What Is A Normal Blood Pressure Reading Nhs

What Causes Hypertension And How Can Can You Reduce It

The risk of hypertension is greater if you are over 65-years-old, are overweight, exercise rarely, and have a history of high blood pressure in the family.

You can take steps to lower your blood pressure by losing weight, which is helped by increasing exercise and eating a healthy diet.

Doctors also recommend reducing alcohol intake and cutting out smoking.

Reducing the sodium in your diet is also a good step to reducing bloody pressure, so make sure you read the labels on food, and avoid eating processed meats and canned veg where possible.

If you can’t reduce it by natural methods, your doctor can then prescribe you medication.

Why Lowering High Blood Pressure Is Important

High blood pressure puts stress on the heart and blood vessels. This increases the risk of heart attack, and heart failure. High blood pressure also increases the risk of stroke, kidney damage and damage to circulation to the legs.

There is good evidence that lowering high blood pressure with medications lowers the risk of stroke by 35 to 40% and lowers the risk of heart attack by 20 to 25 %.

Diagnosing High Blood Pressure

The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Ask your GP when you are next due for yours to be checked.

Before having your blood pressure taken, you should rest for at least five minutes and empty your bladder. To get an accurate blood pressure reading, you should be sitting down and not talking when the reading is taken.

Having one high blood pressure reading does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. Your blood pressure can change throughout the day. Feeling anxious or stressed when you visit your GP can raise your blood pressure .

Therefore, your GP will need to take several readings over a set period of time, usually every month, to see whether your blood pressure level is consistently high.

Blood and urine tests may also be carried out in order to check for conditions that are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, such as kidney infections.

You may also be given a blood pressure device to take home so that you can record your blood pressure level throughout the day. This also helps to identify white coat syndrome and therefore helps to identify the best treatment options for you.

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How To Check Blood Pressure At Home

Sit quietly for five minutes, with your feet on the floor and your back well supported.

Your arm should be resting on a flat surface, with the upper arm at the level of the heart.

Position the cuff so that its midportion lies over the brachial artery.

Avoid caffeine , alcohol, smoking, and exercise for at least 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure.

Each time take two blood pressure readings at least one minute apart. Record both BP recordings below.

Check blood pressure twice a day preferably morning and evening. Check for 7 days.

What Does A Blood Pressure Reading Look Like

When you have your , you will be given two numbers, a top number and a bottom number.

• Systolic blood pressure. This is the first, or top, number. This is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats, forcing blood around your body.
• Diastolic blood pressure. The second number, or bottom number, is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury . If the first number is 120 and the second number is 80, this would be written as 120/80mmHg, and youd call it 120 over 80.

This video explains more about systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

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Measuring Your Blood Pressure

Healthcare professionals use a stethoscope and a manual sphygmomanometer to measure your blood pressure. Typically they take the reading above your elbow. The sphygmomanometer has a bladder, cuff, bulb, and a gauge. When the bulb is pumped it inflates the bladder inside the cuff, which is wrapped around your arm. This inflation will stop the blood flow in your arteries.

The stethoscope is used to listen for sound of the heartbeat, and no sound indicates that there is no flow. As the pressure is released from the bladder, you will hear the sound of the blood flowing again. That point becomes your blood pressure systolic reading. The diastolic reading is when you hear no sound again, which means that the blood flow is back to normal.

Nhs Blood Pressure Chart

Nhs Blood Pressure Chart With the guidance of this high blood pressure chart, you can identify if the high blood pressure is good or if you need to make some dietary or workout changes to reduce it.

The amount of the diastolic and systolic blood pressures is what youll see on your blood pressure display. As your heart beats, your systolic blood pressure rises, determining the force it applies to the artery walls. The force your heart places on the walls of your arteries between beats is measured by your diastolic blood pressure, which is the final figure on the high blood pressure reading you get.

There are four levels of blood pressure, varying from regular to phase 2 high blood pressure . The seriousness of your condition is identified by your blood pressure. Your medical professional should use the average of two or more high blood pressure measurements taken throughout three or more workplace check outs to obtain a precise evaluation of your high blood pressure.

See how your high blood pressure falls under among four classifications, and what it suggests for your health. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure worths need to be compared to identify your right high blood pressure category. Phase 1 high blood pressure, for example, is a blood pressure measurement of 125/85 millimeters of mercury .

