Table of contents:
- How to read blood pressure results
- Systolic number
- Diastolic number
- Various blood pressure results based on levels
- Normal blood pressure results
- Prehypertension
- Hypertension
- Hypertensive crisis
- Hypotension
- How often do you need to measure and read blood pressure results?
When your blood pressure is taken by a medical officer, you may only be told what your current blood pressure number is and whether it is normal, high, or low. Only that. However, do you actually know what the pressure results mean? Then, what is the blood pressure result that is called normal?
How to read blood pressure results
Everyone will want to have normal blood pressure to avoid various chronic diseases, especially heart disease. Therefore, nowadays many people buy automatic blood pressure measuring devices so they can measure blood pressure anytime and anywhere, without having to check with health workers. Then, when you look at the blood pressure reading, what do you know about that number?
If you see that there is an automatic blood pressure device, there are two large numbers written there, namely the first and second rows. The first row is called a systolic number, while the second row is a diastolic number. These two numbers are not just numbers, but describe the condition of your blood flow and heart function at that time.
Systolic number
When the heart beats, there are two things it does, namely contracting and then pushing the blood to flow throughout the body and loosening which is accompanied by the return of blood flow to the heart from all over the body. The activity of pushing blood and contracting produces a pressure called systolic pressure.
Diastolic number
Meanwhile, the diastolic number indicates the pressure on the heart when it is resting. This is the time when the heart receives blood from the lungs which contains oxygen. This blood is blood that will flow throughout the body when systolic pressure occurs.
You are considered healthy if you have systolic and diastolic numbers that are in the normal range. However, what if one of the numbers is normal, but one of the numbers is not normal?
Experts say, if the systolic number is abnormal, then you may experience several health problems such as stiff arteries, heart valve problems, hyperthyroidism, or diabetes mellitus. However, if the diastolic number is abnormal, you may have coronary heart disease. Ask your doctor for a more definite cause.
Various blood pressure results based on levels
After reading the results, you may be confused about what health conditions describe you with these numbers. The following are various results of measuring blood pressure and health conditions that may occur based on levels.
Normal blood pressure shows a systolic number in the range 90-119 mmHg and a diastolic number in the range of 60-79 mmHg. Based on the American Heart Association (AHA), a person is said to have normal blood pressure if the systolic and diastolic numbers on the blood pressure gauge show the two ranges, namely below 120/80 mmHg or above 90/60 mmHg.
If your blood pressure is normal, you don't need any medical treatment. However, you also need to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly to prevent abnormal blood pressure.
Meanwhile, if your blood pressure measurement results are in the range of 120-139 mmHg for systolic numbers and 80-89 mmHg for diastolic numbers, you are in the prehypertension group.
Prehypertension does not show that you have hypertension. However, this group of people is at increased risk of developing high blood pressure in the future. People who are at risk for high blood pressure are also at risk for other diseases if not treated immediately, such as heart disease.
Someone who has prehypertension does not need certain medical care. However, you need to make some lifestyle adjustments for prehypertension, such as maintaining body weight, exercising, eating the recommended food, and so on, to avoid rising blood pressure.
A person is said to be unhealthy if he has a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or more. If you are one of them, it means you have high blood pressure or it is called hypertension.
A person with hypertension needs to get medical care from a doctor. The doctor will also give you one or more hypertension drugs to keep your blood pressure under control. This is because hypertension is left untreated and can lead to complications of hypertension in the form of other diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and even heart failure.
However, people with hypertension also need to adopt a healthier lifestyle to control their blood pressure. Just like prehypertension, people with hypertension also need to exercise regularly, eat recommended foods, stay away from all dietary restrictions that trigger hypertension, stay away from cigarettes and alcohol, maintain weight, and prevent stress.
Apart from hypertension, there is also what is called a hypertensive crisis. Hypertensive crises occur when your blood pressure measurement reads 180/120 mmHg or above. Blood pressure that high indicates a serious health problem for you.
If this happens, you must immediately go to the hospital for emergency treatment, even if you do not feel the accompanying symptoms. Generally, symptoms that accompany a hypertensive crisis, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke symptoms, which are paralysis or loss of muscle control in your face, blood in your urine, or dizziness.
In addition to high numbers, blood pressure in a person can also show a number that is low or below the normal limit, which is below 90/60 mmHg. When this happens, you have low blood pressure or what is known as hypotension.
This condition can also be dangerous for a person because too low pressure means that the supply of oxygenated blood throughout the body becomes limited. Hypotension generally occurs due to certain conditions, such as heart problems, dehydration, pregnancy, blood loss, severe infections, anaphylaxis, malnutrition, endocrine problems, or due to taking certain medications.
Hypotension is usually accompanied by lightheadedness or dizziness. If this happens to you, immediately consult a doctor to find out the exact cause for you. The doctor will also give you some suggestions for increasing your blood pressure.
How often do you need to measure and read blood pressure results?
The frequency of blood pressure checks will vary from person to person, depending on their health condition and the latest blood pressure results. Ask your doctor to find out how often you need to measure your blood pressure and whether you need to have your blood pressure checked at home. Even so, the things below can be considered for you.
- If your blood pressure is normal, which is less than 120/80 mmHg, then it doesn't matter if you check it every 2 years, or according to your doctor's recommendations.
- If you have prehypertension, where your systolic blood pressure is between 120-139 mmHg and diastolic 80-96 mmHg, then at least you have your blood pressure checked once a year.
- If you have entered the hypertension stage, which is a blood pressure of more than 140/90 mmHg, you should consult this with your doctor.
x
