Blood Pressure Chart

Blood pressure is defined as the pressure formed from the blood being circulated in the vessels.  It is one of the most important signs of vitality; without normal blood pressure, health issues are likely to develop.  Having normal blood pressure is crucial to maintaining good health.  According to recent research, roughly one out of three people in the U.S. suffer from higher than normal blood pressure.  There are two different types of blood pressure; systolic and diastolic.  Measuring each type of blood pressure is important in detecting high blood pressure.

Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure

Most of the time, the term “blood pressure” is used to describe the blood pressure in the entire arterial systemic circulation.  When specified, blood pressure is separated into two different types; diastolic and systolic.  Diastolic pressure is when the blood pressure is at its minimum, and systolic is when the blood pressure reaches the maximum.  Systolic BP is measured during heart beats, while diastolic BP is measured when the heart is at rest (in between beats).  Diastolic and systolic blood pressure allows oxygen and blood flow to be carried to various parts of the body.

Blood pressure chart systolic – published on http://www.sturnidae.com/BPChart.php

Blood pressure chart systolic - published on http://www.sturnidae.com/BPChart.php

Blood Pressure Chart Diastolic – - published on http://www.sturnidae.com/BPChart.php

Blood Pressure Chart Diastolic - - published on http://www.sturnidae.com/BPChart.php

And 2 more charts provided by http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/blood-pressure-chart.html

How is Blood Pressure Measured?

Auscultation and palpation are the two most common methods used to measure blood pressure.  The ausculatory method uses a blood pressure meter which is attached to a cuff that goes on the arm.  These items are used along with a stethoscope to perform a blood pressure reading.  The cuff is placed level to the heart and is then inflated.  The blood pressure meter uses mercury as form of measurement (mmHg); it is one of the most accurate ways to obtain a BP reading.  Palpation can be performed by feeling the pulse in various parts of the body; it is a quick way to get an approximate BP reading, but it is not as accurate.  Another downside to the palpating method is that you are only able to get the measurement for systolic BP.

When getting your blood pressure taken it is important that you are relaxed.  Stress, use of nicotine, exercise, and other factors can change your blood pressure within a couple of minutes.  Take a few minutes to rest before having your BP measured; this will improve the chances of getting a more accurate reading.  Also, getting multiple readings will allow an average blood pressure to be calculated; this is the best way to get more precise results.

The effects of high blood pressure and other risk factors are presented in this infographic presented to you by http://infographicworld.com

Blood Pressure and Age

As people age, they become more prone to developing high blood pressure.  Some studies have shown that more than 75% of people over the age of 65 reported to have high blood pressure.  Although not well researched, doctors believe there are a few reasons why the risk of high BP can increase with age.  One reason is thought to be because of hormone level changes.  Another very possible reason for BP levels to rise with age is because of changes in the heart and blood vessels; the heart often becomes less efficient with time.  Older people may also lose taste bud sensitivity and add unnecessary salt to their food; a high sodium level greatly affects blood pressure levels.

There are different blood pressure charts throughout the world, but most only vary slightly and are quite accurate.  Below you can see an estimate of the different blood pressure classifications for adults.

Hypotension (low blood pressure) – Systolic; less than 90 mmHg, Diastolic; less than 60 mmHg
Desirable – Systolic; 90-119 mmHg, Diastolic; 60-79 mmHg
Prehypertension (stage before hypertension) – Systolic; 120-139 mmHg, Diastolic; 80-89 mmHg
Stage 1 Hypertension (high blood pressure) – Systolic; 140-159 mmHg, Diastolic; 90-99 mmHg
Stage 2 Hypertension - Systolic; 160-169 mmHg, Diastolic; 100-119 mmHg
Hypertensive Crisis – Systolic; 180 mmHg or more, Diastolic; 120 mmHg or greater

Hypertension and Hypotension Symptoms

Although a great number of people suffer from hypertension, most of them don’t know it because they lack symptoms.  Hypertension symptoms can be minimal and often mimic other less severe health issues.  Common symptoms of high blood pressure include; headaches, dizziness, confusion, heart beat irregularities, blurry vision, vomiting, fatigue, lack of appetite, pain in the chest, and trouble breathing.

