Hypertension
High blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is when your blood pressure, the force of the blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high.
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day. But if it stays high for a long time, it can damage your heart and lead to health problems. High blood pressure raises your risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States.1
If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone.
- Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. (Many don’t even know they have it.)
- The best way to know if you have high blood pressure it is to have your blood pressure checked.
Where can you have your blood pressure checked?
- Your primary care provider’s office can check your blood pressure.
- Most Pharmacies can provide free blood pressure checks.
- Super Wal-Mart Pharmacy provides free blood pressure checks.
- You can purchase home blood pressure machines from pharmacies, Wal-Mart, Target stores, and on line.
Warning Signs
High blood pressure has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it. The only way to know if you have it is to measure your blood pressure. Then you can take steps to control it if it is too high.
