The heart is an integral part of our body system. It pumps out blood to the arteries. The force with which it exerts blood into the arteries is the blood pressure. A device called sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure.

The normal and abnormal
The normal blood pressure of a human being should range between 120 mm HG to 80 mm HG. A shift in these numbers determines whether the blood pressure is high or low.
There are many factors that can cause an abnormality in the blood pressure. Obesity, inactiveness, consumption of salt and liquor, are causes of fluctuation in Blood Pressure.

The upper and lower limits
The upper reading of the blood pressure chart is Systolic. It is the pressure that the heart exerts on the arteries when it is pumping blood to various parts of the body. The lower limit is Diastolic. It refers to the pressure exerted by the heart on the arteries when it’s relaxed. (The diastolic pressure may increase with age due to stiffening of arteries).

For example, your blood pressure is 130 by 90. Then, 130 mm HG is the systolic pressure and 90 mm HG is the diastolic pressure. The unit of measuring blood pressure is mm Hg, or a millimeter of Mercury.

Reading the blood pressure chart
According to the American Heart Association, there are five stages of Blood Pressure. They are as follows:
Normal Blood pressure: As stated earlier, 120 over 80 is normal blood pressure reading. If your blood pressure chart reads the above numbers, you are safe.
Prehypertension: This is an early high blood pressure stage. If the pressure ranges between 120-139/80-89 mmHg, then you are suffering from pre-hypertension. You can check your habits to retrieve from this stage.
Hypertension Stage 1: The systolic ranges between 140-159 mmHg. The diastolic staggers between 90-99 mmHg. It is advisable to consult a doctor at this stage. He may ask you to alter your lifestyle and may prescribe medications.
Hypertension Stage 2: This is a serious stage. If the blood pressure is 160/100 mmHg or more, you are experiencing Hypertension Stage 2. You should immediately consult a physician and put under a combination of drugs.
Hypertensive Crisis: This is the most serious case. If your blood pressure shoots up to 180/110 mmHg, you are suffering from a Hypertensive crisis. You could feel numbness or chest pain. Blurred vision or faulty speech accompanies. You could also face breathing trouble.

Prevention is better than cure
You can keep your blood pressure levels in check by taking preventive measures. Leading a healthy lifestyle is the first step in this regard. Regular health checkups can help track the blood pressure levels. Blood pressure monitors and gauges are available in the market.

You can grab a piece and use it at home. It is always better to be on the safer side.