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Our Normal Blood Pressure
By peace | May 14, 2006
For years, physicians have referred to hypertension as the silent killer because it can exist with no obvious symptoms. Although some patients complain of dizziness, headaches or blurred vision, most patients only discover they need hypertension treatment when their blood pressure is taken.
Hypertension is a health condition in which blood pressure is persistently elevated. Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure of the blood against the blood vessel walls. Persistent high blood pressure puts undue stress on the heart, blood vessels and other organs.
High blood pressure is a serious health risk for many people. Hypertension can cause hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney damage. Normal blood pressure for a healthy adult is 120/80…and just what does that mean?
Blood pressure is the pressure your blood exerts against your blood vessel walls. The pressure is higher when your heart contracts, and lower when it relaxes. A blood pressure cuff measures both pressure readings.
The first number (the systolic) is your blood pressure when the heart contracts, and the second number (the diastolic) is your reading when the heart relaxes. If one or both of the measurements are higher than normal, you may have high blood pressure.
No one’s blood pressure is constant. Exercise, a cigarette, a sudden burst of anger: All of these can raise our normal blood pressure readings, but they don’t raise our blood pressure to dangerous levels for long periods of time. In the absence of high blood pressure symptoms, hypertension is diagnosed based on several blood pressure readings taken over a period of time.
Blood Pressure Chart
|
Category |
Systolic BP (mmHg) |
Diastolic BP (mmHg) |
|
Optimal |
Less than 120 |
Less than 80 |
|
Normal |
Less than 130 |
Less than 85 |
|
High normal |
130-139 |
85-89 |
|
Stage 1 Hypertension (Mild) |
140-159 |
90-99 |
|
Stage 2 Hypertension (Moderate) |
160-179 |
100-109 |
|
Stage 3 Hypertension (Severe) |
180 and above |
110 and above |
|
Stage 4 Hypertension (Very Severe) |
210 and above |
120 and above |
Normal Blood Pressure for Children
Because children naturally have a normal blood pressure that’s lower than an adult’s, a child is at risk for hypertension at much lower blood pressures:
- 3 to 5 years: 116/76
- 6 to 9 years: 122/78
- 10 to 12 years: 126/82
- 13 to 15 years: 136/86
Topics: Diseases |
August 11th, 2007 at 6:11 am
[…] Our normal blood pressure varies from one person to the next, and in any individual, it rises and falls naturally during the course of each day, depending on the workload of the heart. In addition, everyone’s blood pressure tends to rise slightly with age. Because of these differences, there is no set point at which high blood pressure is diagnosed. It depends on an individual’s age and lifestyle. […]
August 11th, 2007 at 6:51 am
[…] A blood pressure reading consists of two figures, written as 120/80 mmHg and read as “120 over 80″. The upper figure is the measurement taken when your heart is contracting and is known as the systolic pressure. The lower figure is the one taken when your heart relaxes, and is known as the diastolic pressure. […]