What Is Meant by Blood Pressure?

Overview

Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against your artery walls as it moves through your circulatory system. Blood pressure is a medical concern if it is too low or too high. If your pressure is low, at times you may feel dizzy, lightheaded or tired. If your blood pressure is high, you are at higher-than-normal risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Function

Your heart uses a certain amount of force to pump blood though your arteries. At the same time, your arteries use a certain amount of force to resist blood flow.

Numbers

Two numbers define your blood pressure. The first number represents the systolic pressure, a measure of your blood pressure while the heart is contracting to pump blood out into your arteries.

The second number, the diastolic pressure, is a measure of your blood pressure when your heart rests between contractions.

Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg. When systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 mmHg or diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89 mmHg, you may have pre-hypertension. Systolic pressure of 140 or more over a diastolic measurement of 90 or more is considered hypertension, or high blood pressure.

High Pressure

Although it is a serious condition, high blood pressure---clinically known as hypertension---often goes undetected for years because there are no symptoms. Almost everyone's blood pressure rises with age but not everyone's pressure becomes dangerously high. Eventually, untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious medical problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Low Pressure

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is rarely serious and preferable to high blood pressure. If you often feel lightheaded when you stand up due to a drop in blood pressure, the solution is simply to stand up more slowly. Normally, low blood pressure does not require treatment but you may be able to reduce your symptoms by drinking more water, making sure you eat well balanced meals and eating smaller meals more often rather than three large meals.

Extremely low blood pressure may be a sign of a more serious disorder, such as dehydration, an under-active thyroid, low blood sugar or a heart or neurological condition.

Normal Pressure

To make sure your pressure is normal, have annual physical examinations and tell your doctor if you experience any symptoms of low blood pressure. The best way to treat low blood pressure that results from a chronic medical condition is to treat the underlying condition.

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe pressure-lowering medications. If your high blood pressure is resistant to standard treatment, you may have to take several medications and make lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced, lower-sodium diet, exercising at least 30 minutes a day, managing stress and maintaining a healthy weight.