What are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?

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For most people, high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms. That is why it’s often called the “silent killer.”

AHA recommendation

Measuring your blood pressure is the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure. An average based on two or more readings taken on two or more occasions by a health care professional is recommended for a proper diagnosis.

Home monitoring

When monitoring your blood pressure at home, a single high reading is not an immediate cause for alarm. If you get a reading that is higher than normal, take your blood pressure a second time. Write down the results of both measurements. Check with your health care professional to see if there’s a health concern or whether there may be problems with your monitor.

Hypertensive crisis

If your blood pressure readings are suddenly higher than 180/120, wait five minutes and test again. If your readings are still very high, contact your health care professional immediately. You could be having a hypertensive crisis. 

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors.

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Last Reviewed: May 6, 2024