Blood Pressure Monitors

Your blood pressure is all about the force at which your heart has to beat in order to pump blood around your body. So a healthy blood pressure is when your heart is when your heart is making sure that blood is flowing around your body without having to strain or struggle and it’s what all adults should be aiming for.

High blood pressure, on the other hand, is when the heart is having to work extra hard to make sure a healthy blood supply is delivered around the body, usually due to the arteries becoming smaller or constricted. This is often caused by an unhealthy diet or being overweight, and prolonged strain on the heart can eventually lead to heart disease or heart attack (which is why high blood pressure increases your risk of long term health problems).

Those who have low blood pressure, usually do not notice or have any problems because of it. From one perspective, this could actually be good news, as it lowers your risk of long term health problems. However this can occasionally cause symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or feeling weak.

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (usually referred to as mmHg) and the reading is made up of two different measurements.

Blood Pressure Readings

• Blood Pressure Readings Explained
• How can I check blood pressure from home?

The top number is the systolic pressure and this refers to the pressure when your heart pushes blood out. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure and this refers to the pressure when your heart rests between beats.

Once you have completed your blood pressure reading, you can work out whether this is high, normal or low.

Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower. 

Normal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.

High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher.

Being able to accurately measure your blood pressure is important because unhealthy levels (be it high or low blood pressure) can cause a number of health problems.

Low blood pressure usually causes immediate symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision and fatigue. Although it’s a serious condition, it’s usually not one of its own right and is typically an indicator of any underlying health condition.

High blood pressure, on the other hand, does not normally produce any symptoms. Most people live for long periods of time with high blood pressure without realising it, but it’s important to get this checked, monitored and treated because high blood pressure increases your risk of long-term, serious ailments like heart attack and stroke.

It’s particularly important to monitor your blood pressure if you are taking medications to regulate your blood pressure, or if you are taking medications that could potentially increase or decrease it.