Understanding your blood pressure is important for keeping yourself healthy. From systolic to diastolic: what do the blood pressure numbers mean?
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood pumping through your blood vessels. The numbers of a blood pressure reading tell a doctor about the force and rate of your heartbeat.
It also helps a doctor understand how round and flexible your artery walls are. Blood pressure is taken during different phases of your heart’s contractions and expansions.
How is blood pressure measured?
A medical professional takes your blood pressure by placing a flexible cuff on your upper arm. The cuff inflates to put pressure on and off your arteries and blood flow.
When the cuff inflates and immediately deflates, your provider listens with a stethoscope. They’re trying to hear a specific whooshing noise. The noise indicates your systolic blood pressure reading. When the noise stops, that’s when your diastolic blood pressure is measured.
People older than 40 should get their blood pressure checked at least once a year. If you’re between 18 and 40, you should be checked at least every three to five years. If you have had a high blood pressure result in the past, you should get checked more frequently.
What do blood pressure readings mean?
An ideal blood pressure reading is right around 120 over 80. It’s also written 120/80. Numbers higher than this may mean mild or critical hypertension, or high blood pressure. It helps to understand what the numbers measure:
- Systolic is the top number in a reading. It should be below 120 because it represents the force that squeezes and pushes blood through your arteries.
- Diastolic is the bottom number in a reading. It should be below 80 because it represents the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
What causes hypertension?
No one knows exactly what causes someone to develop hypertension. You can have high blood pressure for various reasons, including:
- Adrenal gland issues
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Excessive stress
- Heart defects
- Inherited conditions
- Kidney disease
- Medication side effects
- Sleep apnea
Women may develop hypertension because of the stress on their bodies during pregnancy. Doctors closely monitor and manage a woman’s blood pressure during pregnancy.
If it’s not managed, a baby may be born prematurely or with a low birth weight. Hypertension tends to reverse itself after pregnancy. However, hypertension during pregnancy may be an indicator you’ll get it later in life.
What are the stages of hypertension?
There are various degrees of high blood pressure. Your provider may perform ongoing blood pressure monitoring or recommend that you do this at home, depending on your hypertension stage.
- Elevated blood pressure means your systolic is 120 to 129, and your diastolic is less than 80.
- High blood pressure/hypertension stage 1 means your systolic is 130 to 139, or your diastolic is between 80 to 89.
- High blood pressure/hypertension stage 2 means your systolic is 140 or higher or your diastolic is 90 or higher.
- Hypertension crisis means you need to seek emergency medical attention because your systolic is higher than 180 and/or your diastolic is higher than 120.
It may take more than reading to confirm a hypertension diagnosis. Sometimes, your blood pressure reading may be elevated because you’re nervous about the test or experiencing extra stress.
Further testing for hypertension
If your readings are consistently high, your doctor may order more tests to determine why your numbers are elevated. You may need the following tests:
- Urine test
- Cholesterol screening
- ECG (heart’s electrical activity)
- Ultrasound for your heart or kidneys
These tests can also tell if there’s any damage to your organs before you start hypertension treatment.
What do I do if I have high blood pressure?
Hypertension is easily treated. It’s up to you to be consistent with treatment. To treat high blood pressure, you may need to change a few habits of your lifestyle, including:
- Quitting smoking
- Eating a healthy diet
- Losing excess weight
- Reducing your salt intake
- Reducing stress in your life
- Adding more exercise to your day
In addition, medications can help balance and reduce the pressure in your vessels. These include beta-blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors and other types of blockers.
How we can help
If you have one or more risk factors for hypertension or are concerned about your blood pressure, make an appointment with your primary care provider. Not only can they perform screening tests, but they can also help you better understand your personal risks of developing high blood pressure.
Learn about the heart and vascular services as well as the primary care services we offer at Mercy Health.
