Do I have high blood pressure?

"High blood pressure - the silent killer" - You can find headlines like this or similar ones in various magazines and on the internet. They point out the danger of high blood pressure, because it can lead not only to unpleasant illnesses but also to life-threatening conditions. Many readers may perceive this risk as something abstract that won't affect them personally.
What if it does?

What if your parents or grandparents already have high blood pressure, known as hypertension? Or if you honestly have to admit that you have various risk factors, such as lack of exercise, stress, or an excessive appetite, that can contribute to high blood pressure? How do you actually know that your blood pressure is too high? Especially when it is described as the "silent killer" and it is repeatedly pointed out that, at least initially, it causes no symptoms or hardly any?

Possible symptoms of high blood pressure that can occur regardless of sex.

If you see your GP more or less regularly, they will usually measure your blood pressure. Maybe not at every visit, but with some regularity. If you attend preventive check-ups from age 35 onward, blood pressure measurement is also part of the program to detect potentially dangerous conditions early. The ESH (European Society of Hypertension) even recommends adding blood pressure measurement for children from age 3 to the standard program of preventive check-ups (U examinations), because the condition is becoming increasingly common in children and adolescents. Elevated blood pressure at that age carries the same risk of serious illness later in life as high blood pressure in adulthood and should therefore be detected and, if necessary, treated as early as possible. But what about people who have outgrown childhood and are healthy enough that they have no reason to see a doctor, or who tend to "forget" preventive check-ups? Simply assuming that their blood pressure will be fine might be a bit naive. It is at least advisable to check from time to time. You do not necessarily need to make an appointment with a doctor for this. Most pharmacies offer blood pressure measurement as a service.

An even more accessible option is to measure your blood pressure at home using an automatic blood pressure monitor. These devices are already available at very affordable prices. This makes it easy to check your blood pressure without the stress of visiting a doctor. You do not even need to leave your home.

It is advisable to record the values obtained. This makes it easier to detect a gradual increase and avoid attributing higher values solely to how you feel on a particular day.

Which brings us to the question of how meaningful a single blood pressure measurement is. You can probably guess: not very. Especially if you casually check your blood pressure in passing, the values can be distorted and often elevated. To get a realistic result, several points must be observed. Even before buying a device, you can identify models that are more or less suitable for you. We currently advise against measuring blood pressure with smartwatches, fitness bands, etc., because much of the technology still does not provide sufficiently accurate results. Devices that give the most accurate readings still need to be calibrated against conventional blood pressure monitors. So you can save your money for now and use a blood pressure monitor directly.

Before the measurement itself, you should rest sufficiently by sitting down with the device for a few minutes and relaxing before you start. Of course, you should not come straight from exercise. You should also leave some time between drinking coffee, taking a bath, smoking or eating, for example, and taking the measurement, as these can also affect the readings. Any nervousness that may still affect the first reading is usually largely gone by a second measurement a few minutes later.

For anyone who would like to obtain a particularly realistic picture of their blood pressure readings, we recommend taking measurements over several days in accordance with the guidelines. This means measuring your blood pressure every morning and evening while sitting on the edge of the bed with your back supported, taking two readings about 2 minutes apart each time, and recording the results. If the readings are elevated, you can discuss them with your family doctor and take any necessary action.

Tensana supports you from the start. We help you choose a suitable blood pressure monitor and guide you through a guideline-based measurement so you can obtain the most accurate readings possible. Our blood pressure calculator shows you immediately whether the values you measured are normal or too high. In the Tensana app you can record and evaluate your data, set reminders for the next measurement, and keep track of your blood pressure over the long term.

Sources:

This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 10/2024).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.

Do I have high blood pressure?

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