In every blood pressure reading, there are two values given - one for the systolic pressure (the force placed onto the arteries whenever the heart beats) and the other for diastolic pressure (the force given to the arteries in between heartbeats).  The diastolic blood pressure is usually lower than the systolic pressure. To understand what's going on in your body, you need to understand blood pressure readings so you know what to do whenever your blood pressure shoots up.

The diastolic pressure is the measurement of force given to the veins in between heartbeats. The normal diastolic blood pressure level is 80 mmHg. If your diastolic blood pressure increases beyond this value, your doctor may recommend monitoring your blood pressure using a device at home to check if the measurements would go back to normal after an hour or so.

Every time your diastolic pressure rises, it increases the risk of various health problems associated with high blood pressure. When an elevated diastolic pressure is left untreated, it could cause various problems such as stroke, kidney problems and even heart attack. Be aware that an increase in your diastolic pressure is more dangerous than a rise in your systolic pressure.

Doctors usually use the diastolic reading in patients age 50 and below because it could predict the negative effects of high blood pressure. Unfortunately, most people below 50 years old are the ones who develop high blood pressure without them knowing they have the condition. As such, their blood pressure is left untreated, which causes adverse health effects later in their lives. For people over 50 years old, the systolic blood pressure becomes an important indicator of high blood pressure.

Although everyone should pay attention to their blood pressure regardless of age, it is particularly important to those under the age of 50 to check their blood pressure and treat it as soon as possible. Fortunately, high blood pressure is a treatable condition, but unless you don't monitor your blood pressure, you'll never know if you have high blood pressure or not.