Understanding Your Blood Pressure Reading

By Stan KitchenFor some people diagnosed with high blood pressure, treatmentmay consist of something as minor as a change in diet andexercise, or may require medications to get those numbers undercontrol. Your doctor will prescribe the proper course of actionto take depending on what your blood pressure reading says.Knowing what a normal blood pressure reading is, and how youcan get it will make things clearer to those diagnosed withborderline hypertension, or high blood pressure, as well asthose in more severe stages of the disease. Everyone knows the heart is the engine that makes the body run.The heart usually beats anywhere from 70 to 110 beats a minute,every minute, every hour and every day of your life. It carriesvital oxygen to every living cell, tissue and organ throughoutyour body day in and day out. If the heart muscle, or thearteries that transport oxygen enriched blood are damaged ornarrowed, the efficiency of that pump decreases, and can resultin high blood pressure. While millions of people these days arewalking around with high blood pressure and don't even realizeit, they will soon enough. Left untreated, high blood pressurecan causes aneurysms, or bulges, in blood vessels. If leftalone, high blood pressure may also cause kidney damage as wellas strokes and heart attacks. Knowing what your blood pressurereading is can literally make the difference between life anddeath. Blood pressure is measured in two parts. Your heart usuallymakes a "lub-dub" sound with each heartbeat. The first sound,the "lub", is the sound of the heart valves opening to help theflow of blood from the heart into the aorta and from there toarteries that supply blood to the entire body. That pressure,known as systolic pressure, is measured as the force needed byyour heart to push that blood into the aorta. The second sound,the "dub", is the sound of those valves closing. The exactmoment the heart rests between beats. A normal blood pressurereading is around 120/80. The top number shows the systolic pressure, the bottom thediastolic. These numbers may vary up or down by 4 to 6 numbersand you can still them consider them within the normal range. Though the lower the better, which means your heart is strongand is able to pump efficiently with fewer beats. If the blood pressure ranges from around 126 to 140, yourdoctor may tell you that you are "prehypertensive", or that youare heading into high blood pressure territory. Your lowernumbers may read anywhere from 80 to 90, and again, may varybecause of various circumstances. If you have a reading over140/90, you have high blood pressure, and your doctor will tryto lower it to prevent future complications. The best way youcan deal with and either prevent or lower blood pressure is toget it regularly checked, either by your doctor or nurse, or bytracking it yourself. Your blood pressure is what keeps you going every day, so makesure that you take it on yourself to know what it is.About the Author: Get the latest in blood pressure reading knowhow from the only true source athttp://www.bloodpressurefile.com. Check out our blood pressurereading pages.Source: http://www.isnare.com