Causes

• Age, race and heredity all play a role in high blood pressure. African Americans are most at risk, as are those with a family history of the disease. The condition most often occurs in people over thirty, and the risk increases as you get older. While these are all uncontrollable risk factors, there are more that can be controlled, including:
  
  Smoking
  A lack of regular exercise
  Obesity
  A diet high in fat, sodium and alcohol
  Chronic stress
  
  

Symptoms

• Most people with high blood pressure experience no symptoms. That's why regular screenings are so important, and why health experts have nicknamed high blood pressure "the silent killer." For those who do experience symptoms, they are often vague and mimic other illnesses. Headache, dizziness, blurred vision and nausea are among the most common.
  
  

Test

• A fast, simple screening with a blood pressure cuff---called a sphygmomanometer---can determine whether you have high blood pressure. The device measures the pressure in the arteries while both the heart is beating (top or systolic number) and at rest between beats (bottom or diastolic number).
  
  Health experts consider a reading of 120/80 or lower to be a normal blood pressure. High numbers are classified as:
  120-139/80-89: Prehypertension
  140-159/90-99: Stage 1 hypertension
  160 or higher/100 or higher: Stage 2 hypertension
  
  

Warning

• Call your doctor immediately if a home- or community-based screening shows a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, especially if you are also experiencing:
  
  Headache with or without nausea
  Change in vision
  Dizziness
  Chest pain
  Shortness of breath during physical activity
  
  Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room if symptoms are severe.
  
  

Prevention

• While prescription medications can help keep severe blood pressure under control, lifestyle plays a major role in both preventing and controlling the condition. Help keep blood pressure low by:
  
  Exercising regularly. Doctors recommend a minimum of thirty minutes a day.
  Maintaining a healthy weight.
  Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains; low in sodium, fat and red meat.
  Not smoking.
  Minimizing stress.