Because most people are not aware of their health issue, the condition worsens and causes damage to many organs in the body.  In severe cases of hypertension a person can experience; a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, loss of sight, and many other health problems.  Hypotension can be caused by several issues including; blood loss, anemia, hormone fluctuation, medication side effects, and heart problems.  The most common symptoms associated with low blood pressure are; dizziness, fainting, seizures, fever, headaches, sleepiness, painful chest, trouble breathing, and heart rhythm abnormalities.  Most of the time, hypotension is secondary to an underlying health problem.

Helpful Tips for Controlling High Blood Pressure

• 1.  Take prescribed medication exactly as indicated by your doctor.  Skipping doses can cause an immense change in your blood pressure and even be life-threatening.

• 2.  Practice regular exercise; it helps dilate your blood vessels, thus improving your blood pressure.  A few minutes a day of exercise can make a big difference; it isn’t necessary to spend long hours in the gym.

• 3.  Consume healthy foods that contain nutrients and that will also help reduce your blood pressure.  Stick to low-fat and low sodium foods, and especially avoid foods with preservatives.  Eating fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk products, whole grain foods, fish, turkey, and nuts may help lower your blood pressure.

• 4.  Get rid of unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking.  Drinking raises your blood pressure fast, and smoking causes heart damage.  A healthy heart is necessary to maintain normal blood pressure.

• 5.  Avoid stress and try to relax on the days you are free.

Overall, learning how to be healthier will be beneficial to getting your blood pressure under control.  Getting the family involved to learn about blood pressure is a great way to gain motivation and additional support.  Encourage family and friends to get their blood pressure measured.  Detecting blood pressure issues at an early stage can prove to be lifesaving.  Monitoring your blood pressure, taking medications as instructed, and improving your lifestyle will help you maintain normal blood pressure.

As we all know, high blood pressure is the force of blood that pushes against the arteries of the body. When your heart has to work harder to pump blood at high pressure though body’s circulatory system, it can cause extensive damage to heart and various other organs of the body, thereby increasing risk of stroke and heart attack. Therefore, one should learn of ways on how to control high blood pressure to prevent such health complications and lead a healthy and disease free life.

Let’s have a close look at various natural ways to lower high blood pressure:

1. Potassium - Increased potassium can help in lowering blood pressure. However, it is not possible for our body to store potassium in the absence of adequate amount of magnesium. The presence of both these chemicals help in the excretion of sodium and help in the reduction of high blood pressure.

2. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes -The high intake of alcohol and smoking habit can contribute to blood pressure. Therefore, if you are really serious in avoiding stroke, and heart attack, you should avoid these two altogether.

3. 3-n-butyl-phthalide – One single dosage of 3-n-butyl-phthalide compound has same health benefits as provided by five stalks of celery. It can lower blood pressure by 17 percent.

4. Herbs - All those who are searching for ways on how to control high blood pressure will be glad to know that certain herbs can also help them in their endeavor. Herbs such as Lachesis, Aurun, Celelry and Belladonna can be of great help to all those who want to control blood pressure naturally.

5. Hawthorn extract - Hawthorn can help in resolving various heart related problems such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, cardiovascular system, and circulatory system.

6. Vitamin E - Increase in the intake of vitamin E can lower your blood pressure within a short period of time.

7. Coenzyme Q10 - Many studies have confirmed that CoQ10 significantly reduces diastolic and systolic blood pressure. It also helps in reducing HbA1C, which ensures long term glycemic control.

8. Take proper diet - You should include whole grains, legumes, beans, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Aside from that, stay away from all processed food items such as canned tune or corned beef, and all types of junk food.

9. Folic acid – Vitamin B (folate) is important for the formation of new red blood cells. It can help you in lowering high blood pressure by lowering elevated homocysteine levels.

