Hypertension is also called high blood pressure. Blood pressure is how hard blood is being pushed against blood vessel walls as it flows through the body. It is normal for blood pressure to go up and down. However, when the blood pressure stays high is it not healthy. It makes your heart work a lot harder than it should. No one is sure what causes blood pressure to stay high. Many people do not know they have high blood pressure. This is because there are usually no symptoms. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems. High blood pressure increases the risk of:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Blindness
• Kidney failure

Normal blood pressure is around 120/80. The top number is called systolic blood pressure. It is the highest pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats. The bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure. It is the lowest pressure in the blood vessels when the heart relaxes between beats. High blood pressure can be controlled by following your provider's advice, taking you blood pressure medicine, and changing some of your lifestyle habits.