The German Heart Foundation indicated that there are many people suffering from high blood pressure for a long time without feeling any symptoms, so that the organs of the body have already been damaged, and therefore the German Foundation advised the need to measure blood pressure on a regular basis.

German doctors recommended that people starting at the age of 40 should regularly measure blood pressure at the specialist doctor, and if there is a history of illness in the family, then routine measurements of blood pressure should be carried out before this age, and the German Foundation confirmed that measuring blood pressure is “the best prevention measure.” .

Even with ideal blood pressure values ​​of 120/80 mm Hg, blood pressure should be checked every 5 years, and this recommended period is reduced to 3 years with normal blood pressure values ​​of 129/84 mm Hg.

In cases of high blood pressure 130/85 or 130/89 mm Hg, it is advisable to measure blood pressure at least once a year.

The higher value in the previous two examples indicates systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure when the heart pumps blood into the vessels.

The second value is the diastolic blood pressure, that is, the pressure in the vessels when the heart muscle relaxes.

Doctors usually talk about high blood pressure when the values ​​reach 140/90 millimeters of mercury. such cases.

How do you read the results of a blood pressure test?

The heart pumps blood around the body, and during its movement, the flowing blood creates a force and pressure on the walls of blood vessels called "blood pressure".

During its work, the heart - which is a muscle - contracts and relaxes, and this leads to the blood pressure having two values. The first is called the systolic blood pressure and is recorded when the heart contracts, and the second is the diastolic pressure and is recorded when the heart muscle relaxes.

Blood pressure is measured using a special device that may be manually such as a mercury manometer, or mechanically such as electronic pressure gauges.

While the first may be more accurate, the second is easier to use.

The device records two readings, the first - which is the highest - represents the systolic blood pressure, and the second - which is the lowest - represents the diastolic.

The reading is written as a fraction, the numerator being the systolic and the denominator being the diastolic.

For example, if the systolic pressure is 115 and the diastolic pressure is 75, then the blood pressure of this person is written as 115/75.

The unit of measurement is the millimeter of mercury, which means that the systolic pressure, for example, is equal to the height of a column of mercury that is 115 millimeters long.

The American Heart Association classifies blood pressure readings as follows:

  • Normal blood pressure: systolic less than 120, diastolic less than 80.

  • Pre-pathological: systolic between 120 and 139, and diastolic between 80 and 89.

  • Stage I hypertension: systolic 140-159, diastolic 90-99.

  • Stage II hypertension: systolic 160 or higher, diastolic 100 or higher.

What do you know about high blood pressure?

It is a condition in which the blood pressure in the blood vessels is so high that it leads to health damages in the body, such as heart disease and strokes.

It is considered one of the most important health risks at the global level, and it is called the "silent killer", because the patient may have been infected with it for years without knowing, and it is not discovered until after permanent damage has occurred to the body.

The danger of high blood pressure is that it is a disease that develops over years, and other years may pass before it is detected, and this is because it usually does not have clear symptoms, and it does not appear until the pressure reaches very high measurements that may be fatal.

But some patients in the early stages of the disease may feel a slight headache or dizziness, and they may have more nosebleeds (epistaxis).

But waiting for the symptoms to appear is wrong, because at the time of their appearance, the pressure has drained the body and its organs, causing permanent damage to the heart, arteries, eyes, and other organs.

Therefore, periodic blood pressure measurement at the doctor is the key to early diagnosis of the disease.