Hypertension: An Overview
Blood
pressure is a measure of the pressure inside your blood vessels -- both while the heart
is beating and while it is relaxed. Naturally, high blood
pressure is when the pressure within your blood vessels is too high. This is
also known as
hypertension. This article provides information on:
What blood pressure is How hypertension is diagnosed How hypertension affects the body What can be done to treat hypertension.
This information about hypertension can be helpful as you take the next steps toward a healthier future.
How Is Hypertension Measured?
Blood pressure is the amount of force (pressure) that blood exerts
on the walls of the blood vessels as it passes through them. As blood
is pumped from your heart into your blood vessels, enough pressure is
created to send it to all other parts of your body.
To measure your blood pressure, a cuff of fabric is wrapped around
your arm and then slightly inflated. The blood pressure shows up on a
gauge attached to the cuff. The healthcare provider reads the numbers
from the gauge as air is released from the cuff. This device that reads
blood pressure is called a sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure can also be measured with a blood pressure machine.
The two numbers that measure your blood pressure are written like
a fraction: one number on top and one on the bottom. For example, what
many people consider "normal" blood pressure is read as 120/80. The
number on top is called the systolic pressure. It measures the pressure
inside your blood vessels at the moment your heart beats. The number on
the bottom is your diastolic pressure. It measures the pressure in your
blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is resting.