Blood Pressure Readings
Gone are the days when you’d only be able to get your blood pressure readings at the doctor’s office. Thankfully, you can now take it as often as you’d like, right at home with the home blood pressure meter. There are several types, including the “old fashioned” model that comes with the inflatable ball. Nowadays, there are many options, even including a small wrist blood pressure monitor. Boy, have things come a long way!
How Are Blood Pressure Readings Taken?
Before we get into what blood pressure readings should be, you should understand what blood pressure actually is. You’ve got 4 chambers in your heart that pump blood into your major arteries. These arteries transport blood through your entire body using your circulatory system. Your blood pressure is at its highest point when it is beating. The pressure at this point is referred to as the systolic pressure. This the first number you see in blood pressure readings. When your heart contracts, the pressure that is created that is referred to as your diastolic blood pressure reading. When your heat is in a relaxed stat in between beats, this reading is captured. For those that are healthy, blood pressure readings normally fall within a specific range. But for those who have health issues such as high levels of stress, obesity or high cholesterol, blood pressure is often sporadic and is often much higher than the specific / normal range healthy people experience. Of course, there are also those who suffer from low blood pressure. In the vast majority of these cases, the individual is either ill or has experienced a loss of blood. Both extremely high and extremely low blood pressure can lead to death, so it’s critical to monitor it on a regular basis.
What Are Normal Blood Pressure Readings?
For most adults, normal blood pressure readings will fall between 120 to 130 beats per minute. For someone who is in excellent shape, their heart rate could very well be below 120 beats per minute. So, the first number – this systolic reading – should be between 120 and 130. The second number – or diastolic pressure – should be somewhere in between 80 and 90 beats per minute for most people. With these two numbers in mind, blood pressure readings of 126/83 or 120/84 would be considered normal for most folks. However, blood pressure readings of 116/77, 110/96 for example, you’d likely be considered to be in great shape. There are some people that do have a higher or lower blood pressure than this that is considered normal by their doctor.