10. Selenium - The primary function of selenium is to work closely with vitamin E for the preserving the elasticity of tissues. It also slows down the process of aging by improving the oxygen and blood supply to the heart muscles.

11. Chromium - Chromium helps in reducing cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood fat. It also helps in the stabilization of blood sugar levels and corrects the insulin resistance.

12. L-arginine - There are numerous supplements containing L-arginine that help in expanding the arteries and also boost the blood circulation within the body. They also help in removing plaque deposits from the arteries and lower the blood pressure.

Natural herbs and dietary supplements can help you in controlling your high blood pressure in a much better way. However, it is important for you to maintain a good diet and active lifestyle as they also contribute to healthy body and heart.

Today, everyone has an automatic machine that plugs in and reads your blood pressure. However, these machines are not always as accurate as reading your own blood pressure. It is easy to know how to read blood pressure if you understand the basic principles of what goes into your blood pressure reading and you have the proper tools.

The first thing you need to understand is what blood pressure actually measures. Blood pressure is a measure of your systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure occurs when your heart is actively beating. It is the higher of the two numbers. The diastoic pressure is a measure of the blood pressure when your heart is at rest. This is the lower of the two numbers. These two numbers combined give a good idea of your risk for hypertension or high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is measured with a sphygmomanometer. A sphygmomanometer has a cuff that fits on your arm, a valve, gauge and dial. You will also need a stethoscope to listen to the pulse beats of the brachial artery. When the bulb of the cuff is inflated it will stop the beat of this artery.

Once the air is slowly released you will hear a distinctive thump in the stethoscope. The first thumping noise is your systolic pressure. The second thumping noise you hear is the diastolic pressure. It can take some practice to be able to hear these sounds. Also remember that some people have stronger pulses than others. This means that some individuals are easy to read blood pressure and some are very difficult to get a reading on.
The top number of systolic and diastolic pressure should then be compared to a standard chart. On average, an individual who is in good health should have a systolic number of not more than 120-130 and a diastolic number not more than 80-89. If you have one high reading it is not a cause for alarm.

Try taking your blood pressure in a few hours. If you consistently have higher systolic and diastolic numbers you could be in the early states of pre-hypertension or hypertension. If blood pressure stays high over long periods of time it can lead to a long list of health issues like hardening of the arteries.
Learning to how to read blood pressure is an important step in maintaining your health. Hypertension can lead to serious health issues such as hardening of arteries or plaque build up in the arteries. It is very easy to learn how to read blood pressure from a sphygmomanometer with a little practice.

If you are on blood pressure medicine it is important to periodically take your blood pressure to be sure the medicine is keeping the pressure within a normal range. Just as high blood pressure can be dangerous; low pressure is equally dangerous. If you truly have a hard time learning how to take your blood pressure it is worth the investment to purchase a digital machine that can read your blood pressure automatically.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. The role of arteries is to carry blood from the heart to all body parts. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80mmHg whereas high blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or above. Blood pressure which is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89mmHg is called pre-hypertension, meaning that you don’t have high blood pressure but there is a possibility of developing it in future. If you’re wondering if your blood pressure is normal or not, consult our Blood Pressure Chart.

The real cause of high blood pressure is not known but there are several factors that can put you to risk of developing it. These include being overweight, smoking, stress, old age, lack of physical activities, genetics and consumption of too much salt. High blood pressure is known as ‘silent killer’. This is because it does not exhibit symptoms but can put you to a risk of kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and heart failure. The good thing is that it can be managed naturally. Here are some remedies on how to lower blood pressure quickly.

High blood pressure quick remedies

Diet

Consuming a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to manage high blood pressure naturally. If you want your body to function properly and gain enough energy, you have to eat healthy foods. DASH diet is the required diet for patients with high blood pressure. These diet is high in fruits and vegetables. You should also take foods with high fiber, whole grain and lean meat. It is very important to avoid salty foods and foods that are high in saturated fats.

Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is also an effective way to manage or prevent high blood pressure. The most important thing you should do is to maintain your weight. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor to the development of high blood pressure. When you are obese your body will have a hard time in pumping your blood through the arteries. Thus, increases your blood pressure. So, it is advisable that you eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. You should avoid or limit alcohol intake and smoking. This is because they both contribute in increasing the blood pressure.

Supplements

You can also lower your blood pressure through supplements consumption such as magnesium and calcium. Source of calcium include soy milk, orange juice and low fat milk. Sources of magnesium include whole grain, legumes and leafy green vegetables. The other effective supplement is omega 3. It minimizes the risk of blood clotting. A good source of omega 3 is fish.

Garlic

Scientific research shows that there is a connection between garlic and high blood pressure. It has been proven that garlic is very effective in lowering blood pressure. It lowers the spasms of small arteries. It is also known to slow the rate of the heart beat and to modify the rhythm of the heart. It relieves the symptoms of shortness of breathe, dizziness, numbness and gas formation within the digestive tract. You can take two to three cloves of garlic on daily basis.

To sum it all up, these remedies on how to lower blood pressure quickly will help you achieve these goal. These remedies are effective and taking them into consideration will help you get a relief very fast.

WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Our heart pumps blood within the arteries of our body. This pumping causes pressure or tension to be put upon the arteries leading to what is called high blood pressure or HBP. It is also called hypertension. Hypertension is the cause of heart attacks, many other heart diseases and strokes. Some common methods on how to lower blood pressure naturally are discussed below.

CAUSES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

In general terms, high blood pressure is very often interpreted as excessive emotional tension. Factors like emotional tension, stress, overwork etc can increase the blood pressure temporarily.

The below table shows how to interpret a report from doctor.

Below 120 / 80 – Normal blood pressure
Between 120/80 to 139/89 – Pre-hypertension
Above 140 / 90 – High blood pressure

For more details, read the Blood Pressure Chart.

HOW TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

how to lower blood pressure naturally

WALKING AND EXERCISE: Walking is a simple exercise that will help you lower the blood pressure over time. Walk at a brisk pace to help the heart use the oxygen more efficiently, and pump the blood more effectively. Gradually, increase the walking speed and distance. If possible, try to get a vigorous cardio workout for at least thirty minutes each day or alternate day.

EAT LOW FAT FOODS: Eliminate foods that are high in cholesterol and fats. Remove food items like butter, red meat and junk foods, and replace them with fruits that are helpful to remove the toxins from blood.

HERBS: Herbs like garlic, hawthorn berry, dandelion, Garden Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus), Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua), Astragalus Centralpinus, Turmeric, Ginkgo Biloba give remedial solution on how to lower blood pressure naturally.

DEEP BREATHING: Deep and slow breathing, combined with yoga decrease stress and blood pressure. It should be practiced each day at least for five minutes each day, in the morning and at night. Try to inhale deeply, expanding the belly. Exhale the air slowly, and concentrate on releasing the tension with it.

EAT POTASSIUM RICH FOODS: At the vegetable market or grocery store, look for fruits and vegetables that are potassium rich. Potassium is high in tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, orange juice, bananas, peas kidney beans, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and dry fruits like raisin and prunes. Potassium should be consumed to about 2 to 4 gm each day.

LOW SODIUM: People having a family history of high blood pressure are more likely than others to have blood pressure, and that they are more sensitive to salt (or sodium). But there is no specific criterion or measure to tell whether an individual is sensitive to sodium, everyone to attempt to control or lower his sodium intake.

CONCLUSION
High blood pressure can cause heart related problems, and it is necessary to take adequate remedial measures for it in time. Of course, there are medications available with the guidance of doctors, that will help to control the symptoms of this disease, but we should also take initiatives by ourselves to avert this problem naturally. For people wondering on how to lower blood pressure naturally, the above mentioned points prove quite helpful in reducing high blood pressure without any side effects.