What Is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted on the blood vessels as it circulates around the body. As the heart beats, the blood pressure varies from minimum (diastolic) to maximum (systolic) pressure.

What Causes Blood Pressure Problems?

The difference in the mean blood pressure is responsible for the blood flowing from one location into another through circulation. High blood pressure (hypertension) is measured in millimetres of mercury as either systolic, i.e. the pressure of blood when the heart beats to pump blood out, or diastolic, which is the pressure of blood when the heart is resting in between the beats. This is reflective of how strongly the arteries are resisting any blood flow.

  • Normal blood pressure is recorded as around 130/80mmHg as this is considered normal.
  • High blood pressure is in the region of 140/90mmHg or higher.
  • Low blood pressure is recorded as being around 90/60.

Very high or low blood pressure may be the sign of underlying health problems, although high blood pressure is more dangerous to the body. High blood pressure risk increases with age and may be related to poor diet, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, drinking excess alcohol, undergoing stress, and depression.

Much of the time, there’s no need to be alarmed about having low blood pressure. Mild symptoms may be perfectly fine. Certain individuals have a naturally low, naturally healthy blood pressure.