What Is Blood Pressure?

If you’ve been told you need to improve it, you may be wondering what is blood pressure? This is a number that you get checked every time you go to the doctor, but you may not know what it really is.

Your blood pressure is composed of two different numbers. It is written with one number over the other such as 120/80. Each of these numbers how much pressure your blood is placing on the walls of your blood vessels at two different times.

The higher number is called systolic pressure. This is the amount of pressure your blood places when your heart is actually contracting. The lower number is called diastolic pressure and it’s the measurement of when your heart is between beats.

All of that is very interesting, but you may be trying to figure out why it’s so important to know about this pressure. Blood pressure, though, is one of the most critical measurements you or your doctor can take.

When blood pressure is normal, it’s a good sign that your heart is able to do its job properly and that your blood vessels aren’t under too much stress. There are other things that could cause problems, but blood pressure is one of the most significant factors in heart health.

If your blood pressure is too low, your heart has to work extra hard to pump the blood throughout your body. Often you’ll feel sluggish and tired because you’re not getting all of the oxygen and nutrients you need.

When blood pressure is too high, your heart also has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Your blood vessels are also being pushed very hard as blood circulates and that can cause damage to their walls.

Eventually you can get what’s known as atherosclerosis, or hardened arteries. This makes your arteries weaker because they can’t stretch and contract as blood pumps. Cholesterol can get deposited more easily into hardened arteries and cause blockages.

All of this sets you up to have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. It can also lead to kidney failure, loss of eyesight, and chest pain. If you have diabetes, this risk becomes even greater and you could be in real trouble.

High blood pressure can also make you feel light headed and make you feel increased stress. But the good news is that understanding what blood pressure is can help you to take control of it and improve your health significantly.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you’re probably asking, “What is high blood pressure?” This can be a confusing time and you may feel very worried about your diagnosis. After all, high blood pressure is one of the greatest risk factors for heart attacks and stroke.

If you have high blood pressure, it means that the blood in your blood vessels is pushing too hard on the walls of the blood vessels. Eventually this can lead to hardened arteries and even a heart attack or stroke.

It’s important not to ignore this symptom. Your body is telling you that something is wrong. For most people high blood pressure means it’s time to make some lifestyle changes. For example, you’ll need to watch your intake of sodium.

You may also need to lose weight to take some pressure off of your heart. In addition, exercise can help you to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, which will improve your heart health immensely.

How do you know if your blood pressure is high? Normal, healthy blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. Sometimes your blood pressure might be higher if you’ve been exerting yourself physically or if you’re in a stressful situation.

Getting one high measurement of blood pressure doesn’t mean you have high blood pressure. But if you take repeated readings when you’re at rest that are higher than 120/80, you may have a problem.

It’s always best to talk to your doctor about the options of you’re concerned that your blood pressure is too high. If your blood pressure is only slightly high, your doctor may want to work with you on lifestyle changes that can help you lower it.

If it’s very high, you may need to take medications to lower your blood pressure so that you can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. That doesn’t give you a free pass when it comes to lifestyle – but it does give you some relief while you work on making those changes.

Some people have high blood pressure that’s high due to genetics and there isn’t much you can do about it. But for most people changing some lifestyle factors will help – at least it will help to a degree.

If you’ve taken your own blood pressure and noticed that it seems on the high side, it’s a good idea to make an appointment to talk with your doctor about what your blood pressure means for you. Understanding what is high blood pressure can help you to take control of your health.

It’s much better to keep yourself from developing heart disease than to try to keep it from getting worse later.
Continue to research here to learn more about how to have healthy heart tips for your lifetime fitness and health.

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