High blood pressure is a common medical condition which causes the blood to forcefully move against the walls of your artery high enough so that you develop other health conditions such as heart disease. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of resistances of blood flowing to your arteries and the volume of blood your heart pumps. The narrower your arteries, the more your heart pumps blood. This causes hypertension, or high blood pressure. The pressure is called tension in the arteries.You can have hypertension for years and not know it because you have no symptoms of the medical condition. That is why it is called a silent killer. If you do not suffer any of the signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, your body may still suffer damage. For instance, you may experience damage to your heart and blood vessels. If your blood pressure becomes uncontrolled, the chance of developing serious health problems such as a stroke or heart attack increases.
Blood pressure readings are quick and painless. The results are given in two numbers. Systolic blood pressure, which is the top number, shows the tension in the arteries as your heart contracts. The second number, or bottom number, is called the diastolic pressure. This number shows the pressure in the arteries as your heart relaxes.
