Your blood pressure is one of the easiest things to measure. You can walk into a pharmacy or use a cuff at home, and within seconds, you get two numbers. However, unless someone explains these numbers may confuse you. Is 130 bad? Is 80 good? What does it mean if one number is high and the other isn’t?
May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month, and in this blog, we've broken down what your blood pressure is, how to read it, what affects it, and why it’s crucial to keep it in check. We also explain the risks associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and why low blood pressure (hypotension), while less common, can be serious.
Most importantly, you learn why the team at Integrative Primary Care is your best bet to help you keep your blood pressure in a healthy range or take the right next steps if it's not.
Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on your artery walls as it moves through your body. Every time your heart beats, it pushes blood into your arteries, and that pressure rises and falls depending on factors like stress, diet, activity level, medications, and underlying health conditions.
You’ve probably noticed your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, like 120 over 80. The top number is systolic pressure—that’s the pressure when your heart is actively pumping. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure—that’s the pressure when your heart is at rest between beats. So, if your reading is 120/80 mmHg, your systolic pressure is 120, and your diastolic is 80.
You might not think about your blood pressure often if you feel healthy, but high or low readings can point to problems that may not exhibit symptoms until they’re severe. Monitoring your blood pressure regularly is a good habit, especially if you're over 40, have a family history of heart problems, or have conditions like diabetes.
When your blood pressure is consistently too high, it puts stress on your arteries and organs. Left unchecked, this can lead to serious complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and more. On the other hand, very low blood pressure can limit the flow of oxygen to your brain and other vital organs, which can cause dizziness, fainting, and in extreme cases, shock.
So what’s a good number? Generally speaking, if your top number is consistently under 120 and your bottom number is under 80, that’s considered normal. If your top number starts creeping into the 120s or 130s, even if the bottom number stays below 80, you might be in the early stages of elevated blood pressure.
140 or above on the top or 90 or above on the bottom usually means you’re dealing with hypertension. If your numbers are high once but you were stressed or had caffeine right before, that might not be a big deal. If they’re high consistently, that’s when it’s time to take action.
Here’s a quick look at what the numbers mean:
If your readings are consistently elevated, even slightly, it’s time to check in with us at Integrative Primary Care. You don’t need to wait for them to hit a crisis level. Early action often means avoiding medication altogether or only needing low doses.
When your blood pressure is in a healthy range, it means your heart, arteries, and organs are most likely working just fine. When it’s too high or too low, it’s worth keeping an eye on. If you’re checking your blood pressure but not sure what it means, or if you already know you need help managing it, schedule an appointment with us today.
