Hypertension-2

Diagnosis and Tests

How doctors diagnose this condition

Healthcare providers measure your blood pressure at your yearly check-ups and other appointments. This lets them see if it’s normal or too high. They’ll diagnose you with hypertension if your numbers are high at two separate visits (with at least two readings taken each time).

What are the different stages of hypertension?

There are two main stages of hypertension:

• Stage 1 means your top number is in the 130s, or your bottom number is in the 80s.
• Stage 2 means your top number is 140 or higher, or your bottom number is 90 or higher.

On either end of these stages, there are other categories that providers use to guide treatment decisions:

• Elevated blood pressure is blood pressure that’s a bit above normal but not yet diagnosed as hypertension.
• Severe hypertension is dangerously high blood pressure that’s not yet causing organ damage.
• A hypertensive emergency is dangerously high blood pressure that’s damaging your organs. It causes symptoms and is a medical emergency.