Blood Pressure Chart: Systolic Bp And Diastolic Bp
This blood pressure chart by age can offer you a referrence when you need to find out what your own blood pressure means. The BP numbers shown in the chart represent typical systolic-diastolic pairs. Even if the normal blood pressure for men is 120/80 mm Hg, it can vary slightly according to age. Since our body changes all the time, it is normal for our BP to change, as well.
| Age |
- Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
- Elevated: Systolic between 120-129 and diastolic less than 80
- Stage 1: Systolic between 130-139 or diastolic between 80-89
- Stage 2: Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90 mm Hg
- Hypertensive crisis: Systolic over 180 and/or diastolic over 120. A hypertensive crisis is a medical emergency.
A persons blood pressure changes in day and night. Generally, the blood pressure is the lowest during 3am to 4am, then it goes up slightly until it reaches a peak sometime between 8am to 10am. It then goes down, and then goes up again to reach the second peak sometime between 3pm to 5pm. The variance can be 30-40 mm Hg within 24 hours for each person. Thats why doctors would recommend to measure your BP three times a day.
What Affects A Blood Pressure Reading
Many things can affect a blood pressure reading, including:
- Nervousness about having your blood pressure taken. This is called white coat syndrome. As many as 1 in 3 people who have a high blood pressure reading at the doctors office may have normal blood pressure readings outside of it.1
- What you ate, drank, or did before your reading. If you smoked, drank alcohol or caffeine, or exercised within 30 minutes of having your blood pressure measured, your reading might be higher.2
- How you are sitting. Crossing your legs and letting your arm droop at your side rather than rest on a table at chest height can make your blood pressure go up.2
Its important to get an accurate blood pressure reading so that you have a clearer picture of your risk for heart disease and stroke.
A reading that says your blood pressure is lower than it actually is may give you a false sense of security about your health. A reading that says your blood pressure is higher than it actually is may lead to treatment you dont need.
Factors That Can Affect Your Readings
There are a few general rules to be aware of when it comes to timing your blood pressure reading.
For example, its not a good idea to take your blood pressure immediately after you wake up, as this will give your lowest reading. Instead, aim to check it when youve been up for about half an hour.
Its also best not to wait until after breakfast and your morning coffee since both food and caffeine can raise your blood pressure. Ideally, a morning blood pressure can be taken after you brush your teeth, shower, and get dressed but before you eat or leave for work.
Food and caffeine arent the only things that can cause your blood pressure to spike. There are several other everyday things that can make your blood pressure rise.
No matter what time of day you take your blood pressure, its best to avoid these things for at least half an hour before you take a reading:
- smoking or using tobacco
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What Is Normal Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, heart, lungs and kidneys. Keeping your blood pressure within the normal range is important. But whats normal? That depends on your age and other factors.
Blood Pressure Readings
Blood pressure is expressed in terms of two numbers. The top number is systolic blood pressure. This is the highest pressure and occurs when your heart actually beats. The second number is the diastolic. This reading shows blood pressure when your heart relaxes. Your blood pressure varies throughout the day. It is lower at night and rises shortly before you wake up. It peaks in the middle of the afternoon and then drops in the evening.
High and Low Blood Pressure
The generally accepted standard for normal blood pressure is 90/60 to less than120/80. If your blood pressure is consistently lower than 90/60, you have low blood pressure. Blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/90 is still considered normal. However, most doctors will recommend lifestyle changes if you are in that range. Above 140/90 is considered high blood pressure, or hypertension. Medications may be recommended for blood pressures in this range or above.
Aging, Sex and Blood Pressure
Factors That Affect Blood Pressure
Many things affect your blood pressure. These tend to cause increased readings:
The three S rule stress, smoking and sleep apnea increase blood pressure.
Genetics and family history high blood pressure and heart disease often run in families.
Side Effects Of Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure may not be discussed as often as high blood pressure, but it should be addressed, as prolonged low blood pressure can negatively affect your organs.
A certain amount of blood pressure is needed to maintain blood flow to the organs, says Dr. Wong. The blood supplies oxygen and nutrients to these organs. If the blood pressure is too low, an adequate blood supply cannot get to these organs.
If left untreated, low blood pressure can increase your risk of fainting, heart attack and organ damage, adds Dr. Desai.
