Individual blood pressure ranges from normal BP to abnormal, but the American Heart Association advises aiming for readings under 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic.
When a person has stage 1 hypertension, their systolic blood pressure is between 130 and 139 if the diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89.
However, blood pressure may be too high or too low, both of which are harmful.
We will go through what blood pressure is, how it is tested, and what the results indicate for our health in this post.
How does blood pressure work?
The force that propels blood through the circulatory system is blood pressure. Blood pressure is a crucial force because without it, the circulatory system could not pump nutrients and oxygen to feed tissues and organs.
Because it transports hormones like insulin, white blood cells, and antibodies for immunity, blood pressure is also essential.
The new blood that is provided is able to take up the toxic waste products of metabolism, including the carbon dioxide we exhale with every breath and the toxins we remove via the liver and kidneys, which is just as crucial as giving oxygen and nutrition.
Temperature is only one of many other characteristics that blood itself possesses. Additionally, it contains clotting platelets, one of the body’s defenses against tissue damage, which stop blood loss after injury.
But why does blood pressure in the arteries really exist? A portion of the solution is straightforward: with each beating, the heart contracts, pushing blood out of the body. But a pounding heart cannot produce blood pressure on its own.
Typical BP measurement ranges
The systolic and diastolic pressures should be less than 120 and 80 mm Hg, respectively. Blood pressure fluctuates normally, nevertheless, for a variety of causes.
Older 2003 recommendations cite research showing that every increase of 20/10 mm Hg in blood pressure, over a threshold of 115/75 mm Hg, doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Updates were made to the general high blood pressure recommendations December 2017. They make early intervention possible.
Since 2017, the AHA has recommended treating high blood pressure patients at 130/80 mm Hg as opposed to 140/90 mm Hg.
Additionally, the “prehypertension” range between 120 and 139/80 and 89 mm Hg was eliminated. Stage II hypertension, not stage I, is currently defined as a blood pressure value of 140/90 mm Hg.
This category currently divides into two ranges:
- high blood pressure, measuring between 120 and 129/less than 80 mm Hg
- hypertension stage I, 130-139/80-89 mm Hg
The AHA further recommends that physicians only administer medicine in situations of prior heart attack or stroke, or in circumstances where there are risk factors for these ailments, such as advanced age, a diagnosis of diabetes, or chronic renal disease.
Instead, lifestyle modifications should be the primary method of treatment for high blood pressure in its early phases.
How the body’s blood pressure system works
Blood has “flow,” and arteries are “pipes,” much as in a very complex plumbing system. Blood flow is caused by a fundamental physical fact that also holds true in a garden hose pipe.
A difference in pressure causes blood to circulate through the body.
The beginning of the blood pressure’s trip from the heart, when it enters the aorta, is when it is greatest, and the conclusion of the journey, via increasingly smaller branches of arteries, is when it is lowest. The differential in pressure is what causes the blood to circulate.
Similar to how the physical characteristics of a garden hose pipe influence water pressure, arteries have an impact on blood pressure. At the point of constriction, pressure rises when the pipe is constrained.
For instance, the pressure of the blood would decrease more rapidly as it is pumped out of the heart if the artery walls weren’t elastic.
The arteries’ characteristics are equally as crucial to maintaining pressure and enabling blood to circulate throughout the body, even though the heart generates the majority of it.
Blood pressure and blood flow are influenced by artery health, and narrowing of the arteries may finally completely cut off the supply, resulting in hazardous diseases including heart attack and stroke.
Measurement of blood pressure
The sphygmomanometer is the tool used to measure blood pressure. It comprises a rubber wristband that is inflated using a manual pump or an electric pump.
An electronic or analog dial reading is obtained after the cuff has been inflated sufficiently to halt the pulse.
The reading is given as the amount of force required to drive mercury along a tube against gravity. This is the basis for adopting the abbreviation mmHg—millimeters of mercury—to measure pressure.
Normal BP checks don’t hurt or feel uncomfortable. It could, however, momentarily feel constrictive around the arm.
Measurements of BP
When the pulse sound resumes and the pressure on the cuff is gradually relaxed, the exact moment may be determined using a stethoscope. The individual taking the blood pressure may listen for two distinct locations by using a stethoscope.
The systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure are the two numbers that make up a blood pressure measurement. For instance, the reading may be presented as 140 over 90 mm Hg.
The diastolic number is the lower pressure in the arteries during the short “resting” time between heartbeats. Systolic pressure is the greater number brought on by the contraction of the heart.
Guidelines for lowering blood pressure
This AHA among the steps people may take to assist maintain a healthy normal BP:
- Based on a doctor’s advice, maintain a healthy body weight.
- A balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables is recommended.
- Reduce your intake of salt and sodium in your diet.
- Make an effort to move your body for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, by brisk walking.
- Stress management.
- Moderate alcohol consumption. Less than two alcoholic drinks should be consumed by men each day. Men and women with lower body weights should limit their alcohol consumption to one drink each day.
- Give up smoking.
- To appropriately manage all medicines, work with a doctor.
By doing these actions, you may lower your chance of developing health issues later on.
Worries about low BP
Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is often less concerning than high blood pressure. It may however still be a sign of health problems.
A person whose blood pressure is less than 90/60 millimeters of mercury is said to have a low blood pressure level. This AHA has said that until additional symptoms are present, physicians do not often think this is an issue.
Internal bleeding, heart illness, pregnancy, and certain drugs are a few examples of these underlying conditions.
In order to treat any underlying issues, a patient should see their doctor if they develop further symptoms.
Takeaway
The body needs blood pressure to function. It could, however, go too high or too low. Hypertension, sometimes referred to as high blood pressure, is a measurement of the blood pressure that is excessively high. This should be managed by a doctor as it may result in many health problems.
Especially with early intervention and modest lifestyle changes, high blood pressure may be controlled.