How blood pressure is measured.

Blood pressure(Bp) is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) with an instrument called sphygmanometer . The device consists of an inflatable cuff attached to a mercury meter (there are digital ones but doctors trust this one) The doctor wraps the cuff around the arm and inflates it with air from a squeeze bulb. This drives the mercury column up toward the top of the gauge while shutting off blood flow through the brachial artery (a major artery in the arm). With a stethoscope just placed below the cuff, the doctor releases the air and listens for the first thudding sound that signal the return of blood flow as blood pressure on the wall of the artery equals the air pressure in the cuff. He records this mercury meter reading. This number represents the systolic pressure, the force developed by the heart when it contracts.


By continuing to let air out, the physician reaches a point where he can no longer hear the pulsing sounds of flowing blood. He marks the gauge reading as diastolic pressure, the pressure on the heart when the heart is relaxing between beats. Thus two numbers are used to record blood pressure the systolic followed by the diastolic (e.g. 140/90)


The reading is taken when patient is relaxed and at rest. Normal systolic pressure for most adults is between 100-140 and diastolic pressure is between 60-90. Factors such as age and sex is responsible for this variation in blood pressure readings. Normally Bp goes up during periods of exercise and excitement. Therefore, hypertension is the diagnosis when Bp measurements show persistent elevated pressure of 140 or higher for systolic and 90 or more for diastolic.


Written by Opatola Olufolarin Oyemuyiwa
Reference: The new complete medical and health encyclopedia (volume 2)

Known Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. The cause of hypertension is not specifically known but it is attributed to genetics, the environment, and other factors. Other factors can include your diet and your weight.

Salt intake is key to high blood pressure. The salt you use in foods and the rest of your diet lead over time for you to develop hypertension. If you are used to adding extra salt to your food, it is recommended that you use less salt or try substitutes for it.

Age is also a factor in developing hypertension. Your arteries narrow and your kidneys are not as effective as they used to be when you were younger. Due to the narrowing of the arteries, you develop high blood pressure. Also with your kidneys not working as efficiently as they used to before, your blood doesn't get as cleansed as it used to. As you age, you should go to your doctor and have your blood pressure checked. Have your doctor compare your blood pressure reading with readings from the past and see if it has been increasing. Early detection is key to preventing premature death caused by hypertension.

Genetics is also a cause of hypertension. It's an illness that runs in the family and it can be inherited. It is believed that 30% of the people diagnosed with hypertension have inherited hypertension due to their genetics. However, changes in your lifestyle can keep high blood pressure at bay or have it not affect you at all.

Obesity is a major player of hypertension as well. Doctors often diagnose people that are overweight with hypertension. It is believed that people who are overweight compress on the kidneys and don't let the kidneys function properly.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension as it is also known as, then it is very important that you become well informed. High blood pressure can lead to premature death. While there are very good medications to treat hypertension, most of these medications damage other parts of your body. There are natural cures that you can take to overcome hypertension and have your blood pressure under control. Visit http://www.BloodPressureSafety.com/ for more information Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oscar_Orihuela

Natural Cures For Hypertension - 3 Things That You Must Know to Stop High Blood Pressure Naturally

When people who suffer from hypertension see how bad the side effects of blood pressure medications can be they often want to find an all natural cure to treat it. Here I am going to share with you three things that you need to know about stopping high blood pressure naturally, and living a more healthy and better life.

1. The first thing that you need to realize about hypertension is that it can easily be triggered by elevated levels of stress or anxiety. Therefore it is essential that you keep your stress levels low using any method possible. First of all I suggest that you get some sort of hobby or start exercising. These two activities help to drastically reduce stress.

2. Focus your diet on getting more potassium and magnesium. This is one of the very good natural cures for hypertension. These two nutrients have a strong correlation with curing high blood pressure, and you need to make sure that you take advantage of the powerful properties of these supplements. In addition to this you want to avoid saturated fats, and make sure that you eat a healthy balanced diet with limited alcohol consumption.

3. The third thing that you need to know is that hypertension can be caused by a lack of sleep. So it would be great for you to get more sleep in order for other natural cures for hypertension to be more effective.

Hypertension is something that does not need to be taken lightly, as it is responsibly for tens of thousands of deaths each year in the United States. Start taking care of yourself and get a good all natural hypertension guide so you do not become just another statistic.

Are you sick and tired of medications to cure high blood pressure that do not work? What if I could show you an all natural method for curing hypertension in just days that would absolutely shock you? I lowered my hypertension fast and so can you! You desperately need an all natural cure for hypertension, and over the last 10 months of research I have found the absolute best one! Visithttp://highbloodpressurenaturalcures.Blogspot.Com/ for more important information! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Tellano