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In this video, I am going to walk you through What is High Blood Pressure?, Symptoms of High Blood Pressure, What are the Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure?,How to Know if You Have High Blood Pressure? and Tips to Manage and Lower Your Blood Pressure. Did you know? High blood pressure is one of the most common health issues affecting adults in the world today. Did you also know? High blood pressure is a silent condition, which means most people won’t even realize that they have it until something bad happens. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 1 out of every 5 adults will develop high blood pressure at some point in their lifetime. What is High Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is a measure of how much force blood puts on the inside of your arteries as it moves through your body. Normal blood pressure readings are less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury), with 120/80 mmHg being the cut-off for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: Systolic blood pressure (the first number) is the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts and pumps blood through your body. Diastolic blood pressure (the second number) is the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart relaxes between beats. Symptoms of High Blood Pressure Since high blood pressure is a silent killer, some of the first symptoms that you might have it could be a sign of something more serious, like a stroke or heart attack. These symptoms include: Headaches. Headaches are a common symptom of high blood pressure. Dizziness/lightheadedness. When your blood pressure is too high, your arteries become stiffer, so your heart has to pump harder to get blood through them. This can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. Weakness/fatigue - Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which is how you get energy. If your blood pressure is too high, your muscles won’t get enough of these things. Chest pain/shortness of breath, If your blood pressure is too high, it could lead to coronary artery disease, which is a type of heart disease that can make it hard for your heart to pump blood through your body. A change in diet/weight gain/loss of appetite - High blood pressure can sometimes cause you to urinate more, which can lead to dehydration and a change in your appetite. What are the Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure? There are a lot of potential risk factors for high blood pressure, but many of them can be controlled. Some of them are Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Most people have their first blood pressure check at age 40 when they’re getting 10 year check-ups. Gender . Women tend to have a higher blood pressure than men at every age. Being overweight, Being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risk of high blood pressure. Ethnicity, Some ethnic groups, like African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans, are more likely to get high blood pressure. - Family history - If your parents or grandparents had high blood pressure, you are more likely to get it too. Having other health conditions, Some other health conditions, like diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease, put you at a higher risk of high blood pressure. Poor diet, Eating a diet high in sodium, sugar, and refined grains can increase your risk of high blood pressure. How to Know if You Have High Blood Pressure? You can find out if you have high blood pressure by taking a simple blood pressure test at home. If your test results are higher than normal, you should get your blood pressure checked by your doctor. If you’re at risk for high blood pressure and don’t yet have it, it’s important to make lifestyle changes now to prevent it from happening. If you already have high blood pressure, you can still make changes to lower it. With lifestyle changes, you can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, and improve your quality of life. Tips to Manage and Lower Your Blood Pressure - Eat a Healthy Diet - Make sure to eat a healthy diet that is low in sodium, sugar, and refined grains. Focus on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. You should also try to drink plenty of water. All of these things can help lower your blood pressure. Be Active - Being active is also important to lower your blood pressure. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. You can break this up into smaller chunks if that’s easier. Get Your Blood Pressure Checked Regularly Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is important to staying healthy. Talk to your doctor about what your blood pressure numbers mean and what you can do to lower them. Final Words Did you know that high blood pressure is more common than diabetes, yet many people don’t talk about it? High blood pressure is a silent killer, but it can also be treated and controlled with lifestyle changes. If you have high blood pressure, now is the time to start making changes for a healthier life. If you know someone with high blood pressure, share this article with them so they can make changes too!