Until you receive a diagnosis of high or low blood pressure, you may have given little thought to the mechanics of blood pressure. To understand the ramifications of this medical condition, it is beneficial to learn the basics of blood pressure.
Your heart and arteries are the major components involved in blood pressure. Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries for circulation throughout your body. Your heart beats approximately 60 to 70 times per minute. The resultant force exerted by blood flow against the arteries walls is called “blood pressure”.
Blood pressure is usually measured on the upper arm on the inside of the elbow. A major artery, the brachial, runs through the hollow of the elbow. The brachial artery takes oxygen rich blood away from the heart to muscles and cells. A blood pressure cuff, called a sphygmomanometer, is inflated on the upper arm and a stethoscope placed over the brachial artery.
The stethoscope enables your physician to calculate two important figures: the systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure is gauged when the heart beats and puts forth the highest pressure on the artery walls. Diastolic pressure is determined while the heart rests and fills with blood between beats and the lowest strain on the arteries is present. For example, a normal reading is 120/80. The number on top is the systolic and the number on the bottom is the diastolic. Both these figures are critical to an accurate assessment of blood pressure.
Blood pressure fluctuates daily and is dependent on the type of activities you are engaged in. Blood pressure will be lower when you are sitting and higher if you are physically active. Moods can also affect blood pressure. Nervousness and excitement will elevate blood pressure. Several readings over a period are necessary to correctly calculate your blood pressure.
High blood pressure is also referred to as “hypertension”. Consistent readings in excess of 140/90 are considered hypertension. High blood pressure can remain undetected for years without symptoms but, meanwhile, cause organ damage. Low blood pressure is known as “hypotension”. Low blood pressure readings are often between 110/60 and 90/50. Low blood pressure differs from high blood pressure in that low blood pressure symptoms develop to signal the condition.
An estimated 33 percent of adults up to 65 years of age in the United States have hypertension, with about 66 percent of those over 65 years afflicted. Of these, only one-third receive medical treatment to control the level of their blood pressure.
Your heart beats every second of your life. If you have hypertension or hypotension, you are at risk from potentially lethal complications. It is vital your blood pressure is monitored on a regular basis. While automated blood pressure machines in pharmacies are not completely reliable, they do serve the purpose of alerting you of the need to seek your doctor’s advice.
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