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- Blood Pressure Information
- Blood pressure is the force of
blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is recorded as
two numbers—the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the
diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The
measurement is written one above or before the other, with the
systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For
example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters
of mercury) is expressed verbally as "120 over 80." Normal blood
pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg
diastolic.
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- High Blood Pressure
- High blood pressure increases your
chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease,
and for having a stroke. It is especially dangerous because it
often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age,
or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated
that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure.
Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime.
You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking action.
Blood pressure rises and falls during the
day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it is called high
blood pressure. The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the
heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are
the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans. High blood
pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart
failure, kidney disease, and blindness.
A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or
higher is considered high. About two-thirds of people over age 65 have
high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and
139/89 mmHg, then you have prehypertension. This means that you
don't have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the
future. You can take steps to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a
healthy lifestyle.
Those who do not have high blood pressure
at age 55 face a 90 percent chance of developing it during their
lifetimes. So high blood pressure is a condition that most people
have at some point in their lives.
- What the Numbers Mean
- Both numbers in a blood pressure test
are important, but for people who are 50 or older, systolic pressure
gives the most accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure. It is high
if it is 140 mmHg or above.
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|
|
Blood Pressure
Level (mmHg) |
|
Category
|
Systolic
|
|
Diastolic
|
|
Normal |
< 120 |
and |
< 80 |
|
Prehypertension |
120-139 |
or |
80-89 |
|
High Blood
Pressure |
|
Stage 1 Hypertension |
140–159 |
or |
90–99 |
|
Stage 2 Hypertension |
>160 |
or |
>100 |
Systolic Pressure is the force of
blood in the arteries as the heart beats. It is shown as the top number
in a blood pressure reading. High blood pressure is 140 and higher for
systolic pressure. Diastolic pressure does not need to be high for you
to have high blood pressure. When that happens, the condition is called
"isolated systolic hypertension," or ISH. Diastolic pressure is
the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats.
It's shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
Any form of high blood pressure is
dangerous if not properly treated. Both numbers in a blood pressure test
are important, but, for some, the systolic is especially meaningful.
That's because, for those persons middle aged and older, systolic
pressure gives a better diagnosis of high blood pressure.
If left uncontrolled, high systolic
pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure,
kidney damage, blindness, or other conditions. While it cannot be cured
once it has developed, ISH can be controlled.
The diastolic blood pressure has been and
remains, especially for younger people, an important hypertension
number. The higher the diastolic blood pressure the greater the risk for
heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. As people become older, the
diastolic pressure will begin to decrease and the systolic blood
pressure begins to rise and becomes more important. A rise in systolic
blood pressure will also increase the chance for heart attacks, strokes,
and kidney failure. Your physician will use both the systolic and the
diastolic blood pressure to determine your blood pressure category and
appropriate prevention and treatment activities.
- Why Is High Blood Pressure Important?
- High blood pressure is dangerous
because it makes the heart work too hard. It also makes the walls of
the arteries hard. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart
disease and stroke, the first- and third-leading causes of death for
Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems, such as
heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.
Effect of High Blood Pressure on Your Body
- Impaired Vision
- High blood pressure can eventually
cause blood vessels in the eye to burst or bleed. Vision may become
blurred or otherwise impaired and can result in blindness.
- Stroke
- High blood pressure is the most
important risk factor for stroke. Very high pressure can cause a
break in a weakened blood vessel, which then bleeds in the brain.
This can cause a stroke. If a blood clot blocks one of the narrowed
arteries, it can also cause a stroke.
- Arteries
- As people get older, arteries
throughout the body "harden," especially those in the heart, brain,
and kidneys. High blood pressure is associated with these "stiffer"
arteries. This, in turn, causes the heart and kidneys to work
harder.
- Kidney Damage
- The kidneys act as filters to rid
the body of wastes. Over time, high blood pressure can narrow and
thicken the blood vessels of the kidneys. The kidneys filter less
fluid, and waste builds up in the blood. The kidneys may fail
altogether. When this happens, medical treatment (dialysis)
or a kidney transplant may be needed.
- Heart Attack
- High blood pressure is a major risk
factor for heart attack. The arteries bring oxygen-carrying blood to
the heart muscle. If the heart cannot get enough oxygen, chest pain,
also known as "angina," can occur. If the flow of blood is blocked,
a heart attack results.
- Congestive Heart
Failure
- High blood pressure is the number
one risk factor for congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF is a serious
condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to
supply the body's needs.
- Massage Information
- Reflexology and massage aims to
relieve stress or treat health conditions through the application of
pressure to specific points or areas of the feet and body. The
underlying idea of reflexology is that areas of the feet and hands
correspond to (and affect) other parts of the body.
Techniques similar to
reflexology have been used for thousands of years in Egypt, China and
other areas. In the early 20th century, an American physician named
William Fitzgerald suggested that the foot could be "mapped" to other
areas of the body to diagnose or treat medical conditions. He divided
the body into 10 zones and labeled the parts of the foot that he
believed controlled each zone. He proposed that gentle pressure on a
particular area of the foot could generate relief in the targeted zone.
This process was originally called zone therapy.
In the 1930s, Eunice
Ingham, a nurse and physiotherapist, further developed these maps to
include specific reflex points. At that time, zone therapy was renamed
reflexology. Modern reflexologists in the United States often learn
Ingham's method or a similar technique developed by the reflexologist
Laura Norman.
Reflexology charts
include pictures of the feet with diagrams of corresponding internal
organs or parts of the body. The right side of the body is believed to
be reflected in the right foot, and the left side, in the left foot.
Different health care providers, such as massage therapists,
chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists or nurses, may use
reflexology.
Massage
has many therapeutic benefits. Most notable is the ability of massage
and reflexology to:
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