What is Blood Pressure?
Blood Pressure of the blood on the Heart and Blood vessels in the system of circulation. Also, the pressure that has to be applied to an ARERY to stop the PULSE beyond the pressure point. Blood pressure peaks at a heart beat (SYSTOLE) and falls in between (DIASTOLE). The systolic pressure in young adults is equivalent to approximately 120mm mercury ( and 70 mm in diastole). The pressure also depends on the hardness and thickness of vessel walls, and blood pressure tends to increase with age as arteries thicken and harden. A temporary rise in blood pressure may be precipitated by exposure to cold; a permanent rise by kidney disease and other disorders. A lower blood pressure can be induced by a hot bath or caused by exhaustion. The instrument used to measure blood pressure is the SPHYGMOMANOMETER.
Blood Pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of the arteries. Your heart is like a pump. When it contracts, or beats, it sends a surge of blood through the blood vessels and pressure increases. This is called your systolic pressure. When your heart relaxes between beats, your blood pressure decreases. This is called your diastolic pressure. These two numbers provide important information about your health. When blood pressure is consistently above normal it is called hypertension (high blood pressure).
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure results from two forces. One is created by the heart as it pumps blood into the arteries and through the circulatory system. The other is the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. What do blood pressure numbers indicate? • The higher (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body. • The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. The systolic pressure is always stated first. For example: 118/76 (118 over 76); systolic = 118, diastolic = 76. Blood pressure below 120 over 80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is considered optimal for adults. A systolic pressure of 120 to 139 mmHg or a diastolic pressure of 80 to 89 mmHg is considered “prehypertension” and needs to be watched carefully. A blood pressure reading of 140 over 90 or higher is considered elevated (high). How can I tell if I have high b
Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood inside an artery. If the pressure of blood is higher than normal on two or more occasions, you may have high blood pressure (hypertension). The measurement is taken by temporarily stopping the flow of blood in an artery, usually by inflating a cuff around the upper arm, and then listening for the sound of the blood beginning to flow through the artery again as air is released from the cuff. As blood flows through the artery, it can be heard through a stethoscope placed on the skin over the artery inside the elbow. Blood pressure is recorded as two measurements. • The reading on the gauge when blood flow is first heard is called the systolic pressure. Systolic pressure represents the peak blood pressure that occurs when the heart contracts. • The reading on the gauge when blood flow can no longer be heard is the diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure represents the lowest blood pressure that occurs when the heart relaxes between beats. T
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The measurement is written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as “120 over 80.” Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic.
