The Women's Cafe
Cafe
Articles
Excellent.Reading
Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels.
This pressure is measured in units called mm Hg (a measurement that is short for millimetres of mercury).
Since the pressure changes when the heart contracts and relaxes, blood pressure is expressed as two numbers. These are:
- Systolic - Is the pressure when the heart contracts and forces blood into the blood vessels. This is the higher of the two numbers and is usually expressed first (e.g. a blood pressure of 120/70 means the systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg).
- Diastolic - Is the pressure when the heart is relaxed. This is the lower of the two numbers and is usually expressed second (e.g. a blood pressure of 120/70 means the diastolic pressure is 70 mm Hg).
Your blood pressure varies throughout the day. It is usually lower when you are resting, and higher when you are active.
Other things, such as medication, pregnancy, smoking, or stress can change your blood pressure.
The average acceptable blood pressure is between 120/80 - 140/90, howerver a single or occasional blood pressure reading greater than 140/90 does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure .
If your blood pressure is high when on one occasion, you will likely be told to have your blood pressure taken again at a later date.
Your doctor will not make a diagnosis based on one high reading alone. By keeping a record of your blood pressure on an ongoing basis, you and your doctor can decide whether or not your blood pressure is within a normal range.
Ex-Pharmaceutical Chemist Exposes Health Myths And Gives Shortcut Answers To The Biggest Health Problems! Learn To Beat Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease And More! If You Understand That Without Health You Have Nothing Then Click Here!
Also See
Treatments for High Blood Pressure
Effects of Alcohol On Blood Pressure
The Blood Pressure Reduction Guide gives you comprehensive advice and information on natural high blood pressure treatments in one easy-to-use resource.
Copyright @
2003-2008 - The Women's Cafe