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Diastolic Blood Pressure: How Low Is Too Low
- May 17, 2015
Blood pressure consists of two numbers. Systolic pressure, the force exerted on blood vessels when the heart beats, is the upper number. Diastolic pressure, the force exerted when the heart is at rest, is on the bottom in more ways than one. Systolic pressure attracts the lions share of attention from physicians and patients, says UAB cardiologist Jason Guichard, M.D., Ph.D.
Physicians are busy people, and like it or not they often focus on a single number, Guichard said. Systolic blood pressure is the focus, and diastolic pressure is almost completely ignored. That is a mistake, he argues. The majority of your arteries feed your organs during systole. But your coronary arteries are different they are surrounding the aortic valve, so they get blood only when the aortic valve closes and that happens in diastole.
Diastolic pressure has been getting more attention lately, however, thanks in part to an influential paper in Hypertension, written in 2011 by Guichard and Ali Ahmed, M.D., then a professor of medicine in UABs Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care and now the associate chief of staff for Health and Aging at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Most people are trying to lower their blood pressure. What would you define as too low, and why is that a problem?
Low Blood Pressure Also Known As Hypotension Is When You Have A Blood Pressure Level That Is Below The Normal Range
If your blood pressure is naturally low, this probably wont cause you any problems and wont need treating. In fact, the lower your blood pressure, the lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Low blood pressure can sometimes be caused by medications or can be a sign of another health problem. This can sometimes cause problems such as falls, fainting and feeling dizzy, so it might need looking into and treating. Speak to your doctor or nurse if youre worried about low blood pressure.
Plus, take a look at the animation below on how to manage low blood pressure when you stand up.
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Does Pooling Of Blood Cause High Blood Pressure
Due to the hard work of the veins, the valves in them are damaged or weakened, which causes blood to pool. When this happens, blood pools in your veins causing them to swell and become more prominent due to the increasing pressure.
Can high blood pressure cause veins to burst?
Blood vessels damaged by high blood pressure can narrow, rupture, or leak. High blood pressure can also cause blood clots to form in the arteries leading to your brain, blocking blood flow and possibly causing a stroke. Dementia.
Lower Your Levels Without Medication
While many people use medications to lower their blood pressure, lifestyle changes are usually recommended, too. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining your weight, and getting regular exercise are good ways to prevent high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but they can help treat these problems, too. While lifestyle changes alone cant cure high blood pressure, they can improve how well your medications work and help you avoid additional complications.
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Reasons Your Blood Pressure Fluctuates
If you are seeing regular fluctuations in your blood pressure readings, youre not alone. Some variation in your blood pressure throughout the day is normal. In fact, there are a number of reasons for this including small changes in daily life, such as stress, exercise or even how well you slept the night before.
According to the American Heart Association , there are more than 116 million adults in the U.S. with high blood pressure. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General, VADM Jerome Adams, released a for hypertension control to make it a national public health priority. Experts have called for monitoring your blood pressure at home because it is a great way to gain a better understanding of your numbers.
Knowing and regularly measuring your can help you see irregularities that you want to call to your doctors attention. Keeping track of your numbers may help your doctor determine a course of action or treatment. If variances in your blood pressure readings exist, it is important to know that there are some factors you can controlbut some you cant. Lets look at some of the reasons that may cause your blood pressure to fluctuate.
The Difference Between High And Low Blood Pressure
Having high blood pressure is a key risk factor in developing heart disease, stroke and other complications. Blood pressure means the pressure of blood in your arteries as it is being pumped by the heart.
Very high blood pressure or rapidly rising blood pressure can cause headaches, vision problems, nosebleeds, trouble breathing, fits, blackouts. Similar to high blood pressure, the symptoms of low pressure may not always be apparent. If you do get symptoms, they may be identified as any of the following: feeling dizzy, light-headed or fainting, blurred vision, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, feeling nauseous, and confusion.
Too high blood pressure tends to result from a build-up of cholesterol within the walls of blood vessels. This causes narrowing of the blood vessels, restricting blood flow and raising blood pressure.
Narrowed arteries raises the risk of heart problems and stroke if too little blood gets to these vital organs or if a blood clot blocks the blood flow to them.
A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure .
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How To Prevent High Blood Pressure
Preventing high blood pressure is much easier than managing it. Luckily, most risk factors for hypertension can be controlled except Age, Gender, Race/ethnicity, and Family history.
