Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, when the force of blood pushing against your blood vessel walls is too strong. Over time, it can damage your heart, kidneys, and other organs if not treated.
From "hyper-" meaning "over, excessive" and "tension" meaning "pressure or stretching." The term became common as doctors learned to measure blood pressure and link long-term high levels to disease.
Hypertension is often called the "silent killer" because you can feel completely fine while damage quietly builds inside your body for years. A tiny cuff reading at the doctor’s office is actually a powerful predictor of your future heart health.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.