Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most common worldwide diseases afflicting humans. Because of the associated diseases, mortality rate and the costs to society, hypertension is an important public health challenge. Fortunately, over the past several decades extensive research and widespread patient education have led to decreased death rates from the multiple organ damage arising from untreated hypertension.

Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease. This makes it vital that health care professionals must not only identify and treat patients with hypertension but also promote a healthy lifestyle and preventive strategies to decrease the prevalence of hypertension in the general population.

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. High blood pressure typically 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.

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even when blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. Although a few people with early-stage high blood pressure may have dull headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal, these signs and symptoms typically don't occur until high blood pressure has reached an advanced or even life-threatening stage.

Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years starting at age 20. He or she will likely recommend more frequent readings if you've already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, prehypertension or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Children age 3 and older will usually have their blood pressure measured as a part of their yearly checkups. If you don't regularly see your doctor, but are concerned about your blood pressure, you may be able to get a free blood pressure screening at a health resource fair or other locations in your community. You can also find machines in drugstores that will measure your blood pressure for free, but these machines aren't often calibrated and can give you inaccurate results.