Dr. David Castrilli, CHI Memorial Internal Medicine Associates – East Brainerd; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical SocietyQ: Every time I go to the doctor my blood pressure is taken, but to be honest I don’t really know what the numbers mean.
A: Blood pressure measures the force pushing outwards on arterial walls with every heartbeat and is recorded as two numbers. The top number, or systolic, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number, or diastolic, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats when the heart muscle is resting and refilling with blood.
While your BP can change from minute to minute with changes in posture, exercise, stress or sleep, it should normally be less than 120/80 mm of hemoglobin (Hg) for an adult age 20 or over. Your systolic readings will likely increase as you age because your large arteries stiffen.
If you get a systolic reading of 180 or higher or a diastolic reading of 110 or higher, wait a couple of minutes and take it again. If the reading is still at or above that level, call 911 immediately. These pressures in the blood vessel can cause organ damage such as stroke, heart attack and acute kidney injury.
– Dr. David Castrilli, CHI Memorial Internal Medicine Associates – East Brainerd; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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