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What Is Blood Pressure

When a doctor or nurse checks your blood pressure with a cuff around your arm, they are checking the pressure at which the blood is pumped by your heart. When the pressure in the cuff is raised above the pressure in the blood vessel the pulse at wrist disappears. As the pressure in the cuff surrounding your arm is gradually released, whenthe pressure is equal or slightly lower than the pressure in the artery, the blood starts flowing and the doctor or nurse can feel the pulse. This is called the systolic blood pressure. One can also hear the noise with the stethoscope as the blood starts flowing.

As the pressure is gradually lowered the noise disappears when there is no compression of the artery. The pressure at which the noise completely disappears is called the diastolic pressure. .

When Should I Get My Blood Pressure Tested

You can ask for a blood pressure test if you’re worried about your blood pressure at any point.

You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including:

• your local GP surgery
• at home
• at an NHS Health Check appointment offered to adults in England aged 40-74

It’s recommended that all adults over 40 years of age have their blood pressure tested at least every 5 years so any potential problems can be detected early.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with high or low blood pressure, or you’re at a particularly high risk of these problems, you may need to have more frequent tests to monitor your blood pressure.

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What Do My Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

For many people, the usual target reading for blood pressure is below 140/90 mmHg.

However, your doctor may recommend a lower target if you have heart or circulatory disease, including coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack or stroke, diabetes or kidney disease.

Every blood pressure reading consists of two numbers or measurements. They are shown as one number on top of the other and measured in mmHg, which means millimetres of mercury.

If your reading is 120/80mmHg, for example, you might hear your doctor or nurse say your blood pressure is “120 over 80”.

The first number represents the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart contracts and pumps blood through your arteries – your systolic blood pressure.

The second number represents the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats – your diastolic blood pressure.

What Is A Healthy Pressure Range

Blood pressure measures the force your heart uses to pump blood around the body.

Blood pressure is recorded in millimetres of mercury its measured using two recorded numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressure.

The first number is the systolic pressure is the force that your heart pumps blood around the body.

The second number in your reading is the diastolic pressure.

This number shows the resistance to blood flow in the blood vessels.

Healthy blood pressure should sit between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.

If your readings sit above 120/80mmHg you could be at risk of high blood pressure.

Elevated blood pressure readings range from 120 to 129 systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic.

Brits with elevated blood pressure are at risk of developing high blood pressure without preventative steps, such as changing unhealthy lifestyle habits.

But blood pressure increases as you get older according to the medical website Thrombocyte so what is a healthy level for your age?

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Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

Blood pressure tests can also be carried out at home using your own digital blood pressure monitor.

This can give a better reflection of your blood pressure, as being tested in somewhere like a GP surgery can make you feel anxious and can affect the result. It can also allow you to monitor your condition more easily in the long term.

You can buy a variety of low-cost monitors so you can test your blood pressure at home or while you’re out and about.

It’s important to make sure you use equipment that has been properly tested. The British Hypertension Society has information about validated blood pressure monitors you can buy.

Diagnosing High Or Low Blood Pressure

Only one of your numbers needs to be higher than it should be to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, and only one needs to be lower than it should be to be diagnosed with low blood pressure.

So if your top number is over 140 or the bottom number is over 90, you may be diagnosed with , regardless of the other number. If your top number is under 90 or your bottom number is under 60, you may be diagnosed with . Use the to see where your numbers sit.

If your top number is consistently higher than 140mmHg, but the bottom number is healthy – this is known as Isolated Systolic Hypertension. If the bottom number is consistently higher than 90mmHg but the top number is healthy – this is known as Isolated Diastolic Hypertension.

Making sure your readings arent a one-off

A single high reading doesnt necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, as many things can affect your blood pressure throughout the day, such as the temperature, when you last ate, and if youre feeling stressed.

Your doctor or nurse will probably want to measure your blood pressure a number of times over a few weeks to make sure the reading wasnt just a one off and that your blood pressure stays high over time.

Read about how , getting a , the you might have if you have a high blood pressure reading, and .

Read more

Find out why systolic blood pressure is the most important when it comes to keeping an eye on your numbers.

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Significance Of Bp Readings

Normal blood pressure: Clinic blood pressure less than 140/90 or home or 24 hour blood pressure recordings less than BP 135/85: This is normal blood pressure. No medication required.

