According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is when either the top number (systolic) is over 130 or the bottom number (diastolic) is over 80. To have high blood pressure, your numbers have to stay high over time.

If you just have one high measurement, that doesn’t mean you have high blood pressure. There are lots of reasons your blood pressure might go up for a short time, like recently having a cup of coffee, a cigarette, or being stressed out.

That’s why to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, you need to have a high blood pressure measurement at least two separate times. Your doctor will measure your blood pressure on separate visits to find out if it stays high over time.

Talk to your doctor if you’re worried that you might have high blood pressure.

 

If your numbers are always 130/80 or more, it’s high blood pressure for sure.