Blood pressure refers to the force blood exerts on the linings of the veins in which it travels. This pressure is normally measured in millimeters of mercury, a unit of pressure that is often written as mm Hg. The results of blood pressure tests are always given as two numbers: systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic, or the larger of the two numbers, refers to blood pressure during heart beats, while diastolic refers to blood pressure in between heartbeats.
Hypotension
Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is a potentially dangerous condition. What makes it hard to spot is that there exists no set limit as to when a person's blood pressure is too low. Instead, low blood pressure is determined by symptoms. Generally, it is regarded that the lower your blood pressure is, the better off you are. However, if you experience dizziness, fainting, dehydration, thirst, fatigue, depression or blurred vision, you might suffer from hypotension, says the American Heart Association. Hypotension may be caused by things like certain medications, heart problems, allergic reactions, infections, pregnancy and nutritional deficiencies.
Normal Blood Pressure
A normal range for blood pressure is anything below 120mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and 80mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. These results hold true until a person starts exhibiting symptoms associated with hypotension. Ideally, a patient should strive to achieve these results if he has results that fall anywhere else than this range.
Prehypertension
Prehypertension is a range for blood pressure where an individual has not developed hypertension. However, people whose blood pressure levels are in this category are at an increased risk for developing hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. Any systolic value between 120mm Hg and 139mm Hg and any diastolic value between 80mm Hg and 89mm Hg is considered to be pre-hypertension.
Hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, often develops slowly and exhibits few symptoms until a major episode, like a heart attack. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reports that any systolic blood pressure value greater than 140mm Hg and any diastolic value over 90mm Hg qualifies as high blood pressure. Having elevated blood pressure puts a patient at risk for developing a host of cardiovascular conditions, like heart attacks, blood clots and strokes.
