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Blood Pressure
Your heart is a hard working machine which pumps blood around your body through a very sophisticated system called arteries and capillaries; it is then pushed back to your heart by means of your veins.
Your blood pressure is the force of this blood in your body pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart is pumping. As your heart contracts it then pushes this blood into your arteries which causes an increase in pressure. The highest pressure is known as the systolic pressure.
When your heart relaxes and fills with blood, the pressure in your arteries then falls which is known as the diastolic pressure. When you have your blood pressure measured in your arm, it is both of these pressures which are measured.
Your Blood pressure is always given as a systolic and diastolic pressure number, and both are an important measurement. They are always written one above or before the other number, such as 120/80 (which is a classic measurement), and always expressed in units of millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
The systolic pressure is the first or top number, and the diastolic pressure is the second or bottom number (for example, 130/90), so if your blood pressure is 120/80, it is a reading of "120 over 80".
Blood pressure varies over a wide range of people. For instance, the top reading which is when the heart contracts (systolic) can vary from 90 to 240 mmHg and the bottom pressure which is when the heart relaxes (diastolic) can often vary from 40 to 160 mmHg.
Your blood pressure can also differ significantly dependent on what you are doing during the day. Your lowest blood pressures usually occur when you are sleeping or if relaxing all your muscles.
Being stood for periods of time, or if you're taking any form of exercise, any anxiety and problems, or nerviness can also cause increases in a person's blood pressure.
So in a single day your blood pressure could vary by up to a 30 to 40 mmHg systolic reading with comparable changes in your diastolic pressure. This is why it's so important to have your blood pressure calculated under the same surroundings every time you have it taken.
For the most part of your waking hours, your blood pressure stays about the same whether you are sitting or standing still, so preferably, your blood pressure should be 120/80 or lower when you're relaxed.
If your blood pressure level stays high at 140/90 or higher, you may have a disease called hypertension which basically means high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder to pump the blood through your arteries.
These then take a thrashing from having the blood forced into them, and your risk of a stroke, heart attack, or even kidney problems then become that much of a greater risk.
Hypertension is a dangerous disease because it causes your heart to work much harder. If your heart is required to work harder for extended periods, it will become enlarged.
If your heart is slightly enlarged, it can and should still work ok, but if it becomes significantly enlarged it won't. You will also find high blood pressure also causes damage to your arteries which can then cause arterial disease.
The more elevated your blood pressure is the higher risk you have of developing heart disease and stroke. This would then mean someone with a blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg is at greater risk than someone with a blood pressure of 120/70 mmHg and is why it is so important for everyone to ensure they lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible to ensure their blood pressure is as low and as healthy as it can be.
If you do suffer with Hypertension, it can be treated. Mild cases of hypertension can usually be treated through behavior alteration such as changing your diet, or increasing your exercise levels. Some people find losing weight is all they need to do to reduce their high blood pressure.
More severe cases of hypertension will require prescribed medications such as diuretics and beta blockers. Diuretics help rid the body of any excess fluids and salt.
Beta blockers will reduce the heart rate and the heart's output of blood. This then reduces the risk of developing heart and brain problems which may otherwise occur if high blood pressure is not treated promptly and efficiently.
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