Blood pressure indicates the force exerted by the blood against the blood vessel walls. Blood pressure is generated by the heart pumping blood into the arteries and is regulated by the response by the arteries to the flow of blood. The blood pressure of an individual is expressed in two ways - systolic and diastolic blood pressure. For instance if the blood pressure reading is shown as 120 / 80, then the systolic blood pressure (the top number) represents the pressure in the arteries as the muscle of the heart contracts and pumps blood into them and the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) represents the pressure in the arteries as the muscle of the heart relaxes after it contracts.
Blood pressure always is higher when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxing. Blood pressure represents one of the principal vital signs of life, which include heart beat, rate of breathing, and temperature.
It is seen that the systolic blood pressure for most healthy adults ranges between 90 and 120 millimeters of mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure falls between 60 and 80 mm Hg. Blood pressures reading over 130/80 are considered as high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of developing cardiac problems, kidney disorders, hardening of arteries, eyesight problems, paralytic stroke etc. Low blood pressure, known as hypotension, is due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. When the flow of blood is too low and fails to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidney, the organs are not able to function normally and get permanently damaged.
It is to be noted that unlike high blood pressure, low blood pressure is diagnosed primarily by signs and symptoms of low blood flow and not by any specific blood pressure number. Some individuals may have a blood pressure of 90/50 with no symptoms of low blood pressure and therefore can be considered as not having low blood pressure. But strangely those who normally have high blood pressure may develop symptoms of low blood pressure if their blood pressure drops to 100/60.
High blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, causes the heart to overwork to force blood through the circulatory system. Over time, this excess strain can severely damage the heart's muscle and tissue. It can also lead to hardening of the arteries called in medical circles as atherosclerosis. Persons suffering from high blood pressure run a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, high blood pressure can lead to kidney disease, severe eye damage including loss of vision.
As per recent estimates, nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because they do not experience any symptoms, most of them do not know they suffer from high blood pressure. As a matter of fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. This is why high blood pressure is often described as the "silent killer." The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.
It is said that in the United States, almost 70 percent of people above the age of 65 have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is also common among people of all ages who are overweight. A number of risk factors are said to contribute to high blood pressure, although the exact reasons are still somewhat unknown. People who have no physical activity and eat poor and irregular diets are more prone to high blood pressure. High blood pressure can often be controlled with drugs but lifestyle changes are the best prescription for long term remedy.
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