160/95. 120/80. Systolic. Diastolic. What does it all mean?
Essentially, blood pressure is the force that blood exerts against the walls of your arteries as it is being pumped by the heart to the different parts of the body. The two numbers in a blood pressure reading are recordings of two different kinds of pressure that your doctor takes using an inflatable cuff wrapped around your arm. One is taken when the heart is pushing blood out into the body through its two major arteries (the pulmonary artery and the aorta) and they are fully distended while the heart itself contracts. This is the maximum pressure of the heartbeat (or “systolic” pressure as it is called) — the higher number in the reading.
The second reading is taken when the heart relaxes between beats. This is the minimum (or “diastolic”) pressure — the lower number in the reading. Blood pressure, in other words, is expressed as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure.
What is a normal reading? Though it is not possible to have a fixed, immutable number that’s “normal” for everybody, some kind of standard is obviously needed. For young and middle-aged persons, a reading of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is considered ideal. High blood pressure, requiring treatment, is generally defined as starting at 140/90. That leaves a large grey area in between that doctors call “borderline hypertension”.
The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk. However, one high reading does not make you a hypertensive. That is because blood pressure can vary from hour to hour even in healthy people. So most doctors will not make the diagnosis of hypertension unless your blood pressure is high on at least three separate occasions.
Is your doctor’s clinic the best place to have your blood pressure measured? Possibly not. Some people’s b.p. readings go up perhaps because they’re anxious in a medical environment —a phenomenon known as “white-coat hypertension”. Today do-it-yourself kits are available, which enable you to measure your blood pressure at home. If your doctor agrees that’s a good idea in your case, ask what type of equipment to buy. And be sure that you and a family member are both taught how to take your blood pressure; a doctor or nurse is usually the best person to show you.
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