I'll answer this question by first giving a quick explanation of high and low blood pressure. There is a happy medium in which we all hope to be, if our blood pressure gets too high or too low we will suffer from various symptoms.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is given as two numbers, x over y. The x represents the systolic pressure (the pressure during a pump of your heart); the y represents the diastolic pressure (the pressure when your heart is in a relaxed state). Your blood pressure should be less than 120 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic.
The mmHg is a measurement of pressure. The unit mmHg (millimeter of mercury) is the atmospheric pressure that will support a column of mercury one millimeter high. So 120 mmHh should support 120 millimeters of mercury in our atmosphere.
You can test your own blood pressure at most drug stores.
Lowering your blood pressure can be very important; you don't want your heart to be overworked. Here are some tips to lowering your blood pressure, but you can also have medications prescribed by a doctor, they should work too, but just in case:
- Eat Healthy, and don't eat before bed. Cut as much salt and sodium from your diet.
- Keep your weight down, more weight means more work for your heart, which means more pressure. Keeping physically active will help too, it will help keep your weight down, and it is good exercise for your heart.
- No smoking, no alcohol, at least cut down on the alcohol, no binges.
- Eat potassium, I hope you like bananas, but if not here's a link to a while list of good foods: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/factors/supls.htm
- Stress and caffeine will temporarily raise your blood pressure.
This link to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will have related information:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/
