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5 Things You Need to Know in Reading Blood Pressure
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Checking blood pressure
When nurses or doctors check your blood pressure and report to you the results, do you understand what the two values mean? Many people do not and it's never too late to learn how to read blood pressure levels. Here are seven things you need to know about reading blood pressure accurately:
1) Every blood pressure reading has two values - One is known as the systolic blood pressure and the other value is the diastolic blood pressure. When your doctor checks your blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer or you check your own blood pressuring using a home-monitoring device, a blood pressure of 120 over 80 refers to a systolic blood pressure of 120 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80.
2) The diastolic blood pressure is always a higher number - The diastolic blood pressure is derived from the measurement of blood force against the walls of your arteries whenever you heart beats. The diastolic pressure is the most forceful level of blood flow because your body is exerting
pressure from the heart to the give blood to the rest of your body.
3) A healthy systolic blood pressure is around 120 mmHg.
4) The diastolic value is usually less than your systolic pressure - A healthy diastolic pressure is somewhere between 80 and 89 mmHg. The diastolic pressure is lower than the systolic pressure because it measures the force placed on the arteries in between heartbeats.
5) If your diastolic pressure is 90 mmHg, be aware that this indicates you may have high blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is beyond the normal range of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, make sure to consult your doctor about it. Treating high blood pressure may require medications and several lifestyle changes, but the good thing is that it is manageable as long as you detect it early. Leaving high blood pressure untreated could increase the risk of suffering from a heart attack, stroke or kidney problems, so it's better to have your blood pressure checked regularly than wait for such serious health problems to occur.
1) Every blood pressure reading has two values - One is known as the systolic blood pressure and the other value is the diastolic blood pressure. When your doctor checks your blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer or you check your own blood pressuring using a home-monitoring device, a blood pressure of 120 over 80 refers to a systolic blood pressure of 120 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80.
2) The diastolic blood pressure is always a higher number - The diastolic blood pressure is derived from the measurement of blood force against the walls of your arteries whenever you heart beats. The diastolic pressure is the most forceful level of blood flow because your body is exerting
3) A healthy systolic blood pressure is around 120 mmHg.
4) The diastolic value is usually less than your systolic pressure - A healthy diastolic pressure is somewhere between 80 and 89 mmHg. The diastolic pressure is lower than the systolic pressure because it measures the force placed on the arteries in between heartbeats.
5) If your diastolic pressure is 90 mmHg, be aware that this indicates you may have high blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is beyond the normal range of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, make sure to consult your doctor about it. Treating high blood pressure may require medications and several lifestyle changes, but the good thing is that it is manageable as long as you detect it early. Leaving high blood pressure untreated could increase the risk of suffering from a heart attack, stroke or kidney problems, so it's better to have your blood pressure checked regularly than wait for such serious health problems to occur.
