What Does Blood Pressure Measure?

We hear all the time that it is not good to have high blood pressure. When you visit your doctor one of the first things he does is measure your blood pressure. Then he will give you two numbers in the form of a fraction such as 120/80. Do we really know what those numbers mean? Most people don't the doctor will normally tell us if our blood pressure is high or low or normal and we leave the office with that assessment. Let's look at the numbers. First of all if your blood pressure is 120 over 80 then you should celebrate because for the most part that's normal and that's where everyone wants to be.

If you are unfortunate the top number could be higher and sometimes substantially higher. Of course the higher the top number the higher your blood pressure is. Once you start getting up to around 140 or 150 the doctor may prescribe some medication to get your blood pressure down. Sometimes blood pressure can be controlled by changing your eating habits combined with exercise.

The first number or the top number tells a doctor the level of pressure within the arteries when your heart is actually beating. The bottom number describes the level of pressure within the arteries when your heart is at rest. If the bottom number begins to elevate above 90 your doctor will be concerned and he will want to pursue some avenues that will lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure is bad because it can lead to heart attacks and strokes. When your arteries become clogged with plague from cholesterol it causes high blood pressure. This can happen from years of unhealthy eating. Smoking can also cause high blood pressure. If you smoke the lining of the arteries can be ruptured or damaged which makes it easier for blood clots to form. This restricts blood and oxygen flow to the brain, heart and other parts of the body. If the heart does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen it can become damaged.

Sometimes your doctor will schedule you for repeat visits to his office just to make sure your blood pressure is stabilizing. It is a good idea to monitor blood pressure on a regular basis. This helps to keep you out of the danger zone and it also allows the doctor a chance to make necessary adjusts. If a medication is not working he may prescribe something else. Always follow your doctors advice when it comes to your blood pressure.

Source: http://www.allina.com/ac/hearthealth.nsf/page/HeartBrainAttackRisks