What is blood pressure?

 

 

09-Feb-2022

 

Blood pressure is measured by the force with which hearts pushes the blood out into the blood vessels. It is the pressure of blood in large arteries exerted against their walls.


It is measured in mmHg or millimeters of mercury. It is measured in two parts:
•    Systolic blood pressure: the pressure of the blood when it is pumped out by the heart into the vessels.


•    Diastolic blood pressure: the pressure of blood while the heart rests between the beats.


What are the normal blood pressure values?

Normal blood pressure is considered anywhere between 90/60 to 120/80 mmHg. It may vary from person to person according to their age, weight, and other factors.


High blood pressure:

High blood pressure is often the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. If left untreated, it may develop into a myriad of serious heart diseases or kidney diseases. If the value is 140/90 mmHg or higher it is noted as high blood pressure.


Low blood pressure:

Low blood pressure may be caused by some underlying conditions leading to heart failure and dehydration among other issues. Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60 mmHg.


Importance of monitoring your blood pressure level.

1 out of every 3 people is affected by high blood pressure or is at risk of developing hypertension. In addition, the worst part is, most of them are not even aware of this problem eating them up from inside.


•    Measuring blood pressure regularly can lead to an early diagnosis of blood pressure abnormalities especially high blood pressure. High blood pressure is most common in people and due to the absence of any significant symptoms, it goes unnoticed. It is rightly called the silent killer as it continues to damage organs over time. This leads to serious heart disease or stroke. As the blood pressure changes from time to time, experts advise the people at risk or those who are diagnosed hypertensives to monitor their blood pressure regularly.


•    By checking Bp regularly at home, we actively get involved in our healthcare and can take steps to improve our health in time and manage the issue at hand. It is easy, inexpensive, and convenient to monitor your blood pressure regularly, at home, by yourself as compared to frequently visiting doctor clinics.

 

•    We can track the efficacy of blood pressure medicines that have been prescribed, and change them up or adjust their dosage according to our progress.


•    Monitoring bp regularly at home enables us to implement lifestyle changes that would help in improving our general health.


•    Every time, running to the doctor's clinic to get your blood pressure checked is a little inconvenient for the patient so often the blood pressure goes unchecked for a longer time period. At-home monitoring of blood pressure is convenient and accessible.

 

•    People at risk of hypertension should be able to keep track of their progress and blood pressure index to monitor the progression of the disease. This way, the problem can be solved by preventive measures, and the patient is not caught by surprise.


•    The reading your doctor gets in the clinic momentarily can be affected by a phenomenon known as white coat hypertension. During this, the normal or low blood pressure of the patient gives a false high reading due to the nervousness and fear of the clinical setup. 


Keep track of your blood pressure efficiently:


It is very easy to ask your doctor about the best type of blood pressure monitor and learn to check your blood pressure periodically. Start by checking your blood pressure once in the morning before medication and once in the evening. Once you understand and establish a pattern, keep notes of the factors that might contribute to changes in blood pressure readings. We have established a blood pressure tracker app to help you do just that. You can feed your readings in the app and it will not only store the reading for future analysis but also indicate if you blood pressure is change and what it means. It can help you and your doctor understand the disease progression after a little time with all the data you provided.


Download this free blood pressure diary app and let it assist you in keeping a close check on your health. All you need to do is add your readings data (Systolic, Diastolic and Pulse) in and let it do the rest.


References:
1.  https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/what-is-blood-pressure/
2.  https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/measure.htm#:~:text=It's%20important%20to%20get%20an,of%20security%20about%20your%20health
3.  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/checking-blood-pressure-at-home-pays-off-201307036436