Blood pressure is a key indicator of how your body is functioning. It measures blood pressure against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through. When you take blood pressure, you’ll notice two numbers: the top number, or systolic pressure, indicates pressure at heartbeats, and the bottom number, or diastolic pressure, indicates pressure when your heart is at rest between beats. Understanding these numbers can give you greater control over your health and allow you to stay on top of your well-being.
Blood pressure values are categorized into various levels, ranging from normal to hypertensive crisis. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg. If your systolic value is in the range of 120-129 and your diastolic value is below 80, it’s elevated blood pressure. Hypertension or high blood pressure is when your systolic value is 130 mmHg or greater or your diastolic value is 80 mmHg or greater. If your reading ever reaches 180/120 mmHg or more, that’s a hypertensive crisis, and you require immediate medical attention.
Monitoring your blood pressure is important, particularly if you’ve been informed you have hypertension. Some individuals suffer from “white coat syndrome,” whereby their blood pressure rises merely because they are in a doctor’s office. That’s why taking your blood pressure at home can be such a good thing. With a good-quality cuff that fits your upper arm, you can take your readings at the same time every day. This practice provides you with a better idea of your blood pressure and allows your healthcare provider to provide you with the best guidance.
Another choice is ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Using this technique, you wear a device that monitors your blood pressure for an entire 24 hours. It’s a good way to trap patterns that one reading at the doctor’s office may miss. This kind of monitoring can reveal such things as white coat hypertension, sustained hypertension, masked hypertension, and nocturnal hypertension, each of which can impact your heart health differently.
Recent research shows that both your systolic and diastolic numbers are important, especially if you’re younger. While systolic pressure has always been a big indicator of heart risk at any age, diastolic pressure gives even more useful information for people under 50. That’s why it’s smart to pay attention to both numbers when keeping track of your blood pressure.
High blood pressure has earned the nickname “silent killer” because it typically doesn’t occur with any warning signs, but it can cause some very nasty issues, such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney damage. Some changes to your lifestyle will do a world of good. A healthy diet low in sodium, daily exercise, stress management, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol are all giant leaps toward improved blood pressure. Depending on your case, your physician may also prescribe medication to keep things in check.
Find out about your blood pressure, and doing something to control it can have a large impact on how healthy you can be. Your regular checks, whether you obtain them at home or by wearing ambulatory equipment, provide you and your physician with important feedback to develop a plan that ensures you feel optimal and reduces the likelihood of getting major heart disorders.
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