Your blood pressure, which is caused by two forces, is the pressure of your blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. One of the forces is created as the heart pumps blood into the arteries and through the body’s circulatory system while the other force comes from the arteries’ resistance to the blood flow. The blood pressure is usually measured by means of wrapping an inflatable cuff around the person’s upper arm. When you have your blood pressure gauged, the blood pressure numbers are written like a fraction with one number over the other.
Let’s take 140/80 for example. The higher number, called systolic, is the number that stands for the pressure created as the heart contracts in order to pump blood to the body. The bottom number, called diastolic, shows the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes. The higher blood pressure number can range from 90 to 240 while the lower number can be anywhere from 60 to 140. These numbers are typically calculated in millimeters of mercury and written down as mmHg.
The systolic blood pressure should always be stated first. The blood pressure that’s considered optimal for adults is 120/80 or below. If your systolic pressure ranges from 120 to 139 and the diastolic is from 80 to 89, that is considered as pre-hypertension and should be carefully monitored.
A blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered as high blood pressure. Both systolic and diastolic numbers are important because if one or both numbers are high, then you have high blood pressure. If you are taking medication due to high blood pressure, your blood pressure will still be high even if your readings are of normal range.
Blood pressure numbers differ depending on the person and the time of the day it is measured. It can vary in the same individual during night and day. Blood pressure is lowest if you are sleeping and if all your muscles are relaxed. It rises as you wake up and do your daily activities. It may vary in large amounts, depending on the things that you are doing.
Blood Pressure provides detailed information on Blood Pressure, High Blood Pressure, Low Blood Pressure, Normal Blood Pressure and more. Blood Pressure is affiliated with Reliability of Blood Pressure Monitors.
