What is a Normal Reading for Blood Pressure

The 17th of May is World Hypertension Day. The theme for this important global activity in 2023 is to measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, and live longer, with a focus on combating low awareness rates worldwide, particularly in low to middle-income areas, and accurate blood pressure measurement methods.

Normal blood pressure varies among individuals, but the American Heart Association recommends a systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure below 80 mm Hg. When a person's systolic pressure is 130–139 or diastolic pressure is 80–89, they have stage 1 hypertension. However, blood pressure can become dangerously low or perilously high.

What exactly is blood pressure?

The force that pushes blood through the circulatory system is blood pressure. Without blood pressure, oxygen and nutrients would not be transported throughout the circulatory system to nourish tissues and organs.

Additionally, blood pressure is essential because it transports white blood cells and antibodies for immunity as well as hormones such as insulin.

Just as essential as delivering oxygen and nutrients, the blood can gather up the toxic waste products of metabolism, such as the carbon dioxide we exhale with each breath and the toxins eliminated by the liver and kidneys.

Blood possesses a variety of other characteristics, including its temperature. It also transports coagulation platelets, which prevent blood loss following injury and serve as one of the body's defences against tissue damage.

However, what precisely causes blood to exert pressure within the arteries? A portion of the answer is straightforward: the heart generates blood pressure by expelling blood with each pulse. However, blood pressure cannot be created solely by a beating heart.

The bodily function of blood pressure

Blood has "flow," and arteries are "pipes"; circulation is comparable to a highly sophisticated infrastructure. This fundamental law of physics also governs the passage of water through a garden hose.

Blood travels through the body due to a pressure difference.

Blood pressure is highest at the beginning of the blood's voyage from the heart, when it enters the aorta, and lowest at the end, along progressively smaller branches of arteries. This pressure difference is responsible for blood flow.

Like how the physical properties of a garden hose pipe influence water pressure, arteries affect blood pressure. Pipe constriction increases pressure at the constriction location. Without the elasticity of the artery walls, for instance, the blood pressure would decrease more rapidly as it is circulated out of the heart.

While the heart generates the highest pressure, the arteries play a crucial role in maintaining it and allowing blood to circulate throughout the body. The condition of the arteries affects blood pressure and flow, and eventual constriction of the arteries can lead to life-threatening conditions such as stroke and heart attack.

Blood Pressure measurements

A stethoscope pinpoints the exact moment when the pulse sound returns and the cuff pressure is gradually released. Using the stethoscope, the individual measuring blood pressure can listen for two specific points.

Blood pressure readings consist of two figures: the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. For example, the reading is given as 140 over 90 mm Hg. The systolic pressure is the higher number caused by the contraction of the heart, whereas the diastolic pressure is the lower pressure in the arteries during the brief "resting" period between heartbeats.

Guidelines for preventing high blood pressure

Patients can adopt the following steps to maintain healthy blood pressure:

● Maintain a healthy body weight as prescribed by a physician.

● Consume a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables.

● Reduce the amount of sodium or salt in the diet.

● Engage in regular exercise.

● Quit smoking.

These measures can reduce the likelihood of future health complications.

Exercise at Snapfitness can help in lowering blood pressure by improving the function of blood vessels and reducing the amount of work the heart must perform to pump blood throughout the body.

Even though exercise can assist with controlling high blood pressure, it is not a replacement for medical treatment prescribed by a healthcare professional. Always consult a physician before beginning an exercise regimen, particularly if you have high blood pressure or other health issues.