Blood pressure is an outcome marker for the health of the body. While blood pressure can change based on diet, activities and stress levels, the average blood pressure can indicate risks for other diseases. High blood pressure is a common problem in the United States. The American Heart Association, AHA, states that one in three adults have high blood pressure.
What is it?
Blood pressure is a measurement of blood against the walls of the arteries. With every heart beat, blood pushes into the arteries. The pressure of blood is highest when the heart is beating and lowest between contractions, according to the National Institutes of Health, NIH. The higher number is the systolic pressure and the lower number is the diastolic pressure. When recording the numbers, systolic pressure is written first followed by a slash then the lower number; for example, 120/80 millimeters of mercury, mmHg.
Numbers
These numbers are used to determine what is healthy and what is not. Healthy pressures are less than 120 over less than 80 mmHg. High blood pressure has several stages. Numbers between 120 to 139 over 80 to 89 mmHg means pre-hypertension. Stage one hypertension is numbers ranging from 140 to 159 over 90 to 99. Stage two hypertension is pressure higher than 160 over 100 mmHg. Children's blood pressures have different ranges than adults.
Uses
Blood pressure is a standard health test. Hypertension indicates increased risks for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Stage one hypertension is usually treated with changes in diet and exercise and maybe one medication. Stage two hypertension may require more aggressive lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking and vigorous exercise as well as more than one medication, according to the Mayo Clinic. In emergency medicine, blood pressure is used as a more immediate feedback on what is happening in the body and if the body is going into shock or compensating for injury, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Measuring
In a doctor's office, blood pressure is typically measured with a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer. The practitioner will need to place an inflatable cuff around the upper arm. The patient needs to be seated, with back supported and the arm resting at heart level. It is important to hold still during testing. The practitioner will place a stethoscope over the artery near the inner elbow. The cuff will be inflated to the point where the pulse can no longer be felt at the wrist, meaning the artery is completely cut off. Then the practitioner slowly deflates the cuff and listens for the start of a whooshing sound or heart beat and records the number on the dial at the time. The diastolic number is recorded when the sound completely stops again.
Checking
In a healthy individual the Mayo Clinic recommends blood pressure checks every two years starting at age 18. If the blood pressure is not in a healthy range, it will need to be checked more frequently. Some doctors may even suggest home testing for a period to avoid making visits just to check blood pressure. High blood pressure diagnoses are made after several high readings versus just one high reading, because many things from smoking to running can increase the pressure temporarily.
References
- American Heart Association: Blood Pressure
- Mayo Clinic: Blood Pressure Chart
- Mayo Clinic: Measuring BP
- National Institutes of Health: Blood Pressure
- "Emergency: Care and Transportation for the Sick and Injured -- Ninth Edition;" American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; 2005.
