Understanding the Difference Between Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure Readings
Understanding the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings is important for health reasons. However, in order to get a better idea of what these two measurements mean, it is best to look at how and why blood pressure readings are necessary. Here is more information about the subject.
When you walk into the doctor's office, the nurse will wrap a special cuff around one of your arms, and then the nurse inflates the cuff with air. When this happens it interrupts the circulation in the artery in your arm. The nurse then listens to the artery with a stethoscope to get your readings.
When someone uses this instrument called a sphygmomanometer, they inflate the cuff until there is no pulse sound. Next, the air is slowly released from the cuff and as soon as a pulse is heard, that is given as the top number or systolic. The nurse listens until no pulse can be heard and at that point it denotes the systolic or bottom number.
The top number is the amount of pressure that your heart is pumping blood through your arteries. This top number tells the medical professional how good your circulation is within your entire body. This is important, as it is the method that your body uses to supply oxygen to cells and also remove waste materials.
The bottom number or diastolic tells what kind of pressure is exerted on the walls of the artery while the heart rests. In other words, the human heart is a pump and it is not constantly pumping. In one motion it is pumping fluid and in the other motion it is not. Diastolic or the bottom number is a reading for when the heart is not pumping.
For example, a reading of 120 over 80 is considered to be normal. In fact, some medical professionals claim that something like 115 over 75 is healthier for the heart. If you have readings that are not within the normal range, it can tell the doctor a lot about your cardiovascular condition. Understanding the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings will help you to react appropriately when you get blood pressure information.
If your top number is in excess of one hundred and forty, this means that you may have hypertension. However, this is not always the case, as reading can vary a great deal. It is always best to have several readings at different times of day, for the most accurate results. Also, some people are more affected by doctor's offices.
Hypertension is dangerous because it can exert too much stress on the heart and arteries. It is called the silent killer because there may be no symptoms. This is another important reason to have your BP checked on a regular basis. Blood pressure can change as you grow older. Understanding the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings helps you to monitor changes in the readings over time.
Your blood pressure or BP may be higher in the office than at home. Some people are sensitive to the doctor office environment and it can raise their BP readings. This is known as the "white coat syndrome". Whenever you are exposed to tension or stress the body responds with adrenaline. Adrenaline speeds the heart and increases the BP. If you suspect that you may have white coat syndrome, you may wish to invest in a home BP meter. Take your BP readings several times a week at various times of the day. It is also recommended to wait at least thirty minutes after eating.
When you take your own BP readings you should be at rest. Sit at a table and make sure that your arm is slightly elevate and extended. This will give the most accurate readings. Follow the instructions for the BP meter, and write down the readings to have a reference.
Suppose your top number is considerably higher than your bottom number. This could point to possible health problems. The same is true if the bottom number is much lower and the top number is normal. The doctor will look at this difference as a possible heart condition and may order testing. This can often prevent a serious problem from occurring. The difference between the top and bottom number is known as the pulse pressure and a normal difference is around forty points.
In most cases, hypertension can be successfully treated with medications. There are many different kinds of medications on the market and your doctor will prescribe something that will best fit your needs. However, it is important to monitor your BP when you are first being treated for hypertension.
It can take as long as a week for BP to lower with medications. If you are taking a diuretic you may need to take a potassium supplement or eat fresh fruits like bananas or oranges. Diuretics remove excess sodium which can lower blood pressure. Your doctor may also advise you to avoid salt and salty foods. This can help a great deal, in dealing with hypertension.
You may be prescribed a common medication known as a beta blocker. This kind of drug slows the pulse rate and helps to reduce BP. However, when you first take it you may feel tired and worn out, until your body adjusts to it. You also may feel tired from having lower BP.
Once you have your hypertension under control, it is important to monitor it on a regular basis. This is why a home BP meter can be an effective tool for dealing with hypertension. Another important factor is obesity. Many people find that losing as little as ten percent of their body weight can significantly reduce their blood pressure. After weight loss you may not need medication.
