High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition that sneaks up on people slowly, so slowly that many people have it, and don't even know it. In fact, one in every three Americans develops the condition. Most people think only older people suffer with hypertension, but the disease strikes many younger people every day.

High blood pressure is no longer something that you get when you are fifty and working a high-profile job. Teenagers get it, and even younger children. Today, the prevalence of high fat, high sugar diets do not help, and the rising rate of obesity is one of the major reasons more people suffer with the condition today. While the disease may last a lifetime, it is possible to treat and control it, sometimes with a mere change in diet and exercise, though for others, treatment comes in the form of medication.

Everyone has a blood pressure, as it is vital to life. The heart pumps blood through its chambers, and from there throughout the body's arterial system. That oxygen rich blood is distributed throughout body organs, tissues and cells and then, once deoxygenated, returns through the veins back to the heart for a fresh dose of oxygen. The heart of a normal person beats around 80 to 120 times each minute. Those who are in excellent physical health and teenagers may have lower pressures. Anything within about 110 to 120 is great. You normally measure blood pressure in two parts. The first number in a blood pressure reading is the pressure exerted by the heart when it performs the pumping action. The second number is measures the heart at rest, between beats. So, a normal blood pressure reading could be 120/80, for example.

Medical experts consider someone who is at risk of high blood pressure "prehypertensive", if the blood pressure reading is within 120-139 beats each minute, systolic pressure, which again, comes from the first measurement. Similarly, the bottom pressure, the diastolic measurement, may be anywhere between 80 to 90.

There are two different stages of high blood pressure. Stage One occurs when the blood pressure reading of any given individual is between 140-158 for a systolic reading. The bottom pressure measurement, the diastolic reading, can range from around 90-98. These numbers are not definite. You need to consider other things when getting a blood pressure reading. Is the person overweight, on medications or just finished exercising? While these figures may sound alarming, proper diet and exercise, combined with medications, may be enough to get blood pressure back under control.

Stage Two high blood pressure occurs when the systolic pressure ranges over 160, while the bottom pressure reads over 100. It is a good idea to get blood pressure checked at least once a

year, and if it is borderline, talk to your doctor about treatment choices. Don't mess around with your heart. It is the only one you will have in your lifetime, unless you need a transplant. You and your doctor can treat high blood pressure.