High blood pressure, or hypertension, is called one of the silent killers because it is a major risk factor for heart disease that can exist for years before you know you have it. According to the American Heart Association, 73.6 million people over the age of 20 have hypertension; that's one in every three adults. Over 23 million Americans are unaware that they have the disease because until it's diagnosed, there are typically no symptoms for high blood pressure. If you don't visit your doctor for an annual physical examination, it could be years before you discover that you're at risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease or a number of other serious complications.
Definition
For your heart to distribute blood throughout your body, it requires that the left ventricle pump blood from your heart, through your arteries. The pressure from your arteries continues to squeeze blood to the major organs and tissues of your body. Each time your heart contracts, it causes pressure against the inside of the arteries. This is called the systolic blood pressure. When your heart relaxes and its chambers fill, the arterial walls relax against the blood in your arteries. This is the diastolic blood pressure.
Blood pressure is always stated as two numbers: the systolic blood pressure, followed by a slash sign and the diastolic blood pressure in millimeters of Mercury (mmHg). For instance, normal blood pressure is written as 130/80 mmHg and is described as "130 over 80."
Types
There are several ways to measure your blood pressure. One of the most accurate methods is to have it measured at your doctor's office by either your physician or a trained health care professional, using high quality medical equipment called a sphygmomanometer. Others include using home blood pressure monitors or more invasive measurement techniques used in an operating room.
Blood pressure is best taken at rest, in a seated position with your arm at approximately the same level as your heart. Lying down or standing up can significantly alter blood pressure measurements because gravity plays a major role in how fluids move through the body. If you're lying down, it takes less pressure to move blood throughout your body due to the reduced force of gravity and could result in lower blood pressure. If you are standing up or exercising, it requires more blood pressure to overcome the forces of gravity and could result in higher pressures.
Features
A nurse will secure an inflatable blood pressure cuff around your upper arm until it is snug against your bicep. She'll place the earpieces of a stethoscope in her ears and the head of the stethoscope over your brachial artery, on the inside of your elbow joint. Using the other hand, she'll secure the pressure valve of the cuff by turning it in a clockwise direction. Using rapid contractions, she'll squeeze the pressure bulb until the pressure reading on the aneroid gauge reads at least 200 mmHg. She will immediately loosen the pressure valve, allowing the pressure in the cuff to slowly escape, while listening for the first set of sounds. This is the systolic blood pressure. She will continue to allow air to escape from the blood pressure cuff until she hears the next sound disappear. This is the diastolic pressure.
Considerations
It's normal protocol to repeat the blood pressure tests two or three times, especially if your readings are higher or lower than average. It's also a good idea to measure your blood pressure on the opposite arm. It is not uncommon for there to be small differences between the readings on the right versus the left arm.
Effects
If your blood pressure readings are higher than the normal range, there could be valid reasons and doesn't necessarily mean that you have hypertension. First, there's a well-documented phenomenon called the "white coat response." Some people's blood pressure reacts adversely just to being in a doctor's office and having blood pressure measured. Second, if you're under any unusual stress, ran from the bus to make your doctor's appointment or have suffered any unusual mental or physical stress, it could result in elevated blood pressure. Try to relax in the waiting room for 15 or 20 minutes. This may take care of the problem.
Potential
People often experience significantly different blood pressure readings when they take them themselves at home than when they're taken by someone else in a doctor's office. Even if you're not familiar with how to use the type of sphygmomanometer used at your doctor's office, you can buy automated blood pressure cuffs that are designed to be used by laypeople. Take your pressure several times a day and record the results in a journal. Bring your blood pressure cuff with you the next time you have a doctor's appointment and compare the results of your cuff against the sphygmomanometer your doctor uses.