If you put it all into perspective, it is important to know both of your BP numbers. The top number is systolic and is the pressure that the heart is exerting on your arteries as it pumps. The bottom number is the diastolic and it is the pressure on arteries during the time that the heart rests. Understanding the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings can make a big difference in your health. Your doctor can tell you if there are any problems with your BP, and can advise you what to do.
10 Steps to Lower High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a cardiac medical condition in which arterial blood pressure is higher than normal. Blood pressure is observed using two specific measurements: systolic and diastolic. The former is the arterial pressure during the contraction of the heart, while the latter is the pressure measured between two heartbeats. Because of this, the systolic measurement is normally higher.
The measurement unit for blood pressure is mm/Hg and normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mm/Hg. This figure is not always found when measuring the blood pressure of most people, however, since there are many who suffer from either high or low blood pressure. Some deviations from the normal measurement are natural, as they can simply be the result of stress and often go away when you simply relax. When the figure rises above 140/90 mm/Hg however, the diagnosis is most definitely hypertension.
Causes and Symptoms
The precise cause of high blood pressure is generally unknown in more than 90% of cases. While this fact remains true for most people, prevention can still be possible, as there are many influencing factors that can contribute to the development of the unbalance.
First of all, doctors consider that the older a person may be, the more likely it is for them to develop hypertension. While this is not a rule, statistics show that many people over 50 years of age develop high blood pressure for no apparent reason.
Race, heredity and gender can also be contributing factors to having the disease. However, many of the claims made about this fact are largely based on surveys without any substantial proof.
Some factors that definitely can cause high blood pressure are much easier to change. These, first of all, include obesity and lack of exercise. As the body weight increases, the blood pressure also rises, since the heart needs to work much harder than normally. Other causes can also include alcohol consumption, sodium sensitivity or certain types of medication.
When it comes to symptoms, hypertension doesn't usually show any clear signs of its presence. People with high blood pressure don't even know that they have it most of the time until they actually have their blood pressure measured. Sometimes, it can cause headaches, dizziness and shortness of breath or blurred vision; however, these symptoms can rarely be used as more than a mild hint as to their cause, since so many medical problems have similar effects.
High Blood Pressure and Its Effects on Our Health
Because the disease rarely has any clear symptoms, many people don't seek medical help until it's too late. Long term high blood pressure can often cause organ damage and various other serious problems or diseases that can be prevented if you have regular checkups.
Those who only want to search for treatment when they start feeling bad are often in danger of having heart attacks, heart failures, gradual vision loss, kidney failure and many other unbalances. It is very important therefore to have a preventive attitude, since without measuring your blood pressure regularly the problem can go undetected for years and create irreparable damage to your body.
The Steps to Reducing Your Blood Pressure
1. Following a Healthy Diet – Since high blood pressure is often associated with obesity and increased calorie intake, following a healthy eating habit can be of great help. Clinical studies along with efforts made by specialists in nutrition have showed that diets that have an emphasis on fruit, vegetables and low fat dairy products have shown incredible results in the fight against hypertension.
Also, the reduction of fat and cholesterol in your diet will assist your body to speed up its metabolism and reduce body weight. This will gradually help you eliminate high blood pressure altogether and will improve your life considerably in the future.
2. Reducing Salt and Sodium intake – Salt and sodium are two substances that can worsen cases of hypertension quite fast. While most people can easily reduce salt intake by using it less in the foods they prepare, it is not always clear how sodium can be eliminated.
One good course of action would be to reduce frozen dinners, pizza, canned soup, packaged mixes or similar "convenience" foods. These can have a quite high sodium and salt concentration that will be bad for your blood pressure. Instead, you can use more herbs, salads and various seasonings that are low in salt as well as fresh fish or poultry instead of canned food.
