Blood pressure readings

If you’re like most people, you probably have little idea of what blood pressure readings really mean. High blood pressure can be detrimental to your health, leading to conditions like heart disease and kidney disease. Low pressure can cause you to become light-headed or it may lead to fainting in some cases.

Many of us visit our doctor on a regular basis. Each time we get our blood pressure readings the nurse may say, “Good” or something indicating that everything is just fine. However, this tells us nothing about what the actual blood pressure readings actually mean.

Some of us are a little flaky even when it comes to our health. I have heard my nurse practitioner state that my blood pressure readings are excellent but I don’t remember the numbers she blurts out right before making the positive statement. Many of us really care about the little details while others are more concerned with the significance of the numbers.

So how do you know if your pressure is too high or to low just by getting your numbers? First of all, you really need to know that a common reading would be something like 130 over 85. This is an example of one of the blood pressure readings that fall within the normal range.

The normal range for the first number (also known as the systolic pressure) is between 120 and 140. The normal range for the second number (also known as diastolic pressure) is ranges from 70 to 90. This does not mean that you need to panic if you get blood pressure readings slightly higher or lower than the numbers in the range.

There are some things to consider when getting your blood pressure readings. One important factor is the amount of stress you are under while you are being examined. For example, you will probably get higher numbers if you have just had an argument or if you almost had an accident on the way to the doctor’s office.

The time of day is another factor that may give blood pressure readings that are a little exaggerated. Your physician may want you to get readings during different times of the day to see if anything changes significantly. You may find that there is quite a change according to things going on around you.

If you are at all concerned about the possibility of having a condition like hypertension you may want to invest in a home testing kit. You can take your own blood pressure readings right at home with a kit that can be purchased online or in your local drug store.