High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): What Your Numbers Mean
Understand blood pressure readings, the silent risks of hypertension, how to measure BP correctly at home, and the lifestyle changes and medicines that bring it down.
Medically reviewed by Doctoright Medical Review Panel · Written by Doctoright Editorial Team
Updated on · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- Blood pressure is written as two numbers: systolic (when the heart beats) over diastolic (when it rests).
- Indian guidelines diagnose hypertension at 140/90 mmHg or above; many international guidelines act earlier, at 130/80.
- Hypertension usually causes no symptoms, which is why regular checks from age 18 (and yearly from 30) are important.
- Cutting salt, staying active, limiting alcohol and keeping a healthy weight can lower BP by as much as some medicines.
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. When it stays high for long periods (hypertension) it strains the heart and damages blood vessels in the brain, kidneys and eyes. The WHO calls it a leading cause of premature death worldwide, and in India, roughly one in four adults has it.
Understanding your reading
A reading such as 128/84 mmHg has two parts:
- Systolic (top number): pressure when your heart contracts.
- Diastolic (bottom number): pressure when your heart relaxes between beats.
| Category | Systolic | Diastolic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Below 120 | and | Below 80 |
| Elevated / high normal | 120 to 139 | or | 80 to 89 |
| Hypertension | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
| Hypertensive crisis | Above 180 | and/or | Above 120 |
Indian and European guidelines diagnose hypertension at 140/90. American guidelines use 130/80 as the threshold for "stage 1". Either way, readings above 120/80 are a signal to act on lifestyle.
Seek emergency care if your BP is above 180/120 and you have chest pain, breathlessness, severe headache, confusion, weakness on one side or vision changes.
Symptoms
Most people with high blood pressure feel completely well: it is often called a "silent killer". Headaches and nosebleeds are not reliable signs. The only way to know is to measure.
Causes and risk factors
Most hypertension is primary, developing gradually with age. Risks include:
- a high salt diet (Indians eat roughly twice the WHO's recommended 5 g of salt a day, much of it from pickles, papad, namkeen and restaurant food)
- excess weight and physical inactivity
- alcohol and tobacco
- family history
- diabetes and kidney disease
- chronic stress and poor sleep
Less commonly, it is secondary to kidney or hormonal conditions, sleep apnoea or medicines such as painkillers and steroids.
How to measure BP correctly at home
- Avoid tea, coffee, smoking and exercise for 30 minutes beforehand.
- Sit with your back supported and feet flat for 5 minutes.
- Rest your arm at heart level with the cuff on bare skin.
- Don't talk during the measurement.
- Take two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for a week. Share the average with your doctor.
Use a validated automatic upper arm monitor: wrist devices are less accurate.
Treatment
Lifestyle changes that lower BP
- Cut salt to less than 5 g (about one teaspoon) a day. Taste food before adding salt and limit pickles and packaged snacks.
- Eat more potassium rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, dal and curd, unless you have kidney disease.
- Be active for at least 150 minutes a week.
- Reach a healthy weight. Every kilogram lost lowers BP by about 1 mmHg.
- Limit alcohol and stop smoking.
Medicines
If lifestyle changes aren't enough or your BP is very high, your doctor may prescribe amlodipine (a calcium channel blocker), telmisartan or losartan (ARBs), ACE inhibitors, or thiazide type diuretics, often in combination. Blood pressure medicines usually need to be taken long term, even when you feel fine.
Complications
Uncontrolled hypertension raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and vision loss. Managing BP alongside cholesterol and blood sugar gives the biggest protection.
The bottom line
Get your blood pressure checked at least once a year from age 30: sooner if you have risk factors. High blood pressure is easy to measure, and treatment dramatically cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke.
How we reviewed this article: 4 sources
Doctoright has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer reviewed studies, academic research institutions and medical associations. Learn more.
- World Health Organization. Hypertension fact sheet.
- NHS. High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Whelton PK, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Hypertension. 2018.
- India Hypertension Control Initiative, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Last medically reviewed on 29 September 2026. Originally published 18 June 2026.