You may have heard that high blood pressure is often called a silent killer. That's a pretty good description for it to. Without having it checked regularly, you run the risk of having high blood pressure and not knowing it which in turn can cause a stroke, or even a heart attack. So, what causes high blood pressure? Actually, there are many causes for it, and if you're like me and suffer from it, then it would be a good idea to understand the reasons a little better.

One of the worst enemies to normal blood pressure is salt. I see people all the time pouring out the salt on their food like mad. The sodium in the salt is brutal on your blood pressure. The AMA recommends a total sodium intake of 1500mg per day. That's not a lot of sodium. Take a look the next time you're at the grocery store at the food labels, especially in the frozen section. It is not uncommon to see frozen, or microwave dinners with 1000mg to 1500mg in them. That is only for one meal.

An overall poor diet is also a big cause for high blood pressure. Too much cholesterol and saturated fats, for example, can cause your arteries to become clogged, forcing you heart to work extra hard to get the blood through, which in turn raises your blood pressure. If you are in a job where you are just sitting in an office all day and have very little activity, this can cause your heart to work harder and lead to higher blood pressure.

Stress is another major cause of high blood pressure. Most people tend to overlook this area as a cause to increased blood pressure, but stress just makes your heart work so much harder. Your body is like one big piece of machinery, and mental agitation and anxiety have a direct effect on your heart and circulation. By taking a few steps to lower your anxiety level, such as getting better sleep, reducing your levels of caffeine, and getting some exercise, will go a long way helping lower your blood pressure.

The last cause is one in which you have absolutely no control over. It is genetics. On its own, genetics doesn't cause high blood pressure, but it feeds all the other causes. Think of it as fertilizer so to speak. If you have a family history of high blood pressure, then your very prone to getting it yourself. With the right genes you can have a high fat and sodium diet, never exercise, drink tons of coffee and stress out on a daily basis, yet still have a reasonably low blood pressure. With the wrong genes, even a little too much salt may be enough to kick your blood pressure into a dangerous range.

Find out what your family history is like in regards to high blood pressure and heart disease. There are a lot of high blood pressure causes, and keeping yourself educated could very well save you from this silent killer.