3. Limiting Alcohol and Smoking – Alcohol and smoking are very disruptive and can negatively influence blood pressure. Alcohol can harm the liver, heart and brain as well, so it is normally recommended to drink it as rarely as possible. Occasional drinks and beverages that have a low alcohol concentration are harmless if taken in low amounts, but having more than one or two drinks a day is not recommended.
Smoking is much more serious. Many doctors advise that you try to quit smoking altogether if you want to reduce your blood pressure, as continual smoking damages the blood vessels and hardens the arteries. Even though it is not directly linked to high blood pressure, smoking can be very dangerous for those who already have this medical condition, so the best advice would be to quit the practice completely.
4. Sports and Physical Activity – Losing weight can rarely be achieved by simply limiting the intake of certain foods and remaining sedentary. An excellent advice for those who would like to lower their blood pressure is to take up a sport and be more active in their daily life. Playing football or tennis or simply going out jogging every morning would be excellent for your blood pressure, as the effort will help improve blood circulation and the metabolism.
5. Reducing Stress – Stress is definitely a factor that can increase hypertension considerably. People often do not even realize these days how stressful their lives are. Being in a busy office all day long and working under the pressure of deadlines is often a very easy way of falling into unbalance. You might not be able to let go of such activities; however, you can still limit their effects by relaxing more. Music has been proven to have very calming effects. Even listening for only an hour or two per day to some relaxing music can refresh your entire being and often remove the stressful effects of your day easily.
6. Dietary Supplements – There are certain products that are designed to supplement our nutritional intake. Some of these products can often have profound effects of increasing the overall health and immunity of the body. People have also claimed that after only a few days of using such supplements they have felt much better overall and some have even claimed that their blood pressure has stabilized at a normal level. Even though not all of these products can be trusted, there is definitely something "real" about them, since so many people have obtained excellent results after using them.
7. Herbal Remedies and Teas – Some would say that nature has always provided everything that we need. There is definitely some truth in that, since many of those who ignore natural products are much more likely to become ill, according to statistics.
Various herbal brews and remedies, especially tea, have proven to show extremely positive results against hypertension. The benefits of tea in calming arterial pressure has actually been recognized for many years and modern studies show that those who drink more tea are most certainly less prone to developing high blood pressure than those who don't.
8. Medication – Many people consider these days that western medicine is much less reliable than it has been considered in the past. Nevertheless, the results that certain drugs are able to produce are quite clear even without any type of side effect. Of course, when you use pills to feel better, the danger of developing dependency issues always exists, but certain types of medication can always help you regain your strength until you are able to change your lifestyle in order to reduce high blood pressure altogether.
9. Oriental Practices – The calming effects of yoga and various meditation techniques are quite legendary these days. While such practices were only known in places like India or Chine until a few decades ago, western scientists have had many opportunities to study the effects of yoga and meditation on the human body, and many claim that, under certain conditions, blood pressure has been normalized literally after only one or two sessions.
10. Unconventional Remedies – There are some who claim that unconventional practices such as acupuncture, homeopathy or hypnotic suggestion can also have exceptionally benefic effects on high blood pressure patients. However, few are those who are willing to venture a guess as to how or why these practices sometimes produce such exceptional results, so their efficiency is still not seen as valid by most scientists.
Still, despite the fact that no one knows (yet) how they work, these unique practices have still been seen in action by many satisfied patients, many of whom consider them to be authentic healing practices.
All in all, even though determining the exact causes of high blood pressure is quite a difficult task, there are quite a few ways to prevent or alleviate this condition. The important thing is to take action as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of further complications.
What is a Blood Pressure Chart?
Comprehending the numbers on a blood pressure chart may not be as difficult as one would assume. Each number stands for a certain type of pressure, and once you realize the differences between systolic and diastolic it will be a breeze to use this chart to keep track of your numbers. One may be wondering why it matters to know the force the blood is putting on the vessels, and the answer to this is a simple one. As one of the body's principal vital signs, these numbers can be very important to your overall health and can alert one to upcoming problems including hypertension, kidney problems, and many others. Knowing when the numbers are rising will let one begin treatment before they develop any of these terrible issues.
