Blood pressure is the force of the blood that pushes against the walls of the arteries as it is pumped out of the heart. It is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries that is measured when monitoring blood pressure. Arteries are the vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body while veins are vessels that carry blood from other parts of the body towards the heart. When there is high pressure against the arterial wall, it is classified as having high blood pressure, HBP or hypertension. HBP is commonly associated with having extensive emotional tension, although this can temporarily increase blood pressure, it is not always the cause of hypertension.
When measuring blood pressure or BP, there are always two numbers, 120/80 for example. The fist number, 120, is the systolic pressure. It is the measurement of the BP while the heart is pumping out blood. The second number, 80, is the diastolic pressure. It is the pressure when the heart is at rest or in between beats. These numbers are measured in millimeters of Mercury or mmHg.
Normal BP is 120/80 mmHg or below. A BP of 139/90 mmHg is considered as pre-hypertension. If BP level exceeds or is always above normal, there is a high risk of having hypertension and steps should be taken to bring it back to normal. A reading of 140/90 mmHG is considered as having stage 1 hypertension and when it reaches 160/100 mmHg, it is already in stage 2 hypertension.
An elevation in BP also increases the risk of having heart disease, kidney disease, eye damage, hardening of the arteries and stroke. These are complications are the end result of having a prolonged period of hypertension. Usually hypertension does not show any symptoms until the body shows some damage or irritation. For this reason, hypertension is referred to as a silent killer. Monitor BP using BP machines regularly. If there is a prolonged period of above normal, there is a higher risk of having hypertension.
Get the best blood pressure monitor in the market, get an Omron Blood Pressure Monitor! Visit http://www.omronbloodpressure.org.
