High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood that is pushing against the walls of the arteries. Every time the heart beats, it pumps out blood into the arteries. The blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood out, this is where the systolic pressure is based. On the other hand when the heart is at rest, between beats, the blood pressure falls this is then where the diastolic pressure is obtained.

The blood pressure reading uses two numbers, which refers to the systolic and diastolic pressures. They’re usually written one above or before the other. A reading of 120/80 or lower is a normal blood pressure, a reading of 140/90 or higher is high blood pressure while a reading of 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is already considered as prehypertension. If the blood pressure reading is 90/60 or lower this then is considered as low blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a serious medical condition where the blood pressure is inveterately high.  If high blood pressure persists it may lead to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm, and is also a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Even a moderate rise of arterial blood pressure leads to a shortened life expectancy. In a severely high blood pressures, defined as mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average, a person can expect to live no more than a few years unless it is appropriately treated.

On the other hand, low blood pressure or what is medically known as hypotension is a blood pressure so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. If the flow of blood is too low and not enough to deliver the needed oxygen and nutrients supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidney, the organs can not function normally and may then be permanently damaged.

If one is diagnosed either with high or low blood pressure readings, then an extra care should be taken. Individuals diagnosed with high blood pressure should avoid working extraneous activities, and those found with low blood pressure should aim to spend extra time warming up the body to assist blood flow.