Overview & Facts
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects millions -- even children and teens. WebMD's High Blood Pressure Guide has all the information you need to understand and manage your blood pressure. Learn all about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Even discover natural ways to manage your blood pressure and stay well. Let's get started!
High Blood Pressure Basics
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition that will catch up with most people who live into older age.
Learn all about the basics of blood pressure and high blood pressure: an overview of risk factors, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Find out what the top and the bottom blood pressure numbers mean and make sure your numbers are on target.
If you are African-American, what can you do to avoid developing high blood pressure? Find out how you can protect yourself from this serious health condition.
Why is high blood pressure in children a growing problem? What can you do to protect your child from this threat?
Causes
Discover what causes high blood pressure. Start today to change the risk factors you can control.
Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of renal artery stenosis.
Find out if your medications are making your blood pressure rise.
Are You at Risk?
Prehypertension is a warning sign that you may get high blood pressure in the future. Are you at risk?
The exact cause of hypertension is unknown, but there are several factors and conditions that may contribute to its occurrence. Learn about high blood pressure risk factors here.
Evaluate your personal health and your risks for big health problems.
Prevention
About one in every four American adults has high blood pressure -- also know as hypertension. Learn the simple steps you can take, from maintaining a healthy weight to the dietary supplements that may help.
Symptoms & Types
Are there hypertension symptoms? What are the complications of high blood pressure? Learn about hypertension, its symptoms, complications, and types.
Symptoms
How well are you managing your hypertension? Get your WebMD Hypertension Score.
One of the most dangerous aspects of hypertension is that you may not know that you have it. Nearly one-third of people who have hypertension don't know it. There are signs of extremely high blood pressure: Learn the signs to watch for.
Warning Signs
In most cases, there are no clear warning signs of high blood pressure, but blood pressure can become dangerously high and threaten your organs and your life.
Regular visits to your doctor can help you manage hypertension. However, there may be situations that warrant a call to your doctor between visits. Learn what to watch for and when it's time to pick up the phone.
Types
Malignant hypertension is extremely high blood pressure that develops suddenly and rapidly and causes some type of organ damage.
What is secondary hypertension, and what causes it?
Nearly a quarter of American adults are said have a new disorder: prehypertension. Find out what that is.Renal hypertension, also called renovascular hypertension, is elevated blood pressure caused by kidney disease.
Complications
One of the most serious health problems related to untreated high blood pressure, atherosclerosis contributes to coronary artery disease. Learn about symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of atherosclerosis.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off and people who have hypertension are four to six times more likely to have a stroke. Stay safe: Learn your risk factors and the warning signs of stroke and what to do in a stroke emergency.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death associated with hypertension. Learn more about related heart conditions, their diagnoses, and treatment.
Hypertension is a major cause of kidney disease and kidney failure. There are symptoms to watch for -- and treatment options. Learn more.
Untreated hypertension can affect your eyesight, causing damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Known as hypertensive retinopathy, learn more about this condition and its prevention.
Hypertension is a risk factor for the development and worsening of many diabetes complications, and likewise having diabetes increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Learn more about how these two conditions affect one another.
High blood pressure can be a sign of preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related problem that can become life-threatening. Learn what you need to know.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of health problems which include too much fat around the waist, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and more -- all increasing your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Find out more about metabolic syndrome here.
High blood pressure by itself can lead to erectile dysfunction. But some drugs fortreating high blood pressure can actually be the cause as well. Find out more about why high blood pressure is a major cause of erection problems.
This article lists the side effects that may be caused by each type of high blood pressure drug.
Treatment & Care
Treating high blood pressure can take a multi-pronged approach including diet changes, medication, and exercise. Learn about hypertension treatment options here.
Treatment
Treatment for hypertension comes in many forms -- from lifestyle changes to medication. Learn more from this overview about how to lower blood pressure here.
Did you know that people who smoke are more likely to develop hypertension and heart disease? Learn more and get tips on quitting -- and avoiding a relapse.
Left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. Get tips on the warning signs of dangerous stress and learn how to reduce it, while boosting a positive outlook.
There are many types of complementary and alternative treatments believed to be effective for treating hypertension. Get the facts on your options.
Your doctor has hundreds of different high blood pressure drugs to choose from. These medications work in a variety of ways to lower blood pressure.
Calcium channel blockers are drugs used to lower blood pressure. They work by slowing the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessel walls, which makes it easier for the heart to pump and widens blood vessels.
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are high blood pressure drugs that widen or dilate your blood vessels to improve the amount of blood your heart pumps and lower blood pressure.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have the same effects as ACE inhibitors, another type of blood pressure drug, but work by a different mechanism.
For high blood pressure, diuretics, commonly known as "water pills," help your body get rid of unneeded water and salt through the urine. Getting rid of excess salt and fluid helps lower blood pressure and can make it easier for your heart to pump.
Beta-blockers are drugs used to treat high blood pressure. They block the effects of the sympathetic nervous system on the heart.
In the past 10 years, many Americans have turned to omega-3 fish oil supplements. Dietary fish and fish oil supplements have benefits for healthy people and also those with heart disease.
Care
The most important element in managing high blood pressure is follow-up care. Here are six tips to keep in mind about follow-up care.
Monitoring your own blood pressure is a good way to keep on top of hypertension. Get tips on how to prepare, and step-by-step instructions for taking your own blood pressure readings.
If your doctor has prescribed medication to lower your blood pressure, here are twelve things to keep in mind about your treatment protocol.
Living & Managing
From quitting smoking to safe exercise and laughing your way to a healthier heart, here are helpful tips on living with and managing your high blood pressure.
Living and Coping
What causes hypertension? What constitutes a normal blood pressure? How is hypertension treated? Get the answers to these and other frequently asked questions.
Most medicines aren't affected by grapefruit juice, but more than 50 medicines are -- including those for high blood pressure. Is yours on the list? Find out.
Eating less sodium may help lower your high blood pressure. These five tips show you how to cut back.
Small changes can have a big impact on your health. Here are several handy tips on how to incorporate the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet into your daily life.
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