Under and over pressure
Your blood pressure may be elevated and that is not good. So far the story is clear. But what does blood pressure actually mean and what is the difference between under and over pressure?
By blood pressure we mean the pressure that is placed on the walls of blood vessels every time the heart contracts. The heart pumps 60 to 80 times per minute. Blood is pumped through arteries and veins. This way nutrients and oxygen are transported through the body and waste products are removed.
Pressure on vessel walls
The upper pressure or systolic pressure is the pressure on the arterial walls when a lot of blood flows through the veins. So when the heart contracts or beats.
When the heart relaxes after this, the pressure on the arterial walls decreases. This is called the negative pressure or diastolic pressure. We note this pressure in millimeters of mercury pressure (mmHg).
hypertension
What is normal blood pressure? For a healthy person, a blood pressure of 120 over 80 (120/80) is optimal. This is an upper pressure of 120 mmHg and a negative pressure of 80 mmHg. The limit values increase slightly as you get older. For example, a person over 80 may have an upper pressure of 150-160.
Blood pressure is not always the same. In some activities, your body requires more nutrients and oxygen. The blood pressure may then be temporarily higher. For example in sports, stress or fright. This does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure.
If your resting blood pressure is higher than or equal to 140 over 90, you have hypertension or high blood pressure. In this case, there is a constant higher pressure on the arterial walls and your heart has to work harder to pump blood. This is not a healthy situation for your heart and vessels.
lifestyle
High blood pressure is more common in some people. Older people are more likely to suffer from it. It can also run in families and is more common in black people. An unhealthy lifestyle, for example too much salt, alcohol, smoking and too little potassium and exercise, can increase the risk. A healthy lifestyle can therefore help to prevent high blood pressure.
How do you know if you have high blood pressure? You can’t actually check this yourself, because you don’t notice it yourself. The doctor can measure your blood pressure, prescribe medication if necessary and give you advice to adjust your lifestyle.