Treatment Can Help Maintain Normal Blood Pressure Range

A person's blood pressure can be affected by many variables such as their physical condition, their usual activity level and the foods they eat. For example, a normal blood pressure range for trained athletes and children may be lower than the range for other healthy adults. Medical science has established a systolic blood pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80 as being an optimal reading, but the normal blood pressure range for different people may be slightly higher or lower than the optimal reading.

Systolic blood pressure is the amount of pressure put on the inner walls of the arteries when the heart is pumping and the lower number, the diastolic pressure is what is on the arterial walls when the heart is at rest. Maintaining a normal blood pressure range may require lifestyle changes, medication or a combination of both, which can be determined by working with the doctor on the appropriate treatment for each patient.

As a general guideline, the normal blood pressure range may be as low as 90 over 60 or as high as 140 over 90. However, a person with a blood pressure reading higher than 120 over 139 will be recommended to make some changes in their personal eating or exercise habits to prevent their blood pressure from increasing to a more dangerous level.

Monitoring Blood Pressure Helps Guide Treatment Needs

If a patient has their own blood pressure monitoring device at home, it is important to remember that certain activities and foods can change their blood pressure frequently throughout the day. For example, a person typically within the normal blood pressure range may show an elevated pressure as high as 150 over 100 in the morning if they ate a breakfast high in salty and fatty foods.

As dangerous as high blood pressure is in causing heart attack and stroke, along with having the potential for other major health risks, low blood pressure also needs to be treated. Weakness, dizziness, fainting and even a coma are all potential hazards of extremely low blood pressure and a person that is too far beneath the normal blood pressure range will also require medical intervention.

Blood pressure readings of 50 over 35, or lower are at high risk of going into a coma, which can lead to death. Vitamins and minerals have also been shown to play a role in people maintaining a normal blood pressure range, but in most cases, doctors prescribe medication to help their patients control their blood pressure.