Hypertension

What Term “Blood Pressure” Means

In laymen’s terms, blood pressure amount of pressure your blood is creating as it circulates your body. You can measure this pressure easily with at-home devices, ones in a medical facility or even at your local drugstore.

Blood pressure is one of the markers for health, and when it’s either too high or too low, it could cause issues. Let’s take a look at blood pressure and how to take care of it.

Blood Pressure Numbers and What They Mean

Your blood pressure is shown with two different numbers. These digits can be confusing to beginners, which is what we will take a look at today. The names are the systolic and diastolic figures.

The information is displayed as such: 120/80 or the like. The 120 is systolic and the 80 is diastolic. The first one measures the pressure with each beat of your heart and the second is for the pause in between.

Normal Blood Pressure Numbers

The numbers that are considered healthy remain the same no matter what age you are. We should aim for 120/80 or less.

Risks of High Blood Pressure

With high blood pressure comes many other health issues, and it’s unfortunate that this condition is quite common. The more scientific name for high blood pressure is hypertension, which can lead to a higher chance of developing health issues such as strokes and leading to other heart diseases.

Because hypertension doesn’t show its face with everyday symptoms, it’s important to keep and eye on it regularly.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

A way to prevent a problem is to know what causes it so you can avoid it. This rings true for high blood pressure as well. Hypertension is developed over time due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, certain foods, and it can also be a side effect of other medical issues such as diabetes.

How to Prevent Hypertension?

Luckily, high blood pressure is something we can control through a healthy routine. Individuals should exercise for at least 30 min a day.

Eating a healthy diet and avoiding heavy sodium and alcohol will decrease the risk of developing this condition. Make sure to eat balanced meals. Smokers also have a higher percentage of suffering from blood pressure as well as those who are overweight or constantly stressed.

On the whole, a change in your lifestyle for the better, such as eating healthy foods, sleeping at regular hours, exercising for a short time every day, and partaking in stress-relieving activities such as yoga can help.

Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

People can also develop low blood pressure, aka hypotension, which is less common compared to hypertension. Low blood pressure is caused by malnutrition, infection, allergies, dehydration, a large amount of blood loss, pregnancy, and other health problems.

The chances of developing hypotension can increase with age as well, affecting those aged 65 and older. Again, the best way to make sure your blood pressure is under 120/80 is to keep an eye on it regularly.