BLOOD PRESSURE

     The force  or pressure, which the blood exerts against the  walls of the blood vessels, while flowing through it, in common language, is known as blood pressure. However, the scientific term for this is arterial pressure, i.e., the pressure in the arteries. It has two components: (a)Systolic  pressure and (b) Diastolic pressure.

(a) Systolic pressure (higher) - it is the pressure exerted when the ventricle contracts and ejects the blood, which causes a rise in the pressure.

(b) Diastolic pressure (lower) -it is the pressure excreted when the ventricles relax and get filled with the blood. This results in fall in pressure.

     Both these pressures need to be recorded by a doctor. This is done using a pressure measuring device, called as sphygmomanomenter.

    For a normal young adult, this pressure is 120/80 (systolic pressure/diastolic pressure). It increases with age (140/90 mmHg), because the blood vessels become inflexible or less stretchable as well as narrow with the age. Therefore, the blood has to exert more pressure in order to flow. This is medically known as hypertension, or more familiarly as high blood pressure. The blood pressure rises with stress or tension.