Writer : Diya Shah
Editors : Jessica Rubio
True or False
The theory that having high blood pressure when you are older is perfectly fine is a myth! As people get older, blood pressure gets higher. People have normalized the increase in blood pressure to aging however that is not the case. With rising age, arteries and artery walls become more risky meaning that they become weaker therefore there is a higher chance something could happen to them. Your artery walls become more stubborn and weaker therefore blood has to be pumped harder and overwork your heart; thus damages your arteries increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Therefore, when people say having high blood pressure when you are older is fine, it is a myth.
What is Blood Pressure?
Measuring your blood pressure is measuring how much pressure is being forced onto your artery walls. It is common for a person's blood pressure to increase and decrease throughout the day. When measuring blood pressure, you get two numbers: systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The top number in a reading is the systolic blood pressure; this is the pressure when the heart is beating. The bottom number in a reading is the diastolic blood pressure; the pressure when the heart is resting in between heart beats. When writing down blood pressure, the unit mmHg is used. Next time you go to the doctors office and get your blood pressure checked, make sure to read the blood pressure machine to see how your blood pressure is.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension is another word for high blood pressure. Hypertension is when the blood pressure is high for a long period of time, increasing the risk of health issues. When having hypertension, there is no one that will help diagnose this condition. The blood pressure usually known for hypertension is 140/90 mmHg. Extremely high hypertension is seen as 180/120 mmHg. Ways to fix or prevent hypertension is by eating less salt, being more active and exercising daily, and if necessary taking blood pressure medication to help lower it. This condition is very common among people and about 3 million people get diagnosed with hypertension each year just in the United States. Just like hypertension there is another condition called hypotension which is low blood pressure instead of higher. This condition is very common among the people in the United States as well.
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