If you have visited the doctor or gone into the emergency department, chances are good that you have had your blood pressure taken. What does a blood pressure mean? What is an average blood pressure? What is your blood pressure and factors affecting it?
Blood pressure is the pressure the blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart is beating and when the heart is at rest. If your blood pressure is regularly high this is putting a strain on your heart to move the blood out to the rest of the body.
An average “normal” adult blood pressure is 120/80. If your blood pressure is higher than that recheck it again in two minutes. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor (crossing your legs can increase the pressure as your heart works harder to get the blood to your foot). Talking, laughing, or coughing while you are checking your blood pressure can also have an effect on the reading.
Take your blood pressure regularly and know what your normal is, as everyone is different. Knowing what your blood pressure normally runs can help to determine if changes are happening and interventions that may need to be made.