You do not have to be diagnosed with high blood pressure to check your blood pressure. Many people do so, however, to insure they keep a normal blood pressure reading. But what, exactly, is normal?
Blood pressure is considered normal if it falls around 120 over 80. The top number shows the systolic pressure. This is the pressure your heart exerts when it contracts just before pumping blood from the heart out into the arteries of the body. The last number represents diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the heart at rest between heartbeats.
The pressure that a heart normally exerts to force blood to all blood vessels, and in time, to every living cell and tissue within the human body is considered normal if it does not rise above a certain number. While all of us have days when we are more stressed than usual, and our heart rates quicken, long-term acceleration of your heartbeat can lead to damage and even strokes or heart attacks.
Exercise
If your blood pressure rises above 130 for more than a day or two, you might want to see your doctor. This does not mean that you need to be alarmed while exercising or enjoying active sports. Such a rise in blood pressure during such activities is normal and healthy. Exercises keep your heart strong. Remember, your heart is a muscle and you need to exercise it to keep it in peak working condition. Your heart beats millions of times during a lifetime, so remember the adage, "use it or lose it". The same goes for your heart.
Unfortunately, bad eating habits and lack of exercise are leading more and more people of all ages to suffer from varying degrees of heart disease caused by high cholesterol, stress and lack of exercise. High fat diets and stressful jobs account for growing numbers of strokes and heart attacks in both men and women. The median age that many people start to suffer the ill effects of poor eating habits and lack of exercise are dropping at an alarming rate. Obesity is the number one leading cause of heart damage in society today, due mostly to our fondness for fast-food.
Symptoms
If your blood pressure reads more than 130 for systolic pressure and 100 for diastolic, you may be suffering from high blood pressure. There are no symptoms to alert you that you may be prone to high blood pressure, so the only way you can track it is to have your blood pressure regularly checked and monitored.
Digital blood pressure monitors are available at most drug and pharmacy stores for a reasonable price, so you may want to consider buying one to document your blood pressure on a monthly, or even weekly, basis. Heart health is important to all around health, and knowledge and information is a key to maintaining a healthy living style. Knowing what is good and bad for your heart can make all the difference in the world.
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