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Skip to main content. Blood and blood vessels. Home Blood and blood vessels. Blood pressure. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. How blood pressure is measured Variations in blood pressure Blood pressure readings Get regular blood pressure checks Managing high blood pressure High blood pressure and daily activity High blood pressure and diet Salt intake and high blood pressure Medications for high blood pressure Where to get help.
How blood pressure is measured It is best to measure blood pressure when you are relaxed and sitting. Each excess kilogram of body weight a person loses reduces blood pressure by up to 2 mmHg. Because stress also increases blood pressure, care should be taken to ensure a good work-life balance and adequate sleep. Blood pressure levels at a glance How to properly measure blood pressure How to properly interpret blood pressure levels What is a blood pressure chart?
Why do I need a blood pressure chart? The ideal blood pressure levels When is my blood pressure too high? Preventing high blood pressure Blood pressure levels at a glance Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury mmHg.
Blood pressure readings. How to properly measure blood pressure Blood pressure should be measured in a resting state, with the arm positioned roughly at the same height as the heart. How to properly interpret blood pressure levels Because blood pressure is different for every person, there are no specific limits — except for excessively high blood pressure values — for when it is advisable to see a doctor.
What is a blood pressure chart? Doctors often break down low blood pressure hypotension into categories, depending on the causes and other factors. Some types of low blood pressure include:. Low blood pressure on standing up orthostatic or postural hypotension. This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting position or after lying down. Gravity causes blood to pool in your legs when you stand. Ordinarily, your body compensates by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels, thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain.
But in people with orthostatic hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and blood pressure falls, leading to dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision and even fainting. Orthostatic hypotension can occur for various reasons, including dehydration, prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large varicose veins and certain neurological disorders. A number of medications also can cause orthostatic hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat high blood pressure — diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors — as well as antidepressants and drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and erectile dysfunction.
Orthostatic hypotension is especially common in older adults, but it also affects young, otherwise healthy people who stand up suddenly after sitting with their legs crossed for long periods or after squatting for a time. Low blood pressure after eating postprandial hypotension. This drop in blood pressure occurs one to two hours after eating and affects mostly older adults.
Blood flows to your digestive tract after you eat. Ordinarily, your body increases your heart rate and constricts certain blood vessels to help maintain normal blood pressure. But in some people these mechanisms fail, leading to dizziness, faintness and falls. In most people, systolic blood pressure rises steadily with age due to the increasing stiffness of large arteries, long-term buildup of plaque and an increased incidence of cardiac and vascular disease.
However, either an elevated systolic or an elevated diastolic blood pressure reading may be used to make a diagnosis of high blood pressure. According to recent studies, the risk of death from ischemic heart disease and stroke doubles with every 20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic increase among people from age 40 to The abbreviation mm Hg means millimeters of mercury. Mercury was used in the first accurate pressure gauges and is still used in medicine today as the standard unit of measurement for pressure.
While both are indications of health, blood pressure and heart rate pulse are two separate measurements. Learn more about the difference between blood pressure and heart rate. Great job! Your blood pressure is normal. To keep your readings in this range, stick with heart-healthy habits like following a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. However, your numbers fall within the Elevated category, making you more likely to develop high blood pressure unless you take action to control it.
Ready to make some small changes that have big impacts? Healthy lifestyle choices are a great place to start. You are in the first stage of hypertension , but there are actions you can take to get your blood pressure under control.
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