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What Is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the
arteries. Systolic pressure occurs when the heart contracts; diastolic
pressure occurs when the heart expands. Blood pressure is measured in
millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
What Affects Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is affected by many factors: age, weight, time of day,
activity level, climate, altitude and season. Certain activities can signifi-
cantly alter one’s blood pressure. Walking can raise systolic pressure by
12 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 5.5 mmHg. Sleeping can decrease
systolic blood pressure by as much as 10 mmHg. Taking your blood
pressure repeatedly without waiting an interval of 5 minutes between
readings, or without raising your arm to allow blood to flow back to the
heart, can also affect it.
In addition to these factors, beverages containing caffeine or alcohol,
certain medications, emotional stress and even tight-fitting clothes can
make a difference in the readings.
What Causes Variations In Blood Pressure?
An individual’s blood pressure varies greatly from day to day and season
to season. For hypersensitive individuals, these variations are even more
pronounced. Normally, blood pressure rises during work or play and falls
to its lowest levels during sleep.
ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE