How blood pressure affects heart health

(Examiner.com) — Blood pressure needs to be normal throughout one’s life. Yes, there can be ups and downs on the blood pressure that would cause it to fluctuate. However, as much as possible, it should not be too low, such as below 100 mm Hg for the upper number, and it should not be too high, such as above 140 mm Hg. I will focus on the upper number of the blood pressure, not because it is more important to monitor, but that as the upper part of the blood pressure value goes up, so does the lower part goes up also, and as the upper part of the blood pressure value goes down, so does the lower part goes down also. The upper part of the blood pressure is called systoic blood pressure, and the lower part of the blood pressure is called diastolic blood pressure. These two values mean different things, but as previously mentioned, I will focus on the systolic or upper part value of the blood pressure first, and I will explain the diastolic blood pressure in the future.

In review, the systolic blood pressure should be between 100 mm Hg to 140 mm Hg. Anything lower than 100 mm Hg or anything higher than 140 mm Hg is not normal. Systolic blood pressure reflects the pressure inside the body when the heart is contracting or when it is squeezing blood throughout the body. The heart is the pumping machine that normally contracts or squeezes or pumps between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The heartbeat is what you feel or hear when it contracts to pump blood throughout the body for oxygenation. If the systolic blood pressure during this process of pumping is low, it means the cells that need oxygen cannot get enough oxygen because there is no enough pressure to push the oxygen to the cells. The systolic blood pressure pushes the blood circulation that carries oxygen to the cells. So, if it is low, the oxygen cannot reach the cells, such as the brain cells, heart cells, kidney cells, the tip or your toes or your fingers, etc. That is why when the blood pressure is low, the hands and feet usually get cool to the touch and pale due to the low blood pressure. That is why the person may get dizzy also, because the blood pressure is too low. That is why there is little urine when the blood pressure is low.

However, there may not have any signs in the heart when the blood pressure is too low, because the heart gives itself blood supply first before pumping it throughout the body. Therefore, the last sign a person may see when the blood pressure is too low, is fainting, because the heart does not have enough pressure to push the blood with oxygen to the brain, especially against gravity. That is why it is common when the person fainted due to low blood pressure, they can be awaken again, because the blood flows again to the brain easily because the heart can pump blood again with less resistance from the gravity.