Ok so the first number the nurse will tell you is the systolic number aka the top number.
“Wait a second there, the what number? Sys something or other? It still makes no sense to me at all.”
Well let me explain a little here. It’s pronounced sis-tall-ick and basically
means a contraction. The systolic number
is actually measuring the contractions of the heart.
“Ok back that thought back up there. Your heart can have contractions? I thought contractions were only for pregnant
women?”
Ha, ha that is where you hear that term most of the time,
but yes your heart does contract. The
contractions your heart has, is like that of woman giving birth. The contractions you heart has pushes the
blood out of your heart into the rest of your body just like the contractions a
woman has pushes the baby out of her body.
The normal systolic for blood pressure is 120 or below, borderline being
121-139, and hypertension levels at 140-180.
If you have a systolic number over 180 you need to seek emergency care
ASAP as that is a very serious number especially if it stays at that level for
more than 2 readings over the course of 15 minutes.
More attention is given to the systolic number due to the
fact that it typically increases due to plaque build-up in the arteries, and
increasing stiffness of the arteries especially as we age. Once we hit the age of 50 doctors really
watch for those factors to ensure we are living as healthy as we can in our
later years.
“Ok so that makes a bit more sense. So the top number tells the doctor how hard
my heart is actually working every day.
I understand that but what about that bottom number. What is it?”
The second number is the diastolic aka the bottom
number. Pronounced die-a-stall-ick it
basically means drawing apart.
“What? How does my heart draw apart? If it does that I’m in trouble aren’t I?”
Yes I know it sounds strange but if you think about it
drawing apart isn’t really that bad.
It’s a relaxation of the heart muscles or drawing apart from one
contraction to another. It’s the time
the blood is refilling the veins to be pushed back out again during the
systolic phase. The normal diastolic is
80 or less, 81-89 is borderline, and over 90 is hypertension level. And, as with the systolic number, a dangerous
level that needs to be checked out ASAP is anything over 110.
Ok so we have now armed you with some new information that
you can take with you to the doctor’s office and then understand exactly what
they are saying when they tell you that your blood pressure is 125/86.
