« Worried About Home Loans | Home | Usage of Credit Cards »
Blood Pressure & Hypotension
By peace | August 11, 2007
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.
In a normal, healthy young adult, the average blood pressure measurement is around 120/80mmHg. Ideally, your blood pressure should stay below 140/85mmHg. If however, your blood pressure is consistently higher than this, and certainly if it rises above 160/90mmHg, you will need medical treatment.
High blood pressure is not an illness in itself. In fact, most people who have it feel perfectly well and do not experience any symptoms. However, it is important that it is treated, because if it stays raised for any length of time, it can damage the blood vessels and lead to serious health problems including eye problems, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure.
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is not usually a medical problem. In fact, by and large, if your blood pressure is low, you are more likely to live a long, healthy life. Shock caused by a heart attack or heavy blood loss after an accident can cause a sudden and sometimes dangerous fall in blood pressure. In such cases, fainting may occur because the heart cannot sustain the blood supply to the brain; however, once the person is horizontal, blood flows back to the brain and consciousness returns. Very occasionally, in rare cases, does abnormally low blood pressure is a symptom of an illness that needs treatment.
How Blood Pressure Changes Through a day for men and women:
1. When blood pressure is lower:
- at night
- when you are relaxing
- when you are asleep
- when listening to quiet music
2. When blood pressure is higher:
- during the day
- with exercise or exertion
- while smoking a cigarette
- if anxious, stressed or excited
- in cold weather
Topics: All Posts, Health, Man's health, Woman's Health | No Comments »
