Blood pressure plays a very important role in measuring our overall health. It indicates the condition of the heart, and thereby, it can tell how long you may live, whether you have any health problems and threats that you need to be careful about.
The blood pressure is nothing but the pressure of blood in the circulatory system of the body. It is measured in order to understand the condition of the heart. As it is closely associated with the heartbeat rate, the force in which the blood is flowing, it can tell a lot about whether your heart is functioning properly or not.
Blood pressure is often measured in two numbers – the first or the top number indicates the systolic blood pressure and the second or the bottom number indicates the diastolic blood pressure. The systolic pressure is the highest level of the blood pressure when the heart beats or contracts and the diastolic is the lowest level, as the heart relaxes, which is between the contractions.
As you age, the pressure of your blood or the force with which blood flows through your blood vessels, changes to a great extent. However, since the kids, in most cases, do not suffer from heart problems, the routine measurement or normal range for blood pressure is not measured by the doctors very frequently. However, as you grow into an adult, staying within the healthy or normal range of blood pressure is very important. From adulthood to old-age, there are different blood pressure ranges that indicate the normal levels. Usually, it is considered to be lower than 120/80. Still, here is a brief discussion on the normal blood pressure range by age.
Normal Blood Pressure Range by Age
Normal Range of Blood Pressure in Babies and Children:
It is very difficult to determine the normal blood pressure range for babies and children as they tend to fluctuate a great deal from person to person. However, since very rarely kids suffer from heart problems caused by blood pressure troubles, it is very unlikely that the doctor would take any blood pressure reading for the kids at all.
Still, when blood pressure is measured for a baby or child, the doctor sees if the range is higher than 90% of all children in the same age and size group or if it is higher than 95% of all the children in the same age and size group. If it is greater than 90%, it is considered to be ‘prehypertension’ and if it is greater than 95%, it is considered to be ‘hypertension’. Along with the age, the weight and size of the children greatly affects the blood pressure range. So, there is no blood pressure range that can be said to be normal for the kids of a certain age.
Normal Blood Pressure Range for Adolescents:
Once you reach your adolescence, the blood pressure levels start to vary. The normal blood pressure range is 126/82 for children in the age group of 11 to 13. Adolescents in the age group of 14 to 16 have a normal blood pressure range of 136/86. Once you reach adulthood, which is the age group of 17 to 19, the normal blood pressure range becomes 120/85.
Normal Blood Pressure Range for Adults:
After reaching adulthood, the normal blood pressure range is 120/79 on an average for people within the age group of 20 to 24. For people in the age group of 25 to 29, the blood pressure range is 121/80. Once you reach the age group of 30 to 34, the normal range for blood pressure becomes 122/81. The range becomes 123/82 for people within the age group of 35 to 39.
Normal Blood Pressure Range for Older Adults:
For older adults, the normal range for blood pressure gradually increases from the normal range of 120/80. The normal range for blood pressure for older adults in the age group of 40 to 44 is 125/83. As the age group becomes 45 to 49, the normal range becomes 127/84. For people in 50 to 54 age-group, the normal blood pressure range is 129/85. The range is 131/86 for people in the age group of 55 to 59. Once you become 60+ in age, the normal range is 134/87.
When your blood pressure becomes greater than this, it is considered to be high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is lower than this, it is considered low blood pressure.
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