During each one of the hearts beats the blood's pressure will vary from a minimum number representing the diastolic, and a maximum number, which represents the systolic. The pressure will naturally decrease as the blood is circulating away from the heart and out to the body through the arteries. The most dramatic drop will be when the blood goes through the capillaries and into the veins. The veins are what carry the blood back the the heart to be re-oxygenated, so it makes sense that the pressure will be much lower than when it was being forced through the arteries on the way out. They are both very important to the proper functioning of the circulatory system, and this means they are both important to know to prevent diseases such as hypertension.
Hypertension is a serious medical condition that plagues many Americans, and can lead to even more serious problems. It's a problem because when the pressure within the arteries is too high, it makes it more difficult to get the blood to the body where it is needed. This means the heart must work harder, and can weaken when too much stress is put upon it. There are even two types of this disease one is know as primary and the other secondary hypertension. The primary one is on where the doctors and specialists do not know the cause, and the secondary one is where the cause has been identified. The factors that are typically the cause of the secondary type include: obesity and being overweight in general, stress, smoking, high levels of salt, and even drinking alcohol.
Obesity is a very real concern when it comes to hypertension because the extra weight in the body can put extra stress on the already hard working heart. TO combat this issue one is told to exercise and eat healthier; the exercise will not only help one to lose weight, but it can in itself help to lower the pressure of the blood. The stress is not usually a direct cause of this problem, but it can trigger some of the other real causes of it such as smoking or overeating. Learning healthy ways to deal with stress, including exercise, can be very beneficial.
Smoking causes ones vessels to get constricted which will not only make your pressure higher, but can even worsen the disease once you have it, so the best possible solution is to try to quit smoking as soon as possible. When one does try to quit smoking it can lead to things like higher levels of stress and eating too much too, so exercise and a healthier diet can go a long way to helping prevent most if not all of these different causes and worsening factors for hypertension.
Within the body this hypertension can lead to some serious problems such as stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and heart failure. When the heart pumps ones blood it goes from the arteries into more delicate and smaller vessels know as the capillaries. These are the smallest of the vessels in the circulatory system, and when the pressure is high it can damage the vessels and keep important areas from receiving oxygen including the brain, the eyes, the kidneys, and the heart itself. The worst part of hypertension is it may not even show symptoms, so one can go around with it for a long time while it does damage to these parts of the body. This is why it is so important to know the chart and be able to keep regular checks on ones numbers.
The brain is obviously a very important part of ones body and having it receive proper levels of oxygen is crucial to it functioning. For this reason when this does not happen it can often lead to a stroke, which doesn't always kill; however, even if it isn't fatal it will cause serious problems for the individual. It can lead to brain damage that can't be repaired, memory loss, loss of functions in the body, and all sorts of other horrible problems. One may not have any warning it is about to happen either because if the person didn't know they even had hypertension they would have no reason to be alarmed and on the look out for a stroke. So regular checking is a must.
When one has a blood vessels in the eyes break it can cause one to have blurred vision and even blindness. It would be a shame for someone to have a very preventable case of blindness, when all it takes it to keep tabs on the numbers as well as make changes when necessary. Both kidney failure and heart failure can also be a result of unchecked hypertension, so it is a good idea to know your blood pressure chart, and to get regularly checked. If the problem is one of weight or stress or smoking, all that is needed is to make changes in the right direction, including eating better, getting regular exercise, and trying to stay calm. Although, these may not be enough in some cases and a doctor may prescribe a medication to help lower and regulate ones chart numbers, it is best to get checked at the doctors at least once a year.
Importance of Blood Pressure Screening
Having your blood pressure monitored is not simply for people who are at risk for developing problems. It's important for everyone to know if their levels are normal, and to also know what it means health wise. There are many ways one can use to monitor the levels, and those include at the doctors office, in stores, and with your own personal cuff. Choosing one method and using it regularly is very important, so there is some consistency to the checks. The problems caused by high pressure in the blood vessels can be severe and even turn deadly, so it's very important to get screening, and keep track on your own.
