In most cases, the cause of high blood pressure is unknown. However, there are several factors that can increase your chances of developing high blood pressure: genetics (hereditary), advanced age, gender, lack of physical exercise, poor diet, obesity, overabundance of alcohol, stress, smoking, and sleep apnea. Even knowing these risks many people still don’t know they have high blood pressure. …show more content…
The CDC explains how your blood pressure is checked best, “A health professional wraps an inflatable cuff with a pressure gauge around your arm to squeeze the blood vessels. Then he or she listens to your pulse with a stethoscope while releasing air from the cuff and watching the gauge. The gauge measures blood pressure in millimeters of mercury. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in your vessels when your heart rests between beats”. Easy enough