Diagnosis
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood through the arteries with each beat and keeps blood flowing throughout the body. Each heart beat has two parts -contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).Just as there are two parts of a heart beat, there are also two parts of blood pressure measurement - systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic blood pressure is the maximum pressure within the arteries and occurs when the heart contracts. Diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure within the vessels and occurs when the heart relaxes. Blood pressure is shown by two numbers:
For Example:
122/78
122 = Systolic
78 = Diastolic
Blood pressure that is uncontrolled or "high' causes damage that is usually gradual and unnoticed. Serious health problems can occur in several organs because of high blood pressure.
- Brain - Arteries that carry the blood to the brain can be damaged causing hemorrhage leading to stroke.
- Heart - The heart must work harder to pump blood when pressure is elevated. This can cause the heart to enlarge, weakening the muscle so that eventually it doesn't pump as well (i.e. heart failure).
- Kidney - The small arteries carrying blood to the kidneys may be damaged, reducing the flow of blood to them. With reduced flow, the kidneys are less able to do their job of filtering wastes.
