hypertension

meaning in plain English

A health problem where your blood pushes too hard against your blood vessels over time.

Think of a garden hose on full blast—hypertension is like that pressure pushing hard against your blood vessels.

for example

After years of eating too much salt, the doctor told her she had hypertension and needed to change her diet.

Imagine your heart is like a pump pushing water through a garden hose, but the hose keeps getting narrower. Over time, the pump has to work harder, and if it keeps doing that, it can wear out. That’s kind of what happens inside your body with hypertension.