Blood Pressure

Description

Understanding Blood Pressure: The Often Overlooked Vital Sign

Most people do not understand what their blood pressure reading means or why it is essential, although they check it each time they pay a visit to the doctor. Regardless of your age, if you want to live a long and healthy life, it is important to take control over your blood pressure.

AP Blood Pressure – Understand What It is, How to Measure it, What the Numbers Mean, and What to do to Preserve a Healthy State.

What exactly is Blood Pressure?

Blood is being pumped by your heart throughout your body. It does so under pressure in the walls of your arteries. It’s measured with two numbers:

The top figure is known as the systolic pressure. This measures the force at which the heart is pumping against the arteries while in contraction mode.

The bottom figure is the diastolic pressure. This measures the pressure in the heart when it is not contracting.

When it reaches 120/80 mmHg then:

It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

What constitutes normal blood pressure?

Ideal blood pressure should be read as:

If your “upper” is 140 or higher or your “lower” is 90 or higher, then you have high blood pressure (stage 2).

If it’s above 180/120 mmHg, then you are in a hypertensive emergency. You need to be seen by a doctor right now. Most people think low blood pressure (hypotension) is when it’s less than 90/60 mmHg.

What blood pressure readings should you be aware of?

The pressure within the blood will greatly affect several parts of one’s body such as:

It is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ since it does not usually show clear signs; many people do not realize they have high blood pressure until they become very ill.

What Causes Blood Pressure To Increase And Decrease?

What is the cause of high blood pressure(hypertension)?

One of the reasons for low blood pressure (hypotension) is not getting enough to drink.

Usually there are no signs. When it goes very high, some people may get headaches, notably at the back of the head, breathing difficulty, epistaxis.

Low Blood Pressure:

If you have any of these often, then do see a doctor.

I sphygmomanometer, a common blood pressure checking tool, goes around your upper arm. This can be either digital or manual.

For the best reading:

Home monitors may also be had; thus, it is a good idea to have your blood pressure checked at home often, in particular if you have previously suffered from either high or low blood pressure.

Ways to keep your blood pressure on the healthy side

Blood pressure is not just a pair of numbers; it speaks much about the heart and the total body condition. Ignorance toward either high or low blood pressure could lead to severe health-related implications. Most often, simple changes in one’s daily routine and frequency of visiting a health practitioner are enough to keep the blood pressure within control.

You can live longer simply by knowing your numbers and doing something with them. Not just when being sick, anyone needs to keep checking their blood pressure all the time.