If one wants to monitor from the convenience of their own home, then investing money in a good quality monitoring cuff, is the best option. These can be found at your local drugstore, or at home, or even a department store. The prices are usually not too bad, especially when you consider how important it is to your prolonged health. If you can't afford to buy your own at home monitor, then it is a good idea to make trips to a place with an in store machine. These types of machines are typically located next to the prescription drop off area, so one can even check it while waiting to pick up a prescription.
If one doesn't wish to buy a monitor or go to the store to get checked, then making regular appointments at the doctor to keep monitored regularly is completely necessary. It's best to be checked every six months or a year, but this is also up to your personal family doctor. Once the doctor has checked it, they will inform you as to how often you need checked, and if you may be at risk for any types of complications cause by high pressure. Many times an at risk patient is prescribed medications to help keep it low and in check.
Knowing the levels is so important because if it's high, then the heart must work extra hard to do the same job it used to do with less effort. This condition is know as hypertension, and this can end up making the walls inside of the arteries hard and much less pliable, and this puts one at a higher risk for either a stroke or heart disease. These diseases kill many Americans each year, and some people do not even know they are at risk, which is why it is so crucial to find out about these risk factors early enough to start treating them. However, heart attacks and strokes are not the only risks one faces when not having proper force in their arteries and veins. Other things such as heart failure, kidney disease, and even blindness can also occur as a result of not keeping proper monitoring.
Heart failure is a condition caused by the heart not being able to pump an adequate amount blood to meet the body's requirement. Sometimes this means it can't fill up properly, and other cases occur from not enough blood getting to the various parts of the body that need it to survive. Some very unfortunate people have both these problems at the same time. The condition "heart failure" does not necessarily indicate the heart has simply stopped, or is even about to quit; however, it does mean one needs to get medical attention immediately to prevent it from stopping. The condition develops over a period of time and the pumping action continues to grow weaker, and it can be one or both sides at the same time. Most often this problem develops in both sides of the heart at the same time, making it even more serious. Heart failure is not only caused by hypertension, but it can be and is a serious condition that can lead to death.
The kidneys are a very important part of the blood system, and can cause problems with proper pumping, and can in turn be damaged by uncontrolled high pressure issues. The kidney can develop damaged vessels, and this will prevent them from removing the extra fluids and waste from the body as they typically do. This extra fluid can make levels rise even higher, which causes a very dangerous cycle of one hurting the other. One may not even know their kidneys have been effected until the damage is very severe, and many times there is no warning signs. However, when the damage is bad enough one may end up on dialysis and waiting on a transplant, and no one wants to end up in that situation.
When the blood vessels are weakened they can break and bleed in the brain, and cause a stroke. However, if the vessels in the eyes break or bleed, it can cause one to have impaired vision or blindness. Hypertension may not be commonly known to cause blindness, but it is a real risk and something to consider, when deciding if it's important to have regular screening. Having sight taken away is a very good motivation to go and have regular checks. Losing sight in the middle of say driving or any other vision based activity can also be deadly.
Hypertension is one of the most dangerous medical conditions to have because it c an lead to so many other problems throughout the body and even death. Changing habits and diet, in addition to getting regular blood pressure screening is going to make it more likely to find problems early. If there is already extensive damage done to your kidneys or vessels in the eyes, it is best to know now, so things can be done to keep you alive. Monitoring and prevention of serious conditions is the main reason it is so important to get checked regularly. Having the heart pumping at regular speed, and the kidneys working with it to keep your body clean and efficient is also reason enough to know the proper levels of blood pressure and check your against those numbers every half to once a year.
