Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the ...Home/Healthtopics/HypertensionOverviewHypertension,alsoknownashighorraisedbloodpressure,isaconditioninwhichthebloodvesselshavepersistentlyraisedpressure.Bloodiscarriedfromthehearttoallpartsofthebodyinthevessels.Eachtimetheheartbeats,itpumpsbloodintothevessels.Bloodpressureiscreatedbytheforceofbloodpushingagainstthewallsofbloodvessels(arteries)asitispumpedbytheheart.Thehigherthepressure,theharderthehearthastopump. Hypertensionisaseriousmedicalconditionandcanincreasetheriskofheart,brain,kidneyandotherdiseases.Itisamajorcauseofprematuredeathworldwide,withupwardsof1in4menand1in5women–overabillionpeople­–havingthecondition.Theburdenofhypertensionisfeltdisproportionatelyinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries,wheretwothirdsofcasesarefound,largelyduetoincreasedriskfactorsinthosepopulationsinrecentdecades. SymptomsManypeoplewithhypertensiondonotnoticesymptomsandmaybeunawarethereisaproblem.Symptomscanincludeearlymorningheadaches,nosebleeds,irregularheartrhythms,visionchanges,andbuzzingintheears.Moresevereformsmayexhibitfatigue,nausea,vomiting,confusion,anxiety,chestpain,andmuscletremors.Ifleftuntreated,hypertensioncancausepersistentchestpain(alsocalledangina),heartattacks,heartfailure,andanirregularheartbeat,whichcanleadtoasuddendeath.  Hypertensioncanalsocausestrokesbyblockingorburstingarteriesthatsupplybloodandoxygentothebrain,aswellaskidneydamage,whichcanleadtokidneyfailure.Highbloodpressurecausesdamagetotheheartbyhardeningarteriesanddecreasingthefloodofbloodandoxygentotheheart. Detectinghypertensionisdonewithaquickandpainlesstestofbloodpressure.Thiscanbedoneathome,butahealthprofessionalcanhelpassessanyrisksorassociatedconditions. TreatmentReducingmodifiableriskfactorsisthebestwaytopreventhypertensionandassociateddiseasesoftheheart,brain,kidneyandotherorgans.Thesefactorsincludeunhealthydiets(excessivesaltconsumption,a