A single systolic reading of 142 mmHg is classified as Stage 2 high blood pressure (hypertension) by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). This is considered bad as it indicates a need for medical consultation and potential treatment.
Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower. Your blood pressure is considered high (stage 1) if it reads 130 to 139 mmHg/80 to 89 mmHg. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/120 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away.
Treatment of High Blood Pressure
You should go to the ER for high blood pressure when it's also causing symptoms. Examples include headaches, vision changes, confusion, chest pain, trouble breathing, and nausea. You're more likely to have symptoms with high blood pressure when the reading goes over 180/120 mmHg.
High blood pressure in pregnancy is generally defined as a systolic (top number) reading of 140 mmHg or higher, or a diastolic (bottom number) reading of 90 mmHg or higher, confirmed on two occasions at least four hours apart, and developing after 20 weeks of pregnancy without a prior history of hypertension. This condition, known as gestational hypertension, differs from chronic hypertension (pre-existing high BP) or preeclampsia (high BP with signs of organ damage like protein in urine), and requires close monitoring.
If you have a BP of 140/90, that is considered high blood pressure and you should discuss this with your doctor. The first thing that is usually recommended for people with high blood pressure to do is lifestyle changes such as: Maintaining a healthy weight. Consuming a healthy balanced diet low in salt.
Your heart works harder during pregnancy because it has to pump much more blood. This puts extra stress on your body. High blood pressure can also affect how the placenta develops and functions. This means the fetus may not get the nutrients it needs to grow at a normal rate.
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure. But bouts of anxiety can trigger temporary rises in blood pressure. Temporary rises in blood pressure that happen often, such as every day, can damage the blood vessels, heart and kidneys. This is the same type of damage seen in people with long-term hypertension.
Raised systolic blood pressure (BP) is a powerful independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and death from all causes. 1 It is also a major cause of clinical and pre-clinical damage to the heart, brain, retina, kidneys, and arterial blood vessels.
6 Silent Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
The less you sleep, the higher your blood pressure may go. People who sleep six hours or less may have steeper increases in blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, not sleeping well may make your blood pressure worse.
Take it first in the morning before eating or taking any medicine. Take it again in the evening. Each time you measure, take two or three readings to make sure your results are the same.
140/90 or higher (stage 2 hypertension): You probably need medication. At this level, your doctor is likely to prescribe medicine now to get your blood pressure under control. At the same time, you'll also need to make lifestyle changes. If you ever have blood pressure that's 180/120 or above, it's an emergency.
(Finger or wrist monitors are not considered reliable.) The blood pressure cuff needs to fit well, since cuffs that are too small will give falsely elevated readings. "I have a patient who was getting very high readings that were different in both arms," Dr. Cannon says.
Blood pressure is grouped according to how high it is. This is called staging. Staging helps guide treatment. Stage 1 hypertension. The top number is between 130 and 139 mm-Hg or the bottom number is between 80 and 89 mm-Hg.
Key Takeaways. Drinking water helps control blood pressure if you're dehydrated. Dehydration can make high blood pressure worse by reducing blood volume. Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day helps maintain fluid balance.
Severe Hypertension
If your readings are still high, call your health care professional. If your blood pressure is higher than 180 and/or 120 mm Hg and you have any of these symptoms, call 911: chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, change in vision or difficulty speaking.
While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
A blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg is Stage 2 hypertension, which needs medical attention and lifestyle changes, but usually not an immediate hospital trip unless you have severe symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, vision changes, or signs of stroke, in which case you should call for emergency help (like 911/000) immediately. For a single reading, it's best to recheck after relaxing and then contact your doctor for advice and follow-up, as persistent readings above 140/90 warrant a check-up to prevent long-term damage.
About 85% of strokes are ischemic strokes, caused by a blockage (blood clot or plaque buildup) cutting off blood flow to the brain, with the most common drivers being high blood pressure, high cholesterol (atherosclerosis), atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), and diabetes. These blockages can form locally (thrombotic) or travel from elsewhere (embolic).
Too much salt in the diet. Drinking too much alcohol (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day) Older age. Family history of high blood pressure (heredity)
While most people who have preeclampsia have healthy babies, this condition can cause serious problems. People who have preeclampsia are more likely to deliver their baby too early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy).
Stage 2 hypertension.
After 20 weeks of pregnancy, blood pressure that's higher than 140/90 mm Hg without any other organ damage is considered to be gestational hypertension. Blood pressure needs to be taken and documented on two or more occasions, at least four hours apart.