Health Tips – A Basic Overview Of Blood Pressure
The following article is from a series of health and fitness articles, tips, videos and information about blood pressure …
Sometimes it seems that blood pressure is a health topic that is referenced almost everywhere you turn. Although most folks understand that it is important, not many people really know what it is and why it is so vital to the condition of your health.
Blood is continuously moving throughout your body via your blood vessels and arteries. Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of your blood pushing against your artery walls as it passes through them.
Every time your heart beats, which is around 60 to 70 times a minute for the average, healthy person when resting, it pumps blood out through the arteries which then carry it to every part of your body.
Your blood pressure reading is at its highest when the heart beats and pushes out blood. This is called the systolic blood pressure. In between the beats your heart is at rest and the pressure in your arteries falls, this is referred to as the diastolic blood pressure reading.
Blood pressure measurements are always read as a pair of numbers representing the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure, which are both vital measurements. These numbers are generally written as one before the other separated with a slash, such as 110/75 mmHg. The first number, also called the top number, is the systolic reading. The second number, or bottom number, is the reading for the diastolic measurement.
When this pair of numbers is recorded, the systolic reading is written first followed by the diastolic reading and when speaking of these measurements, it is common to say “my blood pressure is 110 over 75″ which is written as 110/75.
Your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day depending on your activities, your stress levels and your emotional states. It will be at its lowest while you are resting, especially during sleep and rises during the day. If you spend most of your time sitting down or standing up it will remain relatively stable throughout the day.
The ideal blood pressure level is under 120/80. When the measurements stay consistently high, such as at the point of 140/90, then you are considered to have high blood pressure. This is a health concern because this state causes the heart to work harder, which will place stress on your arteries. It also raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney problems, such as kidney stones and kidney failure.
One common question many people have is, what causes high blood pressure? Unfortunately, the answer is not simple and straightforward for many people because a single, specific cause cannot be pinpointed. This is known as primary or essential high blood pressure and there is ongoing research to discover the causes.
However, for others the condition is known to be a result of a particular medical problem they have or is caused by a medication they are taking. In these conditions, this is known as secondary high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is an important indicator of the state of your health and should be regularly monitored, especially if it starts to creep above the 120/80 mark on a consistent basis. You should routinely consult a medical professional if your blood pressure measures over 140/90 routinely.
For more resources on heart disease, go here: Heart Disease Prevention
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