Test for Hypertension

Hypertension is the medical name for high blood pressure.The condition is very common in adults, affecting about one in three Americans, according to the American Heart Association. When high blood pressure is not properly treated and controlled, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. The only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Hypertension Definition

• A healthy blood pressure reading is defined as 120/80 or lower. The top number in a blood pressure reading represents the systolic pressure; the bottom number is the diastolic pressure. Hypertension is defined as a blood pressure of greater than 140/90. Pre-hypertension is defined as systolic pressure of between 121 and 139 and a diastolic pressure of between 81 and 89.

Tests

• Hypertension can typically be detected simply by taking a person's blood pressure at a doctor's office or other medical facility. To diagnose hypertension, blood pressure readings will have to be elevated over a period of time, not for only one reading. If a person's blood pressure is high in one reading, your doctor may closely monitor it to make sure hypertension is either treated or ruled out.

Taking Blood Pressure

• A person's blood pressure is taken with a device called a sphygmomanometer. It's a simple and painless procedure that takes just a few minutes. First, a cuff is placed around the upper arm. A pressure gauge and a bulb attached to rubber tubing are both attached to the cuff. To measure blood pressure, a doctor or health-care professional will place a stethoscope on the brachial artery in the elbow and then inflate the cuff by pumping the bulb. Once inflated to the point that the brachial artery collapses, the air will slowly be released from the cuff. The health-care professional will then listen for the sound of blood beginning to flow through the artery. The pressure gauge reading when this occurs represents the systolic pressure. The diastolic pressure is represented by the reading on the gauge at the point between two successive heartbeats.

Treating Hypertension

• Most people can control hypertension with prescription medications that help lower blood pressure. Many different types of drugs can be prescribed to treat hypertension, including vasodilators, alpha blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, central alpha agonists, diuretics, renin inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. These medications all work differently, but all will help bring blood pressure into a healthier range.

Lifestyle Changes

• In addition to taking prescription medications to treat hypertension, there is a lot people can do at home to try and lower their blood pressure. First, reducing saturated fat intake and eating less salt can help. It's also important to get enough physical exercise and lose weight if you are overweight. Smokers should also quit to try and lower their blood pressure and reduce their risk of heart disease and other illnesses. In conjunction with medications, most doctors will also tell their patients to adopt a healthier lifestyle to help control hypertension.