Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps out blood.
Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but if your blood pressure stays high (or elevated) for too long, it can cause health problems like high blood pressure, also called hypertension. High blood pressure can damage your body in many ways.
Blood pressure also tends to rise as people age, but following a healthy lifestyle can help some people delay or prevent this rise in blood pressure.
It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly. Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you are feeling good because high blood pressure often has no symptoms. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom:
- Systolic pressure – highest when your heart beats while pumpimp out blood into your arteries.
- Diastolic pressure – when the heart rests between beats.
Example, a blood pressure measurement that reads 120 systolic and 80 diastolic would be expressed verbally as 120 over 80 or written out as 120/80 mmHg. mmHg is an abbreviation of millimeters of mercury.
Blood Pressure Levels in Adults
- Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower.
- Pre-hypertension is between 120 – 139 for the top number, or between 80 – 89 for the bottom number.
- High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.