Having high blood pressure places you at risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Heart disease is often called the silent killer. This is because you can have high blood pressure and have no signs or symptoms that something is wrong. In some cases, a heart attack or stroke is your only warning. To help prevent this from happening, you need to adopt healthy lifestyle changes and take your blood pressure regularly. Checking your pressure and understanding what the numbers mean is an important step in managing your heart health.
Identification
Your blood pressure is a measurement of how hard your heart muscle is beating. It relates to the pressure your blood exerts against the artery walls as it flows through the body. Your blood pressure is recorded in two numbers listed as a fraction. The top number is your systolic pressure and represents the heart muscle contracting. The other number is the diastolic and represents the heart muscle at rest. The result is your blood pressure reading such as 120 over 80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).
Considerations
Your blood pressure, especially the systolic, fluctuates throughout the day and in different circumstances. Given this, in order to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, you need to have a high reading on more than one occasion. The American Heart Association recommends talking to your doctor to see if your blood pressure is high and to learn how to test it at home if necessary. They also state that if your pressure is normal, you should check it at least once every 2 years through a professional. If your pressure is high, then have it checked at least once per year. If you have certain diseases or are at a higher risk, you may need to have it checked more frequently.
Systolic Values
If your systolic pressure is below 120, then your blood pressure is considered normal. If the reading is between 120 and 139, then you have borderline high blood pressure, or prehypertension. If your systolic pressure rises above 140, then you may be diagnosed with high blood pressure. In some cases, just this reading can be high in a condition called isolated systolic hypertension. Your systolic pressure tends to naturally rise with age.
Diastolic Values
If your diastolic blood pressure is lower than 80, then your blood pressure is considered normal. A value of 80 to 89 suggests borderline high blood pressure, or prehypertension. If your diastolic pressure is 90 or greater, then you may be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Unlike systolic pressure, diastolic pressure does not tend to fluctuate as much. Your diastolic pressure tends to decline after age 60.
Misconceptions
It used to be that doctors were primarily concerned with the diastolic number. However, that has changed and now both numbers are considered equally important. The Centers for Disease Control state that if your systolic pressure is high but your diastolic pressure is normal, your doctor may still diagnose you with high blood pressure. The reverse is also true. You may be diagnosed with high blood pressure if you have a high diastolic pressure but a normal systolic reading. For total health, you need to manage both numbers.
Significance
According to the American Heart Association, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. If you find that your blood pressure levels are high, then you can take steps to minimize your risk of more serious complications. Eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, being physically active, managing stress and losing excess weight can help you to manage your blood pressure. Your doctor can also prescribe medications to help bring your numbers down to a more healthy level.
