If your systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different stages, the stage with the higher number is the one that counts. For example, if you have a systolic pressure of 150 mm Hg but your diastolic pressure is only 85 mm Hg, you will be classified as stage 1 hypertension, not prehypertension.
High blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms and can be dangerous if not treated. Hypertension puts you at risk for stroke, heart attack and other problems.
First stage is stage 1, if your blood pressure exceeds 140/90 you are a stage 1 hypertensive. If your blood pressure is greater than 160/100 you are a stage 2 hypertensive. If your blood pressure is greater than 180/110 you are a stage 3 hypertensive.
There is an average survival rate of only ten months in these cases. There are also increased odds of developing fatal heart disease (such as heart attack or arrhythmias) and kidney diseases if you go untreated for a long time. These can also contribute to an early death.
There is no cure for high blood pressure. But treatment can lower blood pressure that is too high. If it is mild, high blood pressure may sometimes be brought under control by making changes to a healthier lifestyle.
It is possible to blunt or stop the progression of stage 1 hypertension through lifestyle modifications alone.
If you have elevated blood pressure but don't have any heart disease risk factors, the benefits of medication are less clear. Treatment for stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension usually includes blood pressure medications and healthy lifestyle changes.
A person at stage 1 is in danger of a variety of health complications due to moderate hypertension. At this point, a person would be expected to try medication to reduce their blood pressure and risk of heart disease and/or stroke.
Call your doctor if:
Your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher on two or more occasions. Your blood pressure is usually normal and well controlled, but it goes above the normal range (120/80) on more than one occasion.
Stage 2 hypertension.
Blood pressure higher than 180/120 mm Hg is considered a hypertensive emergency or crisis. Seek emergency medical help for anyone with these blood pressure numbers. Untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems.
Stage 2 hypertension: A reading ranging from 140 or higher (systolic) or 90 (diastolic) Hypertensive crisis (consult your doctor immediately): A reading higher than 180 (systolic) and/or 120 (diastolic)
140/90 or higher (stage 2 hypertension): You probably need medication. At this level, your doctor is likely to prescribe medicine now to get your blood pressure under control. At the same time, you'll also need to make lifestyle changes. If you ever have blood pressure that's 180/120 or above, it's an emergency.
Healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80. Prehypertension is a systolic pressure of 120 to 139 or a diastolic pressure of 80 to 89. Stage-1 high blood pressure ranges from a systolic pressure of 140 to 159 or a diastolic pressure of 90 to 99. Stage-2 high blood pressure is over 160/100.
Still, you can make lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down. Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in blood pressure.
There's no proof that stress by itself causes long-term high blood pressure. But reacting to stress in unhealthy ways can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Behaviors linked to higher blood pressure include: Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine.
As part of the initial treatment, aerobic exercise is recommended in patients with stage 1 hypertension with no other coronary risk factors and no evidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as in patients with other risk factors, but not diabetes.
Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and dilates blood vessels, reducing your overall blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid physical activity that requires sudden bursts of activity or strain as these may increase the risk of arterial rupture, heart attack, or stroke. Activities to avoid include weight lifting, playing squash, and sprinting, as well as skydiving and SCUBA diving.
In fact, your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure—and losing weight has the biggest effect on those who are overweight and already have hypertension. Overweight and obesity are also risk factors for heart disease.
In other words, once blood pressure rises above normal, subtle but harmful brain changes can occur rather quickly—perhaps within a year or two. And those changes may be hard to reverse, even if blood pressure is nudged back into the normal range with treatment.