Understanding Blood Pressure Ranges

Your blood pressure is not like the color of your eyes or your hair; it changes throughout the day depending on what you are doing and how healthy your body is. Blood pressure can go to high, and in some cases it can go too low. It is not healthy for the blood pressure to be too high or too low and that is why there have been blood pressure ranges established. These ranges help people understand the problem with their blood pressure and also act as a diagnostic tool for doctors.

Blood Pressure Ranges

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has created the ranges for blood pressure in an adult. Your doctor may have different numbers or combinations of numbers that they look for, but these are the standard.

Normal Blood Pressure: Less than 120/85 mmHg.

Pre-hypertension: Systolic range is 120-139 and the diastolic number is between 80-89mmHg

Hypertension: Readings are more than 140/90 mmHg

As you can see, each range is very specific. There can be slight variations and one high reading isn’t enough to get most doctors alarmed. If the blood pressure is high a doctor will usually go back for a second and third reading. To avoid misdiagnosing the white coat affect, which is simply elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting, a doctor will often advise that the patient monitor their blood pressure at home for several days or weeks.

Unfortunately, most people who have high blood pressure don’t know it. Why? The reason is simple; high blood pressure often is not accompanied by any symptoms until organ damage has occurred. This is why it is so important to have a physical every two years, so your doctor can take your blood pressure and be alerted to any increases in blood pressure. This is how many people are diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Luckily, there are a lot of ways to control high blood pressure when you are diagnosed. Many people find that they are able to change their diet, start exercising, and lose weight and their blood pressure returns to the normal range. Other people need to add in a medication to help them lower their blood pressure. Everyone is different and will respond to a different combination of high blood pressure treatments. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor about all of your options and decide what is best for you.