Your blood pressure does not remain static. That is, the measurement will not be the exact same thing every time you take it, no matter what. Instead, your blood pressure (BP) is affected by a huge range of things that can raise or lower it at any given time. Even standing up can change your (BP) reading, which is why you are almost always seated when a nurse or doctor takes your (BP).

Smoking a cigarette will have an immediate affect on your hypertensive state - it will raise for about ten to fifteen minutes right after you smoke it. Long term tobacco use can damage the walls of the blood vessels resulting in a restricted blood flow which will raise the pressure all the time.

Stress can cause hypertension to go up. Normally once you relax, your levels would go back to normal but it's never a good thing to be under constant stress. If you have a tendency towards hypertension due to other factors already, you really need to find a way to either deal with or avoid stress as much as you can.

Medications can often affect the pressure in your blood and not just the ones that are supposed to. Some medications, such as coumadin, that thin the blood can lower your blood pressure which is why it is important to monitor the pressure levels of your blood regularly when you are on this type of medication.

Fluid retention can cause a hypertensive state. Often this is caused by too much salt in the diet. When the sodium levels in your blood go up, that causes the body to retain fluid. Anyone who is worried about their risk of hypertension would do well to watch their sodium intake.