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ASK THE DOCTOR Blood Pressure
What is blood pressure and how is it measured?
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of blood vessels Р the veins and arteries in our body. Blood pressure is vital in circulating blood throughout the body. When your heart beats, it pumps blood round your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As the blood moves it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure.
When you have your blood pressure measured the doctor will check both the maximum pressure (systolic) and the lowest pressure (diastolic) made by the beating of the heart. The systolic pressure is the maximum pressure in an artery at the moment when the heart is beating and the diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure in an artery in the moments between beats when the heart is resting. Blood pressure is measured in ‘millimetres of mercury’ (mmHg) and will be written as two numbers. The first or top number of the measurement is systolic and the second or bottom number is the diastolic So if your reading is 120/80mmHg, your blood pressure is ‘120 over 80’. Both the pressure measurements are important Р if either one is raised, it means you have high blood pressure.
Why is high blood pressure bad for me?
High blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels causing them to become weaker or damaged and increasing your risk of heart attack or failure, strokes and kidney failure. Conditions, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, will increase your risk even more.
How can I lower my blood pressure?
Lifestyle and dietary changes are highly effective in lowering blood pressure. Losing weight and becoming more active as well as reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking are recommended. Reducing your intake of salty foods and increasing your fruit and vegetables will help, also get more active and exercise regularly for 30 minutes each day.
If you have any concerns about your blood pressure or any aspect of your heart health call us at MediClinic today to arrange a blood pressure test with one of our doctors, or dietary changes with a nutritionist.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of blood vessels Р the veins and arteries in our body. Blood pressure is vital in circulating blood throughout the body. When your heart beats, it pumps blood round your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As the blood moves it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure.
When you have your blood pressure measured the doctor will check both the maximum pressure (systolic) and the lowest pressure (diastolic) made by the beating of the heart. The systolic pressure is the maximum pressure in an artery at the moment when the heart is beating and the diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure in an artery in the moments between beats when the heart is resting. Blood pressure is measured in ‘millimetres of mercury’ (mmHg) and will be written as two numbers. The first or top number of the measurement is systolic and the second or bottom number is the diastolic So if your reading is 120/80mmHg, your blood pressure is ‘120 over 80’. Both the pressure measurements are important Р if either one is raised, it means you have high blood pressure.
Why is high blood pressure bad for me?
High blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels causing them to become weaker or damaged and increasing your risk of heart attack or failure, strokes and kidney failure. Conditions, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, will increase your risk even more.
How can I lower my blood pressure?
Lifestyle and dietary changes are highly effective in lowering blood pressure. Losing weight and becoming more active as well as reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking are recommended. Reducing your intake of salty foods and increasing your fruit and vegetables will help, also get more active and exercise regularly for 30 minutes each day.
If you have any concerns about your blood pressure or any aspect of your heart health call us at MediClinic today to arrange a blood pressure test with one of our doctors, or dietary changes with a nutritionist.
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