Ideal Blood Pressure
Everyone is different in one way or another, and each person has specific needs. In the same way, the ideal blood pressure for one person may not be the same as another person's. A person's diet, exercise, lifestyle, and environment, and even time of day can affect his blood pressure. Usually, an accurate blood pressure reading can be gathered by averaging a few readings taken over the course of a few days.
The amount of force that blood creates against the walls of the blood vessels is known as blood pressure. It's measured in a fraction form. The top number in a blood pressure reading indicates the amount of pressure in your vessels at the moment of a heartbeat, and it's known as systolic pressure. The bottom number indicates the pressure in the vessels between heartbeats, and it's known as diastolic pressure. Usually, a good blood pressure reading would be 120/80 or lower.
To measure one's blood pressure, a cuff of fabric is tightened around a person's upper arm and inflated slightly. Attached to the cuff, there is a gauge called a sphygmomanometer. A doctor or nurse reads the gauge, possibly tightening the cuff more to get a better reading, for about a minute before removing the cuff.
When a person is more active, blood must get to the brain and through the heart at a faster rate, and so the blood pressure will be higher, because the blood is trying to get around the body faster, and possibly in larger quantities. Blood pressure is lower when sitting or lying down, and it's raised when standing, walking, or running, but the changes don't indicate a problem. Higher salt or sugar intakes will also raise blood pressure, as well as eating in general. Age, genetics, and ethnicity can also affect a person's normal blood pressure rate. The older a person is, the higher his normal blood pressure will be.
A good blood pressure is important, because it lowers the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and other diseases. If a bloods pressure reading is 140/80 or higher, it's probably higher than normal and should be taken care of. Changes in diet and exercise generally help lower blood pressure that is not high enough to cause a risk, but enough to be concerned. Stress is also a leading cause of high blood pressure, so relaxing recreation can be medicinal. In most cases, high blood pressure isn't recognized until too late, so checking blood pressure regularly is necessary.
