Arteries carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body. Blood pressure is the force that pushed along the arteries every time the heart beats. So, blood pressure is a measure of how hard the heart has to work to pump blood. This process is known as systolic pressure. The process where the heart is at rest, between beats and the blood pressure falls is known as diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is measured using a blood pressure cuff and recorded as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. The top number indicates the systolic pressure and the bottom indicates the diastolic pressure. Normal blood pressure must be lower than 120/80. Blood pressure varies during the course of a day. It is lowest when the person is resting and gradually rises as the person gets up. Blood pressure usually rises when the person is tense, agitated, or generally energetic, even though it stays pretty much the same. Blood pressure in children is comparatively much lower than in the adults since pressure rises as a person ages. The systolic and diastolic reading of 140/90 or higher indicates high blood pressure. This usually results in faster heartbeat as the heart tries to pump blood faster, and this might result in a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems due to the pressure on the arteries. Severe medical problems also cause blood pressure to rise. Also, arteries become hardened and narrowed with cholesterol plaque and calcium, resulting in the heart having to pump harder to make blood pass through these arteries. When the heart pumps harder, blood pressure tends to automatically increase. High blood pressure is linked to hypertension, which leads to heart attack. With a reading higher than 180/110 the patient required immediate medical attention since the risk of heart attack is greatest. |
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