Healthy Blood Pressure Range

Everyone is concerned about blood pressure these days. If you want to know if yours falls within the healthy blood pressure range, read on

We always hear it from our friends and doctors, asking us not to get too worried or get too excited about a certain thing, and that is just to avoid high blood pressure, as of course it is not good for our health. The same goes for low blood pressure too, if it's lesser than the actual required level then that also can be harmful. So what is this required level and what should be the ideal healthy blood pressure?

What is Blood Pressure?

We all know that blood flows throughout our body. Blood is carried from our heart to the other parts of our body in the arteries, which acts as vessels for carrying blood. Blood pressure is the force of blood which is pumped by the heart in these arteries. Normally, the heart beats at the rate of 60 - 70 beats a minute. The unit of blood pressure is 'millimeters of mercury' i.e. mmHg. It is denoted by two numbers written as a ratio. The number at the top or the numerator is the systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the highest level when our heart beats. And the number at the bottom, i.e. the denominator, is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure of our blood when the heart relaxes in between heartbeats. It is a lower number as compared to the systolic blood pressure. Hence, blood pressure is denoted as 120/80mmHg.

What is a Healthy Blood Pressure Range?

Since now we know what is blood pressure, let's find out what is a healthy blood pressure range. The mechanism of the blood is such that the blood pressure rises with every heartbeat, and whenever your heart relaxes between the beats, it falls. Hence, this means that our blood pressure can change any or every time depending upon the activity one does. The healthy blood pressure range for men or adults over 20 years of age must be less than 120/80 mmHg. Hence, systolic pressure must be less than 120, and diastolic less than 80.

One must be able to read and understand blood pressure readings correctly. If you've got a higher blood pressure reading once, it doesn't mean that you've got hypertension (high blood pressure). For you to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, you need to get a constant high blood pressure reading. For example, a reading of 180/110 mmHg. If you happen to get a high reading, just wait for a few minutes and take the reading again. If again it is showing up as high, then you require to seek medical treatment. In this case, it is most likely for your doctor to prescribe you medicines and also he may ask you to change your lifestyle or to avoid things which makes you increase your blood pressure levels. Even if your blood pressure shows as normal, even then you must consider leading a healthy lifestyle to prevent hypertension.

Healthy Blood Pressure Range Chart

Blood Pressure

Systolic Pressure

Diastolic Pressure

Low Normal Blood Pressure

110 mmHg

75 mmHg

Normal Blood Pressure

120 mmHg

80 mmHg

High Normal Blood Pressure

130 mmHg

85 mmHg

In the U.S., one out of every three adults has high blood pressure. The healthy blood pressure range for teenagers is minimum 105/73 mmHg and maximum 120/81 mmHg. The healthy blood pressure range for women, as in general, is 120/80 mmHg. The average blood pressure may differ as per the age. And that is because, as age increases, the arteries also tend to get more stiffer, and hence the systolic blood pressure tends to increase.

In order to maintain healthy blood pressure, one must adjust to a healthy environment devoid of substantial pressures. It is highly needed in today's fast paced life. It is important to adopt few healthy habits like exercising regularly, no smoking, no access alcohol, following a healthy diet, etc. Also, it is vital for you to get regular blood pressure checkups, to keep a track on your blood pressure.