| Hypertension Hypertension (or high blood pressure) means that, as the blood flows through your veins, the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels is more than it should be. When there is extra fluid in your body, it increases the volume of fluid in your blood and makes your blood pressure higher. Narrow or clogged blood vessels can also raise your blood pressure.
According to the American Heart Association, one in five Americans has high blood pressure. In order to determine whether yours is too high, it's important that you have your blood pressure taken by a trained professional on a regular basis. Your blood pressure is represented by two numbers to indicate when your heart is beating and when it is at rest between beats. It is considered high if it goes above 120 over 80.
One problem is that many people don't even realize their blood pressure is high until it is checked, and even though there may be no symptoms, its effects can be deadly. In fact, hypertension is called a "silent killer" because it does not cause symptoms unless it is severely high. By that time, it can cause major organ damage. If left untreated, hypertension can result in the following related health problems:
Contact us if you have any questions about these conditions.
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