What should I do now?
Call 911
Call 911 for chest pressure, severe trouble breathing, or sudden weakness, trouble speaking, or vision changes. Do not wait for a BP reading. Very high BP with these symptoms is an emergency.
Contact your care team
If the top number is above 180 or the bottom number above 120 without concerning symptoms, repeat after at least 1 minute. If still this high, contact your clinician immediately. Do not take extra medicine without instructions.
Keep your care plan
Keep your treatment and follow-up plan. Bring questions, readings, and your medication list.
SECTION 2
What symptoms might I feel?
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. You can feel well while your blood pressure is damaging your heart, arteries, brain, or kidneys.
This is why measuring your blood pressure matters. You cannot reliably tell whether it is high based on how you feel.
What about headaches or dizziness?
Headaches and dizziness can have many causes. They do not reliably tell you whether your blood pressure is high. Likewise, having no headache does not mean your pressure is normal.
When is it an emergency?
Call 911 for chest pain, severe shortness of breath, sudden weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, or sudden vision changes. Do not wait to check your blood pressure or drive yourself.
A top number above 180 or a bottom number above 120, together with these symptoms, can indicate a hypertensive emergency.
What if my reading is very high but I feel well?
If your top number is above 180 or your bottom number is above 120:
- Sit quietly and repeat the measurement after at least one minute.
- If it remains this high, contact your healthcare professional immediately.
- If concerning symptoms develop, call 911.
Do not take extra medication unless your care team instructs you to do so.
Do not wait for symptoms before addressing high blood pressure.
Updated October 2026. Educational information; your own care plan may differ. Medical illustrations are simplified examples for teaching.