Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats it pumps out blood into the arteries. Blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping out blood. This is called systolic pressure.
When the heart is at rest, between beats, blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure. Both are important. Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. For example, 120/180 where 120 is the systolic pressure and 180 is the diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure changes. It is lowest when you are asleep and rises when you wake. It can also rise when you are active, nervous or excited. Otherwise, it remains the same when you are sitting and standing still. This should be less than 120/80. When the level stays high, 140 or higher, you have high blood pressure. This would mean that the heart works harder and chances of a stroke, heart attack and kidney problems are increased.
Headache is generally regarded as a symptom of high blood pressure. Many think that when they get a headache, their pressure has gone up. What then, is the connection? From a study conducted in Poland, it was found that the highest readings of blood pressure did not result in headaches. In another study, it was found that headaches were most likely to happen to people after they were diagnosed with high blood pressure, rather than because of the blood pressure itself. So headaches are not a result of elevated blood pressure levels.
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