A question from dolphindreams63: When checking your blood pressure, which number is the important one?
Whenever my bp is checked, according to the chart at the office, the top number is prehypertension, but the bottom is normal range….My last numbers were 131/76 with pulse 113…I am a 21 year old female, 5’4 115 lbs, don’t smoke, hardly drink….I do have undianosed breathing problems and a fast heart rate alot…well, is my reading in normal range?
That’s the thing: Iv’e had my bp check maybe 3 times at the office, but my uncle whom I live with has a bp monitor so I can check it everyday if I want….I don’t lol, and also the pharmacy at our walmart has it so you can check and everytime I have a high pulse rate(resting)and than the readings….at night when I’m in bed it feels faster….too bad I can’t get a reading than.
The No 1 answer:
Answer by Athena
I am not a doctor, but I would say you are still within the normal range on both your numbers. If I was you I would be more worried about that heart rate of 113. That is very high, assuming you did not run up the stairs right before it was taken.
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Usually, the BP of a young woman tends to be lower. However, it’s also common to see some sinus tachycardia (fancy word for faster heart beat) in young woman. Do you get nervous at all when you go to the doctor? Sometimes just being a little nervous (called white coat syndrome) can raise your BP and HR. Also, there are many reasons the number may be high– you may have had your legs crossed, been supporting your arm or contracting your muscle during the pressure reading, or had a recent intake of caffeine.
In order to tell if you really are prehypertensive, you’re going to have to have several BP readings taken. One reading isn’t an accurate enough way to say if you are normal or not; your doctor will need to establish a baseline.
Also, normally an elevated bottom number is more concerning. The bottom number (diastolic) is related to the relaxation of the heart and elasticity of the blood vessels. With a higher lower number, this suggests high resistance in the vessels, which could indicate the presence of atherosclerotic plaques (buildup of cholesterol and gunk inside the arteries that is making the vessel narrower). That’s a little more concerning, in a sense, than the top number (systolic)
Try to keep an eye on it. The bottom number is the resting one so it is a little more important than the top one. You can be perfectly healthy and still have high BP. I am like you and I exercise also, but I have genetic high bp. So it is not that you are unhealthy you may have a family history of it. I am on a water pill to lower mine and when I check it my range is usually 130/70. So even with medicine my top number still runs a little high but the doctor never seems too concerned. Also taking garlic will help lower it naturally.
The first number is called systole. It’s a measure in mm of mercury of the force that your left ventricle has to push for your cardiac output to be stable. The second number is called diastole and that’s the force of blood when ventricles are relaxed. Normally it’s around 120 so 131 is a little high.If you don’t get that lowered, there are pretty good chances of you developing hypertension. Also, the higher your pulse, the harder the heart has to work to circulate blood throughout the body. At 5’4, your at a health weight. I’d suggest exercising more to strengthen heart. That way, it won’t have to work as hard and your pulse should come down.