In today's society high blood pressure is a big problem and many people don't realize they are dealing with it. Unfortunately, there are no symptoms that alert you that your blood pressure is high, but there are many causes and ways to prevent hypertension. Some of the repercussions of hypertension would be heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. People would even consider it a “silent killer.” A person doesn't know they have high blood pressure until it gets worse, so there's nothing that can be done about it. This is why he would be called a silent killer. When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries, blood putting pressure against the walls of your arteries; between one beat and another your heart rests. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted against the walls of the arteries when the heart beats and the amount of force exerted when the heart rests. The common form of hypertension is the result of hardening of the arteries. The main causes of hypertension are weight, bad habits and stress. According to "What is High Blood Pressure," carrying around too much weight can be life-threatening. Being overweight is an important risk factor for developing high blood pressure(1). Not getting enough exercise throughout your life can cause many negative things. It can also put you at risk for high blood pressure. Losing weight is proven to make a big difference when trying to avoid high blood pressure. A small weight loss can have a huge effect on the treatment needs of those suffering from high blood pressure (Chilliot1). One of the main causes of hypertension would be poor nutrition. A high-fat diet can also increase the risk of hypertension. The... center of the card... has many consequences on the outcome. For some people, stress leads to smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol, which also increases blood pressure ("Effects of Stress"1). Overall, hypertension is the major problem facing many Americans in today's society. A "normal" blood pressure is not a single number, but a range. A normal blood pressure is 139/89 and lower. So if yours is below 140/90, plan to keep it there. If your blood pressure is above 140/90 mm Hg, it is important to talk to your doctor about ways to lower it ("High Blood Pressure"1). The main causes of hypertension are weight, bad habits and stress. Other factors to consider include differences in lifestyle, environment and more difficult access to quality healthcare. In conclusion, high blood pressure is a chain reaction. It starts as a silent killer and ends up with many health problems.