Hypertension: What you need to know

What is Blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted on the walls of your blood vessels when your heart is pumping blood through them. The heart pumps out blood every time. When the heart is pumping, you can feel it beating. Between each beat, the heart also rests so blood can fill it up again for another round of pumping action. The heart pumps and rests within a second or less.


Every individual has blood pressure so long as the heart is beating. There is however, a range in which your blood pressure must fall within to be considered normal or abnormal, depending on your age.

Whenever blood pressure is measured, two values are recorded: the pressure when the heart is contracting to pump blood out(systolic blood pressure) and the pressure when it is relaxing between pumps to fill up with blood again(diastolic blood pressure). For example, a blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg can be interpreted as:

• when the heart pumps, the pressure read as 120 millimeters of mercury, mmHg(a unit for measuring pressure).
• when the heart is resting or relaxing to fill up with blood again, the pressure as 80 millimeters of mercury.

The normal range for blood pressure is between 100/60 mmHg - 130/90 mmHg(meaning the systolic blood pressure should not exceed 130 mmHg or recede 100 mmHg, and the diastolic should also not recede 60 mmHg or exceed 90 mmHg). The farther away these two values are from each other, the better.

When is blood pressure called 'Hypertension?

Hypertension is  a medical term which refers to consistently high blood pressure readings over a period of time. So, a one-time sudden rise in blood pressure doesn't qualify one to be termed hypertensive. The blood pressure readings have to be consistently high (above the ranges specified above) over a period of time to qualify somebody as having hypertension (higher tension in your blood vessels as a result of the pumping action of the heart).

If the blood pressure goes too low outside the range above, we call it hypotension (lower tension in your blood vessels due to insufficient amount of fluid in your body). Hypotension occurs mostly due to other medical conditions which the person may be having. It can easily be corrected after the problem causing it is addressed. Hypertension however can occur with or without any underlying medical condition.

Why is Hypertension called 'a silent killer'?

Many people having hypertension are hardly aware they have it until it begins to manifest its signs and symptoms. Some get to know they have it until they visit the hospital with other medical problems.

It is nicknamed a 'Silent Killer' because most of those suffering from hypertension get to realize it at a later stage and it even kills others without them knowing they have it.

Hypertension, according to a World Health Organization research, is on the increase among the adult population.

What causes hypertension?

No one knows the exact cause of hypertension as at now. But there are several factors that can predispose you to getting hypertension. Some of these factors include;

1. Taking to much salt than is required by your body for normal function
2. Lack of exercise
3. Poor eating habits
4. Stress from work and home
5. A family history of hypertension
6. Other medical problems such as inability to pass urine as required

Signs and symptoms of hypertension

It is good to report any of the following signs and symptoms to your doctor if you begin to experience them;

• Palpitations: Feeling like your heart is "running away"
• Dizziness: Feeling like things around you are turning at a fast speed
• Sudden fainting or collapse
• Severe headache
• Numbness, especially in the extremities
• Frequent tiredness after walking short distances or carrying a little load