There are many people who have high blood pressure but sometimes are unaware of it, so this is a thread so that you can identify and know more about high blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure and also known as hypertension simply means tension or high pressure in the arteries. When you have high blood pressure your heart works harder, and the chances of a heart attack, kidney problems, a stroke can increase. Emotional tension and stress can make blood pressure to go high, but does not necessary mean that when you are stressed or tensed you have high blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80, blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is known as pre hypertension and blood pressure which is around 140/90 or above this is known as high blood pressure.

The two numbers given when blood pressure is measured are as follows:
The top number known as the systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and the blood pumps forward to the arteries.
The bottom number known as the diastolic pressure is the pressure present in the arteries when the heart relaxes after contractions.

During the day your blood pressure changes, and while you are sleeping its at its lowest and then when you wake up it rises. Other cases when it may rise is when your nervous, over excited, stressed, tensioned and so on.

Normal values of blood pressure in children varies with age also. What may be low blood pressure to a certain age, may be considered high already in a different age group.

My parent are hypertensive and they have a maintenance medication just to keep their blood pressure values normal. What concerns me that I believe would be able to help them in the short run but in the long run their liver would be suffering the total effects of the medicines. what do you think?

Hopefully, Hanna, your parents' doctor is monitoring their liver functions. What you can do to help is help your parents stay active and eat low fat, healthier foods. Cut out the fast food and fried foods. Go for fresh salads, grilled meats and fish. Often the right diet can make a big difference in blood pressure.

Thanks for the info Harpreet, I never knew much about high blood pressure and learnt of what the two numbers mean too.

I think when you have high blood it's easily mistaken for something else. Least we can be more aware of it now.

My aunty always seems to get very tensed and she need to just sit down at times, but she has never got her blood pressure checked. Thanks for this! I will suggest to her to get her blood pressure checked next time, as I see how important it is and the problems it can cause in the long run!

This is great information. High blood pressure runs in m family so I should become more aware of the symptoms and effects of it.