Maintaining Ideal Blood Pressure May Take More Than Medication
Typically, there is no fluctuation in the ideal blood pressure recommended by the medical community, and over the course of many years and testing, scientists have determined the numbers for the ideal blood pressure for persons of all ages and sizes. In healthy adults the blood pressure will be close to the same, regardless of their size, although activity and other influences at the time the pressure reading is taken may alter their blood pressure.
Most people with high blood pressure are prescribed medications to help them achieve and maintain an ideal blood pressure, but they may also need to take additional steps to help achieve a lower reading. There are two readings associated with blood pressure, the systolic reading, which is the pressure exerted on the arterial walls when the heart pumps blood and the diastolic, which is the pressure on the arterial walls when the heart is at rest. Typically, a person is given their blood pressure in two numbers, the systolic, or higher number over a lower, diastolic number.
A person with an ideal blood pressure will usually be close to 120 over 80, while a high blood pressure reading will be greater than 140 over 90. Persons with a blood pressure higher than 160 over 100 are considered at risk of a heart attack or stroke and maye require additional testing to determine the cause and return them to an ideal blood pressure reading.
Lifestyle Can Help Maintain Ideal Pressure
While stress and anxiety can raise a person's blood pressure, it usually is only for a short period and physicians are not overly concerned if their patients periodically go over their ideal blood pressure. However, when a patient is consistently above the normal range, they are considered to have high blood pressure and in most cases treatment with medication will return them to their ideal blood pressure.
In a few patients, there can be organ or tissue diseases that elevate their blood pressure and if a person has extremely high blood pressure that is difficult to control with medication, testing may be used to determine the root cause and bring them back to an ideal blood pressure.
The time of day, recent food or drink and sometime just the anxiety of being in the doctor's office can take a person over the ideal blood pressure. However, these are all things the doctor will take into consideration when determining the best way to help their patient achieve and maintain an ideal blood pressure.
