What is blood pressure?

What is blood pressure?

When your heart beats, it pumps blood round your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As the blood moves, it pushes against the side of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your arteries ( and your heart at) and this may lead to heart attacks and strokes.

How you can tell if you have high blood pressure?

Having high blood pressure (hypertension) is not usually something that you feel or notice. It does not tend to produce obvious sign or symptoms. The only way to know what your blood pressure is, to have it measured.

Blood pressure is measured in 'millimeters of mercury' (mmHg) and is written as two numbers. For example, if your reading is 120/80 mmHg, your blood pressure is '120 over 80'.

What do the numbers mean?

Every blood pressure reading consists of two numbers of level. They are shown as one number on top of the other.
For example, a blood pressure of 135 over 85 may be "normal" but someone with this reading is twice as likely to have heart stroke or stoke as someone with a reading of 115 over 75.

What is normal blood pressure?

Ideally, we should all have blood pressure below 120 over 80 (120/80) This is the ideal blood pressure for people wishing to have good health. At this level, we have a much lower risk of heart disease or stroke.

If your blood pressure is optional, this is the great news. By following my healthy living advice, you will able to keep it this way. If your blood pressure is above 120/80mmHg, you will need to lower it.

Most adults in India have blood pressure reading in the range from 120 over 80 (120/80) to 140 over 90 (140/90). If your blood pressure is withing this range, you should be taking steps to bring it down or stop it rising any further.

Thanks & Regards

Ankush Shilimkar