Blood Pressure essays

Blood Pressure essays Everyone has been to the doctor and had their blood pressure taken, but do they really know what it means? Most people dont. One may know what their blood pressure is and if its within a normal range but actually has no idea as to what it really is. In the follow paragraphs I will tell explain what your blood pressure means, the normal ranges, and how to take blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is written as two separate numbers, first the systolic and then the diastolic. Together, they are the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. The systolic number is obtained when the heart contracts or beats against the walls of the arteries. The diastolic number is obtained when the heart relaxes between beats. Most people know systolic as the top number and diastolic as the bottom number. The measurement of blood pressure is written one above or below the other with the systolic on top and the diastolic on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure may be recorded as 118/78 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). This would be verbalized as 118 over 78. Blood pressure can be classified as low, normal, or high. Hypotension or low blood pressure can be caused by certain medical conditions or diseases. A few of these conditions are nervous system disorders, endocrine disorders, certain drugs, infections, prolonged bed rest, or shock. Hypertension or high b lood pressure has mostly unknown causes. This is why its known as the silent killer. Some risk factors associated with high blood pressure are stress, obesity, lack of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, and the use of some medications. I will discuss normal blood pressure in the following paragraph. Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic or 120 over 80. A normal range for a ...