Normal human pressure is a parameter that is an important component of self-regulation of the internal environment of the body. Blood pressure ensures proper level of blood supply to all organs, and in case of a change in its normal parameters, there is a threat not only to health, but also to life. Therefore, it is important to control its magnitude.
Normal pressure in a person by age
Blood pressure shows the strength with which the blood flow affects the walls of blood vessels. Its significance is related to the frequency and strength of the heartbeats, as well as the amount of blood that the heart can pass through itself in a unit of time. For each person, normal pressure is an individual value, which depends on heredity, the state of the cardiovascular system, lifestyle and other factors. In addition, the parameters of this parameter can vary during the day, which is affected by meals, exercise, stress and so on.
The doctors set optimal parameters of blood pressure, at registration of which the majority of people are diagnosed with excellent functioning of the body and well-being. Normal pressure in an adult depends on age, because over time, the pressure of blood gradually increases. In this regard, a table of mean values of pressure by age has been developed. The adopted standards allow to assess the health of patients, to suspect the presence of certain deviations.
Everyone should know what normal pressure a person should have, and what kind of pressure can be considered optimal in a particular case.
It should be borne in mind that the pressure should be measured correctly, with the following conditions:
- It is desirable to monitor at the same time of day.
- Half an hour before the measurement, you can not drink caffeinated drinks, eat or smoke.
- Before measurement, you should observe complete rest for 5 minutes.
- The measurement is made in a sitting position, putting a hand on the table at the heart level, while you can not talk and move.
Normal human pressure by years (ages) - table:
Age of person, years | Norm of pressure, mm Hg. Art. |
16-20 | 110 / 70-120 / 80 |
20-40 | 120 / 70-130 / 80 |
40-60 | up to 140/90 |
over 60 | up to 150/90 |
Systolic pressure - norm
When measuring blood pressure, two values are recorded, divided by a fraction. The first number - systolic pressure, the second - diastolic. Consider what systolic blood pressure, which is also called the upper or heart. Its value reflects the maximum blood pressure that occurs at the moment of systole - the contraction of the heart muscle. If the indicator is within the norm (for middle-aged people - about 120 mm Hg), this means that the heart beats with normal force and frequency, and the resistance of the vascular walls is adequate.
Diastolic pressure is the norm
Diastolic pressure is the minimum pressure of the blood flow in the arteries, fixed with complete relaxation of the heart muscle, that is, at the time of diastole. Other names for this indicator are lower, vascular. For healthy middle-aged people, the normal diastolic pressure is close to 80 mm Hg. Art. This indicator reflects vascular resistance.
Upper and lower pressure, the difference is the norm
Not only the values of the upper and lower pressure are important, but also the difference between these two numbers. Physicians call this value a pulse index, and normally it should not exceed 30-50 mm Hg. Art. If the pulse rate increases, the likelihood of developing a cardiovascular pathology in a person is high. Including this sometimes indicates an impending heart attack or stroke. In addition, when the blood pressure is measured, the upper and lower, a large difference between the numbers can indicate the damage to the digestive organs, to tuberculosis.
With a reduced gap between the values of the upper and lower pressure, too, dangerous pathologies of the cardiovascular system are fixed, leading to hypoxia, respiratory paralysis, atrophic changes in the brain, cardiac arrest, and so on. Sometimes it is noted in patients with vegetovascular dystonia. Another reason for this deviation from the norm may be internal bleeding.
Pressure increased
Normal human pressure ensures the proper functioning of all organs and systems, the supply to them in the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients. If the systolic or diastolic pressure is high or both are increased, then possible measurement errors should be excluded. That is, it is necessary to check whether all the rules of using the tonometer were observed. In addition, it is necessary to exclude the factors under which there is a natural short-term increase in pressure normalizing after elimination of their action:
- strong emotional shocks;
- physical exercise;
- Overeating (especially after consuming salty, fatty, sweet food);
- alcohol consumption;
- overwork;
- weather.
Increased pressure - causes
The long-term high blood pressure (hypertension) can be caused by the following:
- atherosclerosis ;
- violation of vascular tone;
- increased blood viscosity;
- kidney diseases (tumors, inflammation, pathologies of connective tissue of the kidneys);
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- hormonal failures (hyper- and hypothyroidism, Conn's syndrome, diabetic glomerulosclerosis, pheochromocytoma);
- taking certain medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cough medicine, contraceptives);
- brain injuries;
- bad habits (frequent drinking, smoking)
- chronic stress, depression;
- overweight.
Elevated pressure - symptoms
There are three degrees of hypertension, based on the indicators of the tonometer:
- I degree - above 140/90 mm Hg. p.
- II degree - above 160/100 mm Hg. p.
- III degree - above 180/110 mm Hg. Art.
Depending on the degree, hypertension symptoms can be different, and their severity is not the same. There are cases when patients do not notice any alarming signs at all, feel normal at high pressures. In this case, we can identify a number of manifestations observed against the background of increased pressure in most cases:
- noise in the ears ;
- "Creepy" before the eyes;
- headache (often of a pulsating nature);
- dizziness;
- the urge to vomit;
- redness of the face;
- swelling;
- nosebleeds ;
- pain in the chest;
- cardiopalmus.
High blood pressure - what to do?
If the pressure rises, measures should be taken to stabilize it to prevent the development of a hypertensive crisis (when the tonometer marks exceed the value of 200/110 mm Hg). If the jumps of blood pressure were already recorded before, and the doctor prescribes an antihypertensive drug, you just have to take it. In other cases, one of the following recommendations can be used: how to reduce house pressure:
- Make ten-minute contrasting foot baths, alternately immersing your feet on the ankle then in the hot (for 2 minutes), then in a cool (for 30 seconds) water.
- To make a foot compress, for what to dilute half apple vinegar with water, and, having moistened in this solution a towel, to wrap up their feet for 10-15 minutes.
- Apply to the back of the neck or calf muscles mustard for 7-10 minutes.
Pressure reduced
If the indices of the tonometer are lower than the normal pressure of a healthy person, but the overall condition is not violated, this can be considered an individual feature. If such people are artificially raised by pressure (medically or through popular techniques), they feel a deterioration in their well-being. Often physiological low pressure is observed in professional athletes, long exposed to heavy loads. In addition, the pressure may temporarily decrease in conditions of high humidity and rarefied air.
Low pressure causes
The cause of hypotension in most cases has the following:
- endocrine pathologies (hypo- or hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, insufficiency of the adrenal glands);
- blood loss due to injuries, burns, internal bleeding;
- dehydration of the body;
- malnutrition;
- sepsis;
- taking certain drugs (antidepressants, diuretics, adrenoblockers);
- cardiac pathologies (problems with heart valves, bradycardia);
- severe allergic reactions.
Low blood pressure - symptoms
When the indication of the tonometer is lower than the normal pressure of a person, there are often such signs of hypotension:
- strong weakness, fatigue;
- pain in the head (often in the area of the temples);
- dizziness ;
- darkening in the eyes;
- pain in the chest area;
- distraction;
- a feeling of lack of air;
- chilliness of limbs.
Low pressure - what to do?
To reduce the pressure to normal blood pressure in humans, you can take the drug recommended by your doctor. In addition, the following popular methods for increasing blood pressure can help:
- Eat a piece of dark chocolate, a tablespoon of honey or drink warm tea, coffee.
- Make acupressure, impact on the following areas: the area between the nose and upper lip, the ears, the thumb of the left arm.
- Take a contrast shower , finishing the procedure with cold water and vigorous rubbing the body with a towel.