Stage 1 Hypertension: Home or 24 hours readings BP135/85 or above but not above 150/95 and clinic blood pressure more than 140/90

You dont need treatment unless you have one of the conditions listed below and aged 80 years or under.

Heart disease or stroke

Kidney disease

If you are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease

Stage 2 hypertension: Home BP 150/95 or higher and clinic BP 160/100 or higherYou need treatment irrespective of age

The Blood Pressure Chart

Once you know your numbers, you can use the blood pressure chart to see what they mean and if your blood pressure is in the healthy range. The chart is suitable for adults of any age, as the cut-off point for diagnosing high blood pressure doesnt change with age.

How to use the blood pressure chart

Simply find your top number on the left side of the chart and your bottom number on the bottom. Where the two lines meet is your blood pressure.

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What Are The Different Blood Pressure Categories

Blood pressure can be categorized into five different types, namely:

Normal: Blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg is considered to be normal.

Elevated: When blood pressure readings consistently range from 120 to 129 systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic, it is known as elevated blood pressure. People with elevated blood pressure are at risk of high blood pressure unless steps are taken to control it.

Hypertension stage I: In this condition, blood pressure readings consistently range from 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 mm Hg diastolic. Doctors may prescribe blood pressure medications and some lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke.

Hypertension stage II: In this condition, blood pressure readings consistently range from 140/90 mm Hg or higher. The doctors may prescribe a combination of both medications and lifestyle changes.

Hypertensive crisis: This is the most critical condition and requires emergency medical attention. In this condition, the blood pressure suddenly exceeds 180/120 mm Hg. Contact the physician immediately if the following symptoms are experienced:

• Difficulty speaking

Understanding Your Blood Pressure Reading

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury and is given as 2 figures:

• systolic pressure the pressure when your heart pushes blood out
• diastolic pressure the pressure when your heart rests between beats

For example, if your blood pressure is “140 over 90” or 140/90mmHg, it means you have a systolic pressure of 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 90mmHg.

As a general guide:

• normal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
• high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
• low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower

A blood pressure reading between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you don’t take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.

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What Are The Risks If It Is Too High Or Too Low

If your blood pressure is too high – which is known as hypertension -, it puts extra strain on your arteries and this may lead to heart attacks and strokes.

For the most part, the lower your blood pressure the better.

However, if you experience symptoms of dizziness, nausea, fainting and dehydration, then low blood pressure may be a problem.

If you experience any of those symptoms, it’s best to see your GP.

High Blood Pressure 12 Point Self Care Action Plan

Firstly, take it seriously. Blood pressure is called the silent killer. It is the major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Secondly, invest in Blood Pressure Equipment and take control of your condition. Your average BP should be under 140/90 and ideally 120/80 or less.

The best information comes from measuring your BP twice a day. 2 readings each time. 2 minutes apart. Please do this for a week and take the average reading each time. Average out the 14 readings and you get a reliable average blood pressure. Let your doctor have those readings for their notes. Find a sheet below for filling out and returning to your doctor / nurse.

Ensure your BP is treated and be persistent in attending with your doctor or nurse to adjust your medications until it is as low as described above.

Start exercising. Cardiovascular = sweat producing exercise. Three times a week for 45 minutes or 5 times a week for 30 minutes. And you will find your BP will drop by 10-15. I recommend the BBC couch to 5K programme for people able to run. There are plenty other options, too.

Should your BP get too low you may need to stop a medication. This would be the case if you feel dizzy. Check your BP from time to time

Reduce Salt in your diet, do not use any additional salt and choose foods low in salt.

Try to loose weight. Slimming and a diet low in Cholesterol will further reduce your risks.

A Mediterranean diet is ideal. Talk to one of our nurses about a free slimming world referral.

Dr M Kittel, 2017

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Blood Pressure By Age

1 to 5 years 95/65mmHg 6 to 13 years 105/70mmHg 14 to 19 years 117/77mmHg

20 to 24 years 120/79mmHg 25 to 29 years 121/80mmHg 30 to 34 years 122/81mmHg 35 to 39 years 123/82mmHg 40 to 44 years 125/83mmHg 45 to 49 years 127/84mmHg 50 to 54 years 129/85mmHg 55 to 59 years 131/86mmHg 60 to 64 years 134/87mmHg

You can only know for certain if your blood pressure is too high by getting it checked, the tests are quick and easy so if you think you could be at risk its worth booking a check-up with your GP.