This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 8:12 pm and is filed under Fitness Tests, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
We have all heard the warnings about high blood pressure and we should all be aware of the dangers that high blood pressure puts on our hearts.
What is Blood Pressure a measure of?
Blood pressure is not a measure of the pressure in the blood itself but actually the pressure the blood exerts on the artery walls.
How is it measured?
By using a sphygmomanometer (try saying that! – Beeble). This is usually the inflatable band that goes around your left upper arm to momentarily stop the blood flow. A stethoscope is then used to listen out for the first blood flow through the arteries of the arm when the air is slowly let out of the arm band. This first movment of blood is known as the ’systolic level’. The person measuring will then listen for the sound of the blood pumping through the arteries. The last sound made is measured on the sphygmomanometer and recorded as the ‘diastolic level.’ This is the end of the measurement and your arm is now released from the arm band’s vice-like grip.
What is the systolic level?
This is the peak pressure level which the blood will pump through your arteries. This level is easily affected by physical exersion and mental stress, stimulants like smoking, coffee and sugar and restricted arteries caused by cholesterol. Because this level is so easily affected it makes sense to take your blood pressure in the morning before you have consumed anything. This should give you the most accurate reading and catch you at your most relaxed.
What is the diastolic level?
This is the pressure level at which your blood flows through your arteries at your most relaxed and it is because of this that this is the most important of the two measurements. Whilst the systolic level bounces up and down depending on what you are doing the diastolic level is much more steady. It gets affected by the systolic level which if it is constantly high will bring the diastolic level higher over time. If this ‘resting’ heart rate is allowed to stay high you run the risk of heart related illnesses.
What is it measured in?
It is measured in millimeters of mercury mmHg and a typical healthy reading would be a systolic reading of 120mmHg and a diastolic reading of 80mmHg. The doctor or health professional would then tell you that you had a reading of “120 over 80”.
What are the signs of High Blood Pressure?
The signs will sound fairly stereotypical but are none the less factors that can lead to high blood pressure which in turn can result in serious heart problems. The factors are as follows:
- Overweight or Obese
- Smoking
- Drugs and Banned stimulants
- Large consumption of sugary foods and drinks
- Hereditory (previous heart related problems in your family)
- Regularly high stress levels
These are all factors that if you can even relate to just one of these I would recommend that you get to your doctor for a test.
What are safe and unsafe levels?
If you see a doctor in the UK their guidelines state that a systolic reading of 140 and a diastolic reading of 90 is a healthy level and there is nothing to worry about. Even if the systolic level was 160 they would probably give you the all clear as long as you diastolic level was 90 or less.
Unsafe Levels = any reading that is over 140/90 mmHg
Safe Levels = any reading that is between110-140/70-90 mmHg
Beeble’s Opinion
Of course Beeble has an opinion on this and that is that 140/90 mmHg is just safe and if you have a reading that is similar then you shouldn’t relax just yet. Whilst your heart will be in no immediate danger the signs are that it is higher than it should be. If you want to have a really healthy reading then you should be aiming more for around 120/75 mmHg. This is what we would class as a healthy level and should be the aim for nearly everyone.
How do you lower your blood pressure?
This is a big subject but thankfully one that Beebleblog has been designed for. You have to improve your diet by reducing your intake of stimulants like tea and coffee, sugary products and fatty foods. Then you need to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables and foods that are low on the glycaemic index. Once you have completely remodeled your diet you then need to take up exercise to help reduce your cholesterol and improve the strength of your heart. This is not an easy process but one that takes time. Do not look for short cuts but take your time learning how to treat you body to help you live a long and healthy life.
And a Warning…
If you are unsure what your blood pressure reading is and you know that your diet is unhealthy and you spend more time sitting than you do exercise and walking, then I really recommend booking in sometime to see your doctor to get your blood pressure monitored. High Blood pressure is known as ‘the silent killer’ because there are no obvious signs until the imminent heart attack and it is for this reason, even if you feel that you are 100% healthy, you should make sure that at least once a year you have your blood pressure measured.
Good luck with changing to your healthier lifestyle and if you would like to see a post on a particular subject then please do not hesitate, just ask us by sending us an email or leaving a comment at the end of this post.
