Whenever you go to the hospital or have any sort of medical checkup, one of the things the nurse will almost always do is take your blood pressure. They’ll wrap that Velcro band around your upper arm that squeezes you almost painfully, and then a couple of numbers will pop up on the screen, indicating your blood pressure. Then you probably won’t hear about it again until the next time your blood pressure gets measured.

So what is blood pressure anyway? Blood pressure is a vital sign measure that determines how strong the pressure against your artery walls is. The pressure is caused by the force of your heart pumping blood into the artery versus the resistance of the artery against it. When you see a blood pressure reading, there’ll be one number on top that’s bigger, and a number under it. The numbers are measures of mmHg, or millimeters of mercury. The upper number is the systolic pressure, and it gives you the pressure of your heart pumping. The lower number represents the diastolic pressure, and it gives you the pressure of your heart relaxing between pumps. A normal blood pressure range will have a systolic pressure reading that ranges from 90 to 140 mmHg, and a diastolic pressure reading that ranges from 60 to 90 mmHg. The ideal blood pressure reading for adults is 120 mmHg/80 mmHg.

Having a normal blood pressure range is good because it means that your blood circulation is healthy. Having a blood pressure reading lower than normal blood pressure range indicates hypotension, which is associated with the body going into shock. This happens because not enough blood is going into your body tissues. There are many symptoms of hypotension, since the circulatory system is an important part of the whole body—a few include chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and shortness of breath. On the other end, having a blood pressure reading higher than normal blood pressure range indicates hypertension because your heart has to pump harder. Hypertension is associated with cardiovascular disease, strokes and chronic renal failure, and unfortunately it can go undetected because symptoms don’t have to occur, but it can exhibit some of the same symptoms of hypotension.

You can stay within the normal blood pressure range by eating healthy, exercising and reducing stress. This helps keep the circulation going in your body and promotes a lifestyle that’s good for your overall health as well as your blood pressure.

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