood pressure. It’s typically diagnosed as one of two stages:

  • Stage 1 130 to 139 mmHg for systolic pressure (the top number), or 80 to 89 mmHg for diastolic pressure (the bottom number)
  • Stage 2 140 mmHg or higher for systolic pressure, or 90 or higher for diastolic pressure
If you have high blood pressure, your physician will take a full medical history and conduct a physical exam. Other routine tests may be given, including a blood test, urine test, cholesterol test, and an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to check for signs of heart disease.


Treatment and Medication Options for High Blood Pressure

Most people with high blood pressure will likely need lifelong treatment to help ward off or delay serious health problems brought on by the condition.

Medication Options

There are a variety of drugs available to treat hypertension. Some work by removing extra fluid and salt from your body to lower blood pressure; others slow down your heartbeat or relax and widen blood vessels.

Depending on your past medical history and the severity of your hypertension, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following drugs:

  • Diuretics Sometimes called water pills, diuretics are typically the first line of treatment for high blood pressure. This medication helps the kidneys rid sodium and water from the body, decreasing the amount of fluid flowing through the veins and arteries, which in turn lowers blood pressure.
  • Beta-Blockers These medications reduce the workload of the heart and widen blood vessels. As a result, the heart beats slower and less forcefully. Beta-blockers are often combined with other blood pressure medications.
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors) This class of drugs helps lower blood pressure by blocking the formation of a natural chemical that narrows blood vessels.
  • Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) These medications prevent specific chemicals from acting to narrow blood vessels. This prevents blood pressure from rising.
  • Calcium Channel Blockers This type of medication interrupts the movement of calcium into the cells of blood vessels, thus relaxing the muscle cells in the blood vessels.
  • Renin Inhibitors These drugs slow the production of an enzyme called renin, which is made in the kidneys and can increase blood pressure. Renin inhibitors should not be taken with ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
  • Alpha-Blockers These medications lower blood pressure by blocking a hormone from tightening the muscles in the veins and arteries.
  • Alpha-Beta-Blockers This subclass of combined alpha- and beta-blockers slows the heart rate to reduce the amount of blood pumped through the blood vessels.
  • Central-Acting Agents These medications block signals from the brain that alert the nervous system to increase the heart rate and narrow the blood vessels.
  • Vasodilators These medications prevent the artery muscles from tightening and the arteries from narrowing.

Lifestyle Changes and Prevention of High Blood Pressure

Many lifestyle changes can help treat or prevent high blood pressure:

  • Eating a healthy diet like the DASH diet
  • Exercising regularly
  • Avoiding smoking
  • Managing stress
  • Losing weight, if overweight
  • Getting adequate sleep

High Blood Pressure Prognosis

The amount of time it takes to lower blood pressure varies depending on how high your blood pressure is and the aggressiveness of your treatment program. Medication can help lower blood pressure quickly, usually within a couple of days.

But because of potential side effects, a long-term aggressive medication regimen may not be sustainable.

Your doctor will prescribe lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Regular exercise can begin to make a significant impact on blood pressure levels within one to three months.

Complications of High Blood Pressure

If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to the following:

  • Stroke
  • Heart attack, angina, or both
  • Heart failure
  • Kidney disease or failure
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Vision loss
  • Sexual dysfunction

The Takeaway

  • High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that strains your arteries.
  • Many people with high blood pressure do not experience symptoms, making regular blood pressure checks essential for early detection.
  • Medications like diuretics and beta-blockers are effective treatments for high blood pressure.
  • Lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and managing stress can also help treat or prevent high blood pressure.

FAQ

How can you reduce high blood pressure?
Medications, including beta-blockers, can help reduce blood pressure quickly. Lifestyle changes like regular physical activity and following a healthy diet can help lower blood pressure over time.
High blood pressure can be caused by many things. Lifestyle factors like inactivity and smoking, as well as medications like birth control and decongestants, can contribute.
High blood pressure often doesn’t have noticeable symptoms. However, severe high blood pressure can sometimes lead to headaches or nosebleeds.

Resources We Trust

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. August 14, 2025.
  2. Know Your Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association. May 20, 2024.
  3. High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 28, 2025.
  4. High Blood Pressure Among Black Adults. American Heart Association. August 14, 2025.
  5. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. February 29, 2024.
  6. Limiting or Avoiding Alcohol to Manage High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association. May 7, 2024.
  7. High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 13, 2024.
  8. High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease in Women. American Heart Association. August 14, 2025.
  9. What Is High Blood Pressure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. April 25, 2024.
  10. High Blood Pressure — Understanding the Silent Killer. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. April 11, 2024.
  11. Exercise: A Drug-Free Approach to Lowering High Blood Pressure. Mayo Clinic. December 14, 2024.
  12. Health Threats From High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association. August 14, 2025.
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Michelle Seguin, MD

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Michelle Seguin, MD, is a board-certified family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and certified functional medicine physician (IFMCP). She is a practicing physician at Root Functional Medicine, a leading telemedicine practice specializing in personalized, root-cause care.

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Ashley Welch

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Ashley Welch has more than a decade of experience in both breaking news and long-form storytelling. She is passionate about getting to the crux of the latest scientific studies and sharing important information in an easy-to-digest way to better inform decision-making. She has written about health, science, and wellness for a variety of outlets, including Scientific American Mind, Healthline, New York Family, Oprah.com, and WebMD.

She served as the health editor for CBSNews.com for several years as a reporter, writer, and editor of daily health news articles and features. As a former staff member at Everyday Health, she covered a wide range of chronic conditions and diseases.

Welch holds a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where she studied health and science reporting. She enjoys yoga and is an aspiring runner.

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