Understanding Blood Pressure Readings

Many people that have a blood pressure test taken and are told the resulting numbers really do not understand what the numbers mean. They know that their blood pressure reads 140/80 or 170/110, but they do not fully understand the significance of each of the numbers separately, or together.

Blood pressure is most often measured by a quick, easy, painless test that is noninvasive. Although there are several types of blood pressure measuring devices, the most common one has a soft blood pressure cuff that is wrapped around your arm above your elbow. There is a tube that connects the cuff from your arm to a machine, or monitor, that has mercury located at the bottom of a glass tube, called a sphygmomanometer gauge. Your doctor, or nurse, will pump up the cuff attached to your arm using a rubber bulb. The cuff will become tight around your upper arm and the pressure caused by the blood being pumped through your body moves the mercury in the tube.

Your practitioner  will listen to your pulse with a stethoscope as the pressure is slowly released, at the same time carefully watching the mercury in the tube. The mercury will rise when your heart beats, and lower between the beats. The two measurements that are taken are called systolic and diastolic.

The first number is your systolic blood pressure and the second is the diastolic pressure. For example, a blood pressure reading of 130/80 means that your systolic pressure is 130, and your diastolic pressure is 80. The systolic reading is the number that represents your blood pressure when your heart beats. Your diastolic blood pressure number is the measurement between your heartbeats.

Blood pressure readings fall into various ranges, and vary somewhat depending upon several factors including age. These ranges include normal, prehypertension, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension.  In order to get a blood pressure reading that is accurate, there has to be an average of at least two readings which are taken while you are either laying or sitting down.

A  normal blood pressure reading is one where the numbers fall below 120/80. A prehypertensive reading is one where your blood pressure readings fall from 120/80 to 139/89.  If your blood pressure numbers fall within the range of 140/90 to 159/99 you have stage 1 hypertension. If the numbers are 160/100 or above you have stage 2 hypertension.

If your blood pressure reading puts you into the normal or prehypertension range, your medical practitioner will explain the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A proper diet along with  regular exercise is essential for keeping your blood pressure, and your overall physical health, in good condition.
Generally, if you have stage 1 hypertension, also know as high blood pressure,  your medical practitioner will help you to understand how to try to lower your blood pressure by adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise. If after six months your blood pressure readings still fall within the stage 1 hypertension guidelines, your practitioner will recommend that you take medication to help control  your blood pressure.

If your blood pressure readings fall into the stage 2 hypertension range, your medical practitioner may  recommend taking 2 or more medications to lower your blood pressure to safer levels. The practitioner will also help you to understand how to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle that will help to lower your blood pressure.

Understanding your blood pressure reading  is an important part of realizing  the health risks of high blood pressure.