Hypertension in Spanish

What it means

Hypertension is the medical term used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, and a reading uses two numbers: the systolic pressure, when the heart beats, usually written before or above the diastolic pressure, when the heart is at rest between beats. According to the MedlinePlus encyclopedia, high blood pressure is when one or both readings are 130/80 mm Hg or higher most of the time. It usually has no symptoms, so the only way to find out is to get regular blood pressure checks from a health care provider. Blood pressure that stays high over time can lead to serious health problems. In Spanish the term is hipertensión.

Spanish term: Hipertensión
Gender and article: feminine: la hipertensión
Pronunciation: ee-pehr-ten-SYOHN

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
presión arterial alta	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español health topic, which lists Hipertensión among its other names.
alta presión	General	Listed by MedlinePlus en español among the other names of its health topic.
hipertensión arterial	General	Fuller form used in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article.
HTA	General	Abbreviation listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article.

Hipertensión is feminine: la hipertensión. MedlinePlus en español says it is the medical term used to describe high blood pressure, titles its own health topic Presión arterial alta, and lists Hipertensión and Alta presión as other names. Its encyclopedia also writes hipertensión arterial and lists the abbreviation HTA among the alternative names. The two numbers in a reading are presión sistólica and presión diastólica, and the encyclopedia writes 120/80 out as 120 sobre 80.

For the types, the encyclopedia uses hipertensión esencial when no cause is found and hipertensión secundaria when another condition or a medicine causes it. The MedlinePlus en español blood pressure table labels two categories hipertensión grado 1 and grado 2, and another crisis hipertensiva, described as dangerously high blood pressure with the instruction to seek medical care right away. Emergency signs need urgent care (call 911 in the U.S.). The cuff is el manguito, and a home blood pressure monitor is un tensiómetro casero.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	Has anyone ever told you that you have high blood pressure?	¿Le han dicho alguna vez que tiene la presión arterial alta?
Patient	Yes, I was told I have hypertension about three years ago.	Sí, hace unos tres años me dijeron que tengo hipertensión.
Clinician	I am going to put the cuff on your arm and take your blood pressure.	Voy a ponerle el manguito en el brazo y a tomarle la presión arterial.
Patient	What do the two numbers in my blood pressure reading mean?	¿Qué significan los dos números de mi lectura de presión arterial?
Clinician	Today your blood pressure is 142 over 90.	Hoy su presión arterial es de 142 sobre 90.
Patient	I check my blood pressure at home, and I brought my monitor and my readings.	Me tomo la presión arterial en casa, y traje mi tensiómetro y mis lecturas.
Clinician	Does anyone in your family have high blood pressure?	¿Alguien en su familia tiene la presión arterial alta?
Patient	I do not feel any symptoms. How often should I have my blood pressure checked?	No siento ningún síntoma. ¿Con qué frecuencia debo medirme la presión arterial?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Hypertension
Spanish (Español)	Hipertensión
Chinese (中文)	高血壓
Korean (한국어)	고혈압
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Tăng huyết áp
Filipino (Tagalog)	Altapresyon
Portuguese (Português)	Hipertensão
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ความดันโลหิตสูง
Japanese (日本語)	高血圧

Where you'll see it

chartEOBmedical recordreferralprescription

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: I10 → Essential (primary) hypertension

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Heart and circulation

All terms in this area: Heart and circulation — Corazón y circulación

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.