How to Understand a Blood Pressure Chart
A blood pressure chart is used to help one figure out if one's blood pressure is in a healthy range or it steps need to be taken to help improve the numbers. There are generally four types of categories one can fall into including normal, prehypertension, stage one hypertension, and finally stage two hypertension. The level one's pressure is will help determine what, if any, course of treatment one should seek to help get a lower set of numbers. To obtain the most accurate measurements a physician should take the results based on two or more different readings, and then consider which category a patient is currently. This same reading should also be done on a second visit to make certain the numbers are the same.
The top number of a reading is the systolic and that is a measurement of the pressure while the heart is beating. This is important because this type ensures the blood keeps flowing through one's body to reach all cells that need to receive oxygen and all the necessary nutrients. This also helps remove waste matter from those same cells, so having this number be a healthy one is very important. It is not more important than the diastolic, but it's just as important to have all numbers in the healthy range for one to be optimally healthy.
The diastolic number is an indication of the pressure when the heart is relaxed and not pumping, or also in between heart beats. This number is not less important just because it's a resting number. It is very important to keep these numbers in what is known as a normal range. These two systolic and diastolic are written in the form of a fraction and a normal level is typically considered 120/80. Although, it is up to a physician whether one's levels are normal and healthy. The charts are just an indicator to help one know if they need help, and what type to get, but it is always best top c heck with a doctor.
When one falls into the normal category after a doctors reading it's only recommended they either adopt or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet. This means they need to get regular exercise three or more days a week, and they need to keep it up if they already do this. Also, eating a healthy diet or vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, will go a long way towards maintaining this good normal level. The numbers in this level range from one hundred and twenty or below for the systolic, and eighty or below for the diastolic pressure.
The same recommendation is usually given to people falling into the second category of prehypertension. This doesn't mean one needs to panic or start worrying too much, but it does mean their pressure is getting higher and if they do not already eat right and exercise regularly, they need to start immediately. The numbers generally considered to fall into this category are one hundred and twenty to one hundred thirty nine on the systolic number, and range from eighty to eighty nine on the diastolic side. These chart readings are just a guide for doctors and patients to use in helping determine if anything needs done to treat any hypertension. Usually medication is not needed at this level. However, the next level can be one where medication is needed.
The next one is stage one hypertension, and it is at first recommended that one tries to adopt a healthy lifestyle and habits at this point. Then another appointment is made for six months later, to see if it has improved in that time. If a patient has not lowered the numbers then they must talk to a doctor about taking at least one medication. In the case of this disease more than one type of pill may be necessary. In the next range of stage two taking at least one medication to help combat the levels is necessary. When one starts to get into the category of hypertension it can begin to cause a hardening or the arteries and many other preventable issues. When it's difficult for blood to properly be pumped through the body all types of problems can arise.
Having hypertension can lead to a number of life threatening conditions, and determining one has a problem early will help it from becoming a serious problem later. Unchecked high blood pressure can lead to kidney failure, heart failure, and even blindness. The kidneys play a very crucial role in keeping ones body clean and rid of toxins, so having them damaged is a very serious problem that can lead to being on a dialysis machine or even death. The problems with the kidneys can also in turn raise the blood pressure even higher and this cycle will cause more damage to each of the areas.
Heart failure can be a result of prolonged hypertension. The failure of the heart doesn't refer to it quitting outright, but it being weakened to the point where it is barely able to perform it's tasks of pumping the oxygenated-blood one needs to survive. It can also lead to more serious problems and will need to be treated. However, all these things can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle including plenty of exercise, and eating well.
Reading and understanding a blood pressure chart isn't very difficult when one takes the time to figure out what the numbers and levels mean. This knowledge will also help one know when to seek help. The lines are relatively clean cut and one can see for certain which level they are currently in and then figure out how to get to a better number. If one is approaching the hypertension categories on the chart, the it's a good time to take a look at their current diet and exercise plan and make changes now before it gets too late, and other more serious problems arise. These problems are preventable, and knowing how to properly read the chart is the first step.
Source: http://blood-pressure-chart.net/
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