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When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries to the rest of your body. When the blood pushes harder against the walls of your arteries, your blood pressure goes up. Your blood pressure may be different at different times of the day. It is usually higher when you first wake up, after you exercise, or when you are under stress.

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It happens when the force of the blood pumping through your arteries is too strong.

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High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

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In 2011-2012 in the US, about a third of all people over the age of 20 years had hypertension, based on high blood pressure assessments and the number of people taking antihypertensive medications.2

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Normal blood pressure is below 120 systolic and below 80 diastolic

Prehypertension is 120-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic

Stage 1 high blood pressure (hypertension) is 140-159 systolic or 90-99 diastolic

Stage 2 high blood pressure (hypertension) is 160 or higher systolic or 100 or higher diastolic

Hypertensive crisis (a medical emergency) is when blood pressure is above 180 systolic or above 110 diastolic.

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Lifestyle measures are used first to treat high blood pressure, including salt restriction and other dietary changes, moderation of alcohol, and stress reduction.

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Doctors diagnose high blood pressure over a number of visits using a sphygmomanometer, which involves applying an inflatable cuff to the upper arm.

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Hypertension itself does not cause symptoms but in the long-term leads to complications caused by narrowing of blood vessels.

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High blood pressure can also be secondary to other conditions - kidney disease, for example - and can be associated with some medications.

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Modern lifestyle factors are responsible for a growing burden of hypertension: physical inactivity, salt-rich diets with processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use.

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Hypertension is defined as blood pressure higher than 140 over 90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).