Malignant high blood pressure is a medical emergency. The only way to know whether a child has high blood pressure is to get it checked regularly. Doctors usually start measuring blood pressure during routine checkups when kids are 3 years old. For children, high blood pressure is determined by comparing the child’s blood pressure with the distribution of blood pressure for children of similar sex, age and height. A child whose blood pressure is greater than or equal to 95% of children of similar sex, age, and height (at or above the 95th percentile) would be considered to have high blood pressure.

Timely Diagnosis is Important

A diagnosis of high blood pressure is given if repeated readings are 140/90 mmHg or higher, or 130/80 mmHg or higher if you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Because high blood pressure is a multi-factorial problem, effective management is rarely achieved through one drug. Instead, optimal management often requires a broad-based approach that includes both pharmaceutical and nutritional components, along with regular self-monitoring of blood pressure. High blood pressure is seldom diagnosed based on a single reading, but rather on the average of several readings over several weeks or months.

High BP has it’s own Complications

High blood pressure is a common cause of kidney failure in Australia. One mechanism for this is the production of a hormone called 'renin' by the kidneys. After age 50, high blood pressure is more common in women than men. Untreated, high blood pressure can lead to other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of kidney failure, also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD). People with kidney failure must either receive a kidney transplant or have regular blood-cleansing treatments called dialysis.

So it's important that high blood pressure is detected and kept under control. The earlier the age at which it's detected and treated, the less the damage. High blood pressure is a serious health problem that affects 35 million Americans or one out of every six people. It can be found in all races, age groups and in both sexes. This is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer.".The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.