High blood pressure (hypertension) - Symptoms causes - Mayo Clinic High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries It's also called hypertension If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high The heart has to work harder to pump blood Blood pressure is measured in
High blood pressure (hypertension) - Diagnosis treatment - Mayo Clinic A blood pressure reading measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (top number, called systolic pressure) and between heartbeats (bottom number, called diastolic pressure) To measure blood pressure, an inflatable cuff is usually placed around the arm A machine or small hand pump is used to inflate the cuff
Blood pressure test - Mayo Clinic Overview A blood pressure test measures the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps A blood pressure test may be done as a part of a routine health checkup or as a screening for high blood pressure, also called hypertension Some people use home monitors to check their blood pressure at home
Low blood pressure (hypotension) - Symptoms and causes Low blood pressure might cause no symptoms that you notice Or it might cause dizziness and fainting Sometimes, low blood pressure can be life-threatening The causes of low blood pressure include dehydration and other serious medical conditions It's important to find out what's causing low blood pressure so that it can be treated, if needed