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Until you are identified as having high or low blood pressure, you probably didn’t think much about how blood pressure works. To really understand the consequences of this medical problem, it is necessary to learn the fundamentals of blood pressure.

The main parts of your blood pressure are your heart and arteries. Each time you have a heart beat, blood is sent into the arteries to circulate in your body. The average heart beats about 66 to 70 times per minute. The force that the blood flow exerts against the arterial walls is what is known as “blood pressure”.

The upper part of the arm inside the elbow is where blood pressure is typically taken. The brachial, a main artery, is located in the hollow of the elbow. The brachial artery is the artery that carries oxygenated blood away to the muscles and cells from your heart. A sphygmomanometer is a blood pressure cuff that is placed on the upper part of the arm, inflated, and a stethoscope is used on top on the brachial artery.

A stethoscope helps your doctor figure out two important numbers: your systolic and your diastolic. Systolic pressure is defined as when the heart is beating and places the most stress on the artery walls. Diastolic pressure is defined as when the heart is relaxed and fills up with blood in the middle of beats and there is less stress on the arteries. To illustrate, what is considered normal is a reading of 120/80. The systolic is the number on top and the diastolic is the number on the bottom. These two numbers are important to make a precise measurement of blood pressure.

Blood pressure changes everyday considering the kind of activities you do. Blood pressure will go down if you are seated and blood pressure will go up if you are doing a physical activity. Your mood can be an influence on blood pressure as well. Being nervous and getting excited will make blood pressure go higher. It is necessary to have several readings over time to precisely figure out your blood pressure.

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Having a blood pressure of 140/90 consistently is known as hypertension. High blood pressure might go unnoticed for years without your feeling anything, but while this is going on, organs can be damaged. Hypotension is the name for low blood pressure. Blood pressure readings that are usually between 110/60 and 90/50 are considered low. The difference between low blood pressure and high blood pressure is that there are signs for low blood pressure.

Nearly 33 percent of adults 65 years and younger in America have hypertension, while approximately 66 percent of people over 65 years old have it. Of these, less than half — about one-third — seek medical intervention to control their blood pressure.

Your heart is beating all the time you are alive. Hypertension or hypotension could possibly result in deadly risks. It is important to have your blood pressure taken regularly. Even though the pharmacies have automatic blood pressure machines, they are not totally dependable, but they help you know when it is necessary to go visit a doctor.