Blood pressure is measurable based on two different types of pressure measurements in your arteries. These include diastolic pressure and systolic pressure. Here, systolic pressure indicates the first number in the reading of blood pressure and it is the highest-pressure level in the arteries of human body, which take place when the heart muscles contract and force busts of blood within the aorta. Diastolic pressure represents the bottom number in the pressure reading and it exists within the arteries in between the contractions of heart muscles i.e. when the heart fills with blood.
Why 140/90 Blood Pressure is Bad?
In order to understand the concept behind 140/90 Blood Pressure and the underlying condition, it is essential to discuss about normal blood pressure.
Normal Blood Pressure
If the reading of normal blood pressure is less than or equal to 120/80 mmHg (unit used for measuring the blood pressure), a person has normal blood pressure. In this case, normal systolic pressure should be within 120 mm/Hg, while the diastolic one should be within 80mm/Hg.
How Bad is 140/90 Blood Pressure?
Readings ranging from 140/90 blood pressure to 180/110 often indicates the problem of Hypertension i.e. high blood pressure. According to experts-
Systolic Number: If the systolic blood pressure is equal to 140 or exceeds, an individual suffers from high blood pressure irrespective of the diastolic number.
Diastolic Number: If the diastolic number becomes 90 or exceeds this value, a person suffers from high blood pressure, irrespective of the systolic number.
Hypertension or high blood pressure puts individuals at higher risks related to a large number of life-threatening problems, such as stroke and heart attack. People often fail to notice any symptom even when they deal with the problem of high blood pressure. However, with time, uncontrolled high blood pressure results in chronic damages of organs and arteries present in the human body.
What to Do If Blood Pressure Reading Shows 140/90?
Indeed, hypertension is a severe health problem for individuals. Now, the question that comes in the mind what exactly we should do if the blood pressure reading highlights 140/90 (systolic/diastolic).
Decide on Multiple Readings: If you get the 140/90 blood pressure for only one time, you should avoid taking a quick decision. Instead, you should opt to rest and lie down for some time before you should undergo for additional readings, when you stay calm.
Medications: You should make sure to intake each of the prescribed medicines by your doctor (general physicians and cardiologists).
Consult with Your Doctor: You should consult with your doctor if you get 140/90 or 180/110 blood pressure readings for multiple numbers of times.
Adjustment of Your Dosage: You should discuss with your doctor about adjustment of your medications’ dosage, so that you may easily bring your blood pressure readings down to its normal readings.
Check Other Conditions: Patients should ask their doctors about checking many other conditions, which may worse the problem of high blood pressure, like for instance the problem of sleep apnea.
Home-based Blood Pressure Monitor: You should definitely purchase a home-based blood pressure monitor, which uses an arm cuff for checking BP instantly, take readings every day. You should note down each reading to indicate the time and date, while bring the record when you visit to your doctor.
Continue with Lifestyle Modifications: Once you complete with your discussions related to your medical plan with your doctor and/or cardiologist, you should continue with pursuing the necessary lifestyle modifications. These include the following-
- Stop with tobacco or cigarette smoking activities.
- Lose your weight or maintain your health.
- Increase your level of physical activities.
- Reduce the intake of salt to about 2 gram or even less than that in a day.
- Put a limit on your alcohol and caffeine intake.
- Reduce your physical and mental stress largely.
Also Read:
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- Breathing Exercise To Control High Blood Pressure
- Ideal Blood Pressure for Men and Women
- Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure
- How to Know if Your Blood Pressure is High?
- How Can We Control Our High Blood Pressure?
- How to Manage High Blood Pressure during Pregnancy?
- Yoga for High Blood Pressure: Yogasanas and Pranayams to Prevent and Cure High Blood Pressure