Blood pressure indicates pressure inside your vessels while the heart pumps blood and while it rests. This eMedTV article covers key aspects of blood pressure, like how it is measured, what is considered normal, and what can affect it.
If your systolic blood pressure is higher than 140 mmHg, you have high systolic blood pressure. This part of the eMedTV library examines this type of high blood pressure in detail and provides information on how it may be controlled.
Diastolic blood pressure, represented by the bottom number in a blood pressure reading, is when your heart is resting. This page of the eMedTV library explains diastolic blood pressure and offers tips for keeping it low.
Blood pressure readings consist of two numbers written like a fraction. This page of the eMedTV archives explains what each of these blood pressure numbers mean and what is considered normal.
Many people wonder, "What is normal blood pressure?" This eMedTV page explains that it's not one set number, although many believe that the ideal is an average reading of 120/80 or below. Normal levels actually fall anywhere between 90/60 and 120/80.
The two parts of a blood pressure reading are the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. This page of the eMedTV library explains how this reading measures blood pressure within the blood vessels while the heart beats and also at rest.
This eMedTV article explains how to take blood pressure and offers tips to help ensure you get the most accurate reading possible. Your healthcare provider will probably use a device called a sphygmomanometer to measure your blood pressure.
There are two types of sphygmomanometers (devices used to measure blood pressure). This portion of the eMedTV archives takes a closer look at how blood pressure is measured, and also explains how these devices work.
