I went to the doctor today and she said my blood pressure was 140 over 20. I have looked on charts and now I am just confused by what I read. It seems that over 20 is not possible. Maybe she told me wrong?
I went because I had a bad toothache and my dentist couldn’t get me in there until Monday. I heard that pain in general can cause higher blood pressure. She just told me and didn’t say anything else about it. She didn’t say if it was high or not.
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels,(especially the arteries) and is one of the principal vital signs. along with the pulse( heart beats) and respiration.
Normal blood pressure is 120/80( top number is the systole and bottom number is the diastole) or lower.Systole is when the heart contracts to eject the blood and diastole is when the heart relaxes as the blood fills up the heart. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you have something called "prehypertension," which means that you are in the beginning stages and at risk for high blood pressure.
A systole of 140 is high. A diastole of 20 is not right. The doctor probably meant 90. A reading of 140/90 is high. The number of 20 is not accurate for a pulse or heart rate. The doctor probably meant your respiratory ( breath) rate.
The respiratory system’s function is to allow gas exchange to all parts of the body.
Normal resting respirations are 10 to 18 breaths per minute, with a time period of 2 seconds. .Respiration is the act or process of breathing. Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
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I believe she either misspoke, or you heard wrong. 115/75 is now considered normal, used to be 120/80. Blood pressure is the pressure of blood on the arteries that is heard while using a cuff,sphygmomonometer (the dial while listening), and stethoscope. The top number (systolic) is the pressure during contraction phase of the heart. The bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure during the relaxation phase of the heart. 140 is high for systolic, you need to follow up on this. Get your question about the "bottom" number answered and ask your doctor what her plan is to get your blood pressure down. Diet/lifestyle changes, medications, etc.
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Years of being a nurse
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels,(especially the arteries) and is one of the principal vital signs. along with the pulse( heart beats) and respiration.
Normal blood pressure is 120/80( top number is the systole and bottom number is the diastole) or lower.Systole is when the heart contracts to eject the blood and diastole is when the heart relaxes as the blood fills up the heart. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you have something called "prehypertension," which means that you are in the beginning stages and at risk for high blood pressure.
A systole of 140 is high. A diastole of 20 is not right. The doctor probably meant 90. A reading of 140/90 is high. The number of 20 is not accurate for a pulse or heart rate. The doctor probably meant your respiratory ( breath) rate.
The respiratory system’s function is to allow gas exchange to all parts of the body.
Normal resting respirations are 10 to 18 breaths per minute, with a time period of 2 seconds. .Respiration is the act or process of breathing. Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
References :
professional nurse
Your doctor will give you two numbers as a measure of blood pressure. A typical ‘normal’ blood pressure reading is 120 / 80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). Blood pressure normally varies during the day. It rises during activity such as walking, running and decreases with rest.
The top number (120) is Systolic pressure: It is the amount of pressure your heart generates when pumping blood out through your arteries. This creates the heart beat that you can hear or feel. The bottom number (80) is Diastolic pressure: It is the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest (between the beats).
I got good insights from this article:
http://www.knowabouthealth.com/know-what-your-blood-pressure-says/
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