Blood pressure is the measure of how much blood is passing through the blood vessels and the resistance to its flow. High blood pressure also called hypertension occurs when blood pressure reaches to unhealthy levels. The resistance to blood flow increases due to narrow arteries and the blood pressure becomes high. This could also result in heart diseases. Hypertension is a common disease and it develops over several years. It is also considered as a silent killer because most people do not notice its symptoms. Nearly half of the American adults are affected by this disease. High blood pressure can not only affect your heart but also brain, heart, eyes, and kidneys. What causes high blood pressure? There are two types of hypertension. Each type has a different cause. Primary hypertension – also called essential hypertension. There is no identifiable cause of this kind of hypertension. This may be caused by some of the factors stated below: Genes – you might be genetically predisposed to high blood pressure. Various people have gene mutations that are inherited from parents. Physical changes – changes like aging can upset your natural body balance of fluids and salts leading to problems like high blood pressure. Environment – Poor diet, weight problems or lack of physical activity can increase your risk of getting high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension This type of hypertension is usually...