Blood Pressure Chart

Before explaining what a blood pressure chart is and why it’s important, one must know the meaning of blood pressure. It is a common term heard in hospitals, clinics, and even in households of people who have such ailments. See, blood pressure concerns everyone because it is one of the primary vital signs. Blood pressure is the force that is exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Blood pressure increases as it moves to the heart and decreases as it moves away from the heart and to the small arteries and arterioles. It drops further as it moves through the capillaries.

In a blood pressure chart, you will see that there are two measurements of blood pressure.  Blood pressure is always interpreted in systolic pressure over diastolic pressure and measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Systolic pressure is the maximum blood pressure when the heart is contracting while diastolic pressure pertains to the lowest blood pressure when the ventricles are dilated. A standard blood pressure chart provides its users with a classification of blood pressure readings.

There are three: low, normal, and high. A reading of 120/80 is considered normal.  A person with a reading of 140/90 has high blood pressure while one with a low blood pressure has a 90/60. A more detailed blood pressure chart would break down normal into low normal, normal and high normal. For instance, if a person falls into the high normal category, there is no need to panic. However, there is a need to be aware that any increase in the blood pressure can possibly lead to hypertension. A detailed blood pressure chart also divides low blood pressure into borderline low, too low, and dangerously low. High blood pressure is also classified into 4 stages with stage 1 being the lowest and stage 4 being the highest. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as a silent killer because not many people who have hypertension know that it’s there.

An increase or decrease in blood pressure determines many health risks so it is highly advisable to keep track of your blood pressure through a blood pressure chart. Now even if it is commonly associated with nurses, doctors, and hospitals, those who do not practice medicine can easily keep track of their blood pressure through a blood pressure chart. First, pick out a method of measuring blood pressure. The most common and traditional one is the auscultatory method, one that uses a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (inflatable cuff wrapped around the arm). One does not need a degree in Medicine to learn this method, However it will take some practice. Thanks to the advancements in technology, there are home blood pressure monitors available in the market that are now very simple to use. One quality brand is the Omron blood pressure monitor.

Next, regularly tabulate blood pressure readings in a blood pressure chart. Hospitals have machines that record and print out blood pressure readings. So to make a blood pressure chart at home, simply take a graphing paper and label the vertical axis from 50 to 190. The horizontal axis should be labeled with dates. The frequency of taking blood pressure and using the blood pressure chart depends on the person. Once a week is normal for a healthy person but those with ailments may record their blood pressure every day. The diastolic pressure should be recorded in a pen or pencil color that’s different from the systolic pressure to avoid confusion (preferably contrasting). Computer-savvy individuals can also utilize blood pressure chart applications. There are different brands to choose from and are available for almost all operating systems.

So many people are intimidated by health-conscious individuals. However, it really pays off to take care of the body. Keeping track of vital signs are very important. Keeping a record of the blood pressure is very easy. Regular check-ups are highly recommended but a high-quality home blood pressure monitor is also a good investment. So keep track of those measurements with a blood pressure chart. It may be a tedious task but once it becomes a habit, it is worth all the effort.

High Blood Pressure Range

Blood pressure breakdown by age