Systolic Pressure and Diastolic Pressure

Systolic pressure is the maximum pressure of each heart beat (systole). Whereas, diastolic pressure is the minimum pressure of each heart beat. These two pressures are measured in order to determine a person's level of blood pressure.

For young and middle-aged adult, a pressure of 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic), 120/80 is considered normal. 140/90 is cause for concern, while one of 160/95 is definitely high and requires treatment.

When people adopt a more 'developed' way of life, blood pressure starts to arise. Mainly it is due to stress.


Coping with stress.....

Measuring Your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force with which the heart pumps blood out into the arteries. The usual site for a blood pressure measurement is an artery in the arm because by this stage the opening through which the blood passes is narrow enough to actually resist the flow.

The instrument used to measure blood pressure consequently works on the idea that if you temporarily close the flow of blood through the artery, by inflating a special 'bandage' wound round the arm, the time taken for the flow to be re-established at full strength is a measurement of the force of the heartbeat.

Blood Pressure Problems

The blood pressure problems are major cause of ill health. This problem starts within the arteries themselves. An artery is a thick-walled vessel that carries blood from the heart to the tissues of the body.

The blood is driven by the main pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, and a great deal of force is required to send the blood out of the heart and into the arteries, through the tissues, and then back into the heart again to be re-delivered to the arteries. Therefore, even under ideal conditions, the walls of the arteries are continually under considerable stress.

Due to the importance of maintaning the adequate of blood pressure, sophisticated mechanisms have evolved in the body to stabilize it. However, there are many cases that general stress has led many people developing a level of blood pressure that is far too high for the continuing good health of the arterial system.

Long term effect of high blood pressure is on the arteries of the brain, the heart and the kidneys with the eventual likelihood of strokes or heart attacks.

The Explanation of High Blood Pressure

If the blood pressure is higher than normal, the heart is probably having to work harder to push the blood through the circulation, and this may indicate that there is some disease of the system.

There might, for example, be arteriosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries. Clearly, the smaller the opening in a blood vessel, the harder the heart has to work to pump the blood through. If the heart works too hard over a long period, its life may be shortened, and this is why doctors are on the look-out for high blood pressure.