Many people do not take high blood pressure seriously. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is measured in numbers based on the systolic and diastolic pressures of the blood. High blood pressure is an increasingly common affliction, and with it comes the increasing danger of unknowingly putting yourself at risk of new or increased blood pressure issues as a result of the use of over the counter medications as common as cold and flu medicines that are readily available. Basically, when the incidence of hypertension has no known medical cause it is diagnosed as primary hypertension as against secondary hypertension caused by another medical condition. High blood pressure is caused by narrowing of the arteries and the increased pumping pressure of the blood. According to the National heart and lung institute high blood pressure affects everyone in his or her life span. A small, portable instrument called a blood pressure cuff or sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure. In fact, not only do you risk increasing your blood pressure when using regular medications that include decongestants, but you may also cause a conflict with any blood pressure medications that you may be taking at the same time. Examples of common decongestant ingredients that can cause blood pressure issues are Phenylephrine, Oxymetazoline, Pseudoephedrine