Hypertension: A Fact Sheet
More information about high blood pressure

Blood pressure
High blood pressure develops when the walls of your larger arteries lose their elasticity and become rigid, and/or the small blood vessels become narrower
Blood is pumped around the body by the heart carrying oxygen and nutrients. As a result of the pumping action of the heart and the size and flexibility of the arteries that carry blood, the blood is under pressure. This blood pressure is an essential and normal part of the way the body works.
Measuring blood pressure
Blood pressure is measured with a monitor called a sphygmomanometer, which is a digital box attached to a tube with a cuff on the end. The cuff is placed around the upper arm and inflated to a certain level, then deflated slowly. A dial in the cuff provides information about the blood pressure or a doctor or nurse will listen to the blood flow using a stethoscope.
Your blood pressure number is actually a combination of two numbers, such as 120/80 mm HG ("one hundred and twenty over eighty millimetres of mercury"). The top figure - the systolic blood pressure - is a measure of the pressure or your blood when your heart muscle is contracting and pumping blood. This is the maximum pressure in your blood system. The bottom figure - the diastolic blood pressure - is the pressure of your blood measured heart beats when the heart is resting and filling with blood. This is the minimum pressure in your blood system. It is even more important that your blood pressure is lower than this if you suffer from diabetes.
Types of high blood pressure
Primary hypertension
Primary hypertension cannot be linked to a specific cause. Although the exact cause of high blood pressure isn't fully understood, it's known that some factors to do with your lifestyle can contribute. These include smoking, your family history, obesity (being very overweight), drinking a lot of alcohol - especially if you binge drink, a lack of exercise, and your diet
Secondary hypertension
Secondary hypertension means your condition can be linked to a recognizable cause - in fact, it may be a symptom of another underlying disease or factor such as kidney disease, endocrine disease, narrowing of the aorta, steroid medicines, the contraceptive pill, or pregnancy, which can cause pre-eclampsia
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
Although most people with high blood pressure don’t have any symptoms, some people may experience headaches, blurred or impaired vision, or black-outs.
Complications of High Blood Pressure
People with high blood pressure have an increased risk of major illnesses including cardiovascular disease such as angina, stroke, heart attack or atrial fibrillation, kidney damage, and damaged sight