Eight Uncommon Reasons Your Blood Pressure is High

If you've been diagnosed with hypertension — high blood pressure — you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood pressure affects 1 in 3 adult Americans, but many people don't even know it.

The exact causes of hypertension are puzzling to most physicians, but several factors may play a role including being overweight, smoking, and lack of exercise. If your weight is under control, you don't smoke, you exercise regularly, and you eat a healthy diet, but your blood pressure is still high, what else could be contributing to your problem?

"The fact is that medical experts admit they don't have a clue why 90 percent of people suffer from what is known as 'essential hypertension,' which is persistent and pathological high blood pressure for which no specific cause can be found," says neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report. "But there are many uncommon causes of hypertension," he tells Newsmax Health.

Check out the following causes of high blood pressure you may not have considered: