What Should My Blood Pressure Be?

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood against the artery walls. A reading includes two numbers: the systolic pressure, or higher number, and diastolic pressure, or lower number. For adults, a healthy blood pressure is a reading of less than 120/80. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a reading of 140/90 or higher. Pre-hypertension is defined as a systolic reading of between 120 and 139 and a diastolic reading of between 80 and 89. Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is a reading of less than 90/60.

What The Numbers Mean

• The two numbers in a blood pressure reading represent two separate forces of blood against the artery walls. The first is the systolic pressure which is the force the heart creates while blood is being pumped into the arteries and circulatory system. The second is the diastolic pressure which is the force when the heart is at rest or when blood flow is being resisted.

How It Is Measured

• A doctor or other health care professional can take a patient's blood pressure with a simple and painless procedure that takes just a minute of two. The device used to measure blood pressure is called a sphygmomanometer. It consists of a cuff that goes around the upper arm, a pressure gauge for readings and a bulb attached to rubber tubing. To take a person's blood pressure, the health-care professional inflates the cuff and places a stethoscope over the brachial artery in the elbow. Once the cuff is inflated to the point that the brachial artery is collapsed, the air is slowly released from the cuff and the health-care professional will listen for the sounds of blood flowing through the artery again. The reading when these sounds are noted represents the systolic pressure. The reading on the pressure gauge between two successive heartbeats represents the diastolic pressure.

Unit of Measurement

• Blood pressure is measured in mm of mercury, the abbreviation for which is mmHg. For a person with a healthy blood pressure of 120 systolic pressure and 80 diastolic pressure, it would correctly be expressed as 120 mmHg/80 mmHG, or more commonly 120/80 mmHg.

Hypertension

• Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a serious medical condition affecting millions of Americans, according to the American Heart Association. And because many people with high blood pressure experience no symptoms, it has earned the nickname "the silent killer." Left untreated, hypertension can cause several serious medical conditions including heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Several different types of prescription drugs can be used to try to lower a person's blood pressure, but eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise can go a long way to bringing blood pressure into a healthy range. Many doctors prescribing drugs to treat hypertension will also recommend that patients eat more healthily and exercise more.

Hypotension

• Similar to patients with hypertension, people with hypotension, or low blood pressure, often experience no symptoms of the condition. Hypotension, though, is far less common that hypertension and is generally far less serious. Some people with low blood pressure will experience fainting and dizziness, especially when standing up. Mild and moderate cases of hypotension may not require any treatment, but in some cases doctors will ask patients to do things to try and raise the blood pressure, such as drink plenty of water and eat a diet with more salt. In severe cases, medications can be prescribed to help elevate the blood pressure.