There is poor awareness when it comes to HBP preventive measures. Embrace behaviors and lifestyle that will help you prevent high blood pressure. Some of the ways to prevent it include:
Know Your Numbers: Blood Pressure
Knowing and understanding key heart numbers blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate, along with your family history allow you and your health care team to determine your risk for developing heart and cardiovascular disease. Knowing your risk is critical to preventing heart disease and for taking steps to improve your overall heart health.
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Checking Blood Pressure At Home
Keeping track of blood pressure at home is important for many people, especially if you have high blood pressure. This helps you and your doctor find out if your treatment is working.
Your doctor may also suggest that you check your pressure at home if they think you may have white coat hypertension. Its a real condition. The stress of being in a doctors office raises your blood pressure, but when youre home, its normal.
Ask your doctor to recommend an easy-to-use home blood pressure monitor. Make sure the cuff fits properly. If your arm is too big for the cuff, the reading may be higher than your blood pressure really is. Ask your doctor for a larger cuff or make sure you buy a home monitor with a cuff that fits you.
You also can use a wrist blood pressure monitor, but they often arent as accurate. Follow the directions that come with the device to make sure you are using it correctly.
No matter which type of blood pressure monitor you have, its a good idea to take it to your doctors office. You can compare its reading to the numbers your doctor gets. Avoid caffeine, cigarettes, and exercise for at least 30 minutes before the test.
When you take your blood pressure at home, sit up straight in a chair and put both feet on the floor. Ask your doctor or nurse to show you the right way to position your arm so you get accurate readings.
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What Is A Blood Pressure Measurement
Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into your arteries. A blood pressure measurement is a test that measures the force in your arteries as your heart pumps. Blood pressure is measured as two numbers:
- Systolic blood pressure measures pressure inside your arteries when the heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure inside the artery when the heart rests between beats.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects tens of millions of adults in the United States. It increases the risk of life-threatening conditions including heart attack and stroke. But high blood pressure rarely causes symptoms. A blood pressure measurement helps diagnose high blood pressure early, so it may be treated before it leads to serious complications.
Other names: blood pressure reading, blood pressure test, blood pressure screening, sphygmomanometry
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Drink Plenty Of Water
Dehydration can sometimes lead to low blood pressure. Some people may have hypotension even with mild dehydration.
You can also get dehydrated by losing water too quickly. This can happen through vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever, strenuous exercise, and excess sweating.
Medications such as diuretics may also cause dehydration. Drink more water by using a portable water bottle. Use an alarm or timer to remind you to take a sip.
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What Is The Purpose Of Blood Vessels
The function of blood vessels is to deliver blood to the organs and tissues in your body. The blood supplies them with the oxygen and nutrients they need to function. Blood vessels also carry waste products and carbon dioxide away from your organs and tissues.
Each type of blood vessel serves a different function:
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How Do Veins Affect Blood Pressure
When blood builds up in the veins of your lower extremities, it puts extra pressure on your heart, which then has to work harder to pump all that accumulated blood around the body. This is especially dangerous for people who already have underlying heart disease.
Which blood vessels experience the greatest decrease in blood pressure?
The greatest drop in blood pressure occurs at the transition from arteries to arterioles. Main function of each type of blood vessel: Arterioles have a very small diameter , small lumen, and relatively thick mid tunica composed almost entirely of smooth muscle, with little elastic tissue.
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In most cases, there are no visible symptoms of high blood pressure. However, because of many reasons, doctors have seen some symptoms like sweating, sleeping problems, anxiety, and many more.
If your resting blood pressure level is above the targets, this puts you at an increased risk of heart and vascular problems as well as diabetes complications, such as kidney disease and sight damage .
High blood pressure is also associated with poor circulation which increases the risk of foot ulcers and can lead to foot amputation, if regular foot care is not taken.
Anxiety, stress or strenuous exercise can all cause temporary high blood pressure levels in both diabetics and non-diabetics. However, high blood pressure is diagnosed when you have several high readings.
Some people will find their heart beat rises, and therefore their blood pressure goes up, as a direct result of being tested.
In the condition of low blood pressure or hypotension, some symptoms are unsteadiness, blurry vision, fatigue, depression, nausea, lack of concentration, place skin, and rapid and low breathing. Low blood pressure is a reading of less than 90/60mmHg. It does not always cause symptoms, but you may need treatment if it does.
Chronic low blood pressure with no symptoms is almost never serious. But health problems can occur when blood pressure drops suddenly and the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply. This can lead to dizziness or light-headedness.