What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure (BP) measures how much force your blood exerts on the walls of your blood vessels. It’s the same idea as water pressure, where too much or too little can be abnormal and problematic. It’s a good indirect/direct indicator of how hard your heart is pumping, as opposed to heart rate, which is how fast your heart is beating.

 

Why is blood pressure critical?

Your blood circulates plenty of essential elements around your body. It needs to be flowing at a constant rate, with appropriate volume and pressure to deliver all these necessary elements and not damage any part of the body.  Low blood pressure and high blood pressure will disturb your body’s internal milieu.

Most people with abnormal blood pressure have high blood pressure (called hypertension). Long-standing hypertension can lead to damage in your arteries that cause blockages and eventually stop your blood flow. This can lead to a host of complications such as strokes, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, renal failure/chronic kidney disease, and others.

Low blood pressure, on the other hand, is called hypotension. The most common causes of low BP are:

  • Beta-blocking medications like Metoprolol, Carvedilol, and Diltiazem that decrease the heart rate
  • Arterial & Venous dilators
  • Dehydration and blood loss

 

What do my blood pressure results mean?

Your blood pressure consists of two numbers, a “top” number and a “bottom” number. Your top number is called systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure that your heart exerts when it contracts and pushes out blood. The bottom number, or diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure when your heart relaxes and fills with blood.

 

The simplest way to understand your blood pressure results is to use a blood pressure chart.

The chart takes your blood pressure numbers and shows you what your blood pressure means. For example, a blood pressure of 100/70 would be normal, because both numbers are within the “normal” area of the chart. A blood pressure of 150/98, on the other hand, would be diagnosed as hypertension, and usually requires medical intervention. Prehypertension is blood pressure that is higher than normal, but not yet very unhealthy. It serves as more of a warning sign for possible hypertension. The two stages of hypertension indicate varying levels of severity.

 

The best place to ask general blood pressure questions is with your primary care physician. Your doctor should take your blood pressure at every visit and will talk to you if your blood pressure is unhealthy. If you’re looking for a primary care doctor in the Plano, Frisco, or Irving area, feel free to contact us at (214) 666-6259 or at the contact us tab above.

Author Jai Sammpath

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