Low Blood Pressure, when the heart is not pumping hard enough
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011Blood pressure is produced by the heart pumping blood into the arteries and is measured by the pressure in the arteries which is caused by the contractions and relaxation of the heart. The higher the heart is pumping (squeezing the arteries) the higher the pressure. When trying to explain how someone’s blood pressure is expressed we use the terms systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic pressure ranges between 90 and 120 millimeters, and is caused by the pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracted and pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure ranges between 60 and 80 mm Hg and represents the pressure caused by the heart when it is relaxed. So if your blood pressure is over 120 then it is high (also known as Hypertension). High blood pressure can cause a number of health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, eye damage and even strokes.