Everyone knows that your blood pressure can’t get too high or too low, but many don’t realize what is a healthy number, or the importance of checking a blood pressure chart by age. Of course, there are other factors to be considered as well, such as pregnancy, recovery from illness or surgery, and even being under the influence of alcohol, which can wreak havoc on your blood pressure.
Reading A Chart:
When it comes time to take your blood pressure, there are a few options. You can go to a doctor and have it done professionally, or you can take a reading yourself at one of the self serve stations available in many pharmacies across the country. When you take the reading you should be aware that there are two numbers you are looking for. One represents the height of the pressure in your body; this is called the systolic reading. It normally takes place when your blood is in motion, being pumped by your heart and causing the most pressure. The other number is the opposite; it is taken when your heart stops momentarily between beats and the pressure is at it’s lowest. This number is called the diastolic reading, and it is placed beneath the systolic number in the results.
Reading By Age:
Blood pressure can vary based on age and there is there is a tendency for those above 65 of having higher blood pressure and being at risk for hypertension. If you check a blood pressure chart by age you will find that the numbers tend to rise from childhood into becoming a teen, then decline through the early twenties and begin to climb again as life moves forward. The blood pressure for small children is generally found to be between 116/76 to 122/78; this occurs from the age of 3 to 10. Once children enter the preteen to teen years, normal blood pressure looks more like 126/82 to 136/86, which peaks at around 16. By 19 years of age, normal pressure is more like 120/85, and from there until age 29 it is 121/80. From age 30 to age 40, there isn’t a large change, but the pressure range may look more like 122/81 or maybe 183/82.
From there, the numbers may climb by one or two on either side, which is considered normal by medical professionals. Once you enter into your 60’s the reading should appear around a 134/87. Your blood pressure is considered high if it climbs to 140/90 or higher. After this point, it becomes dangerous, and your doctor may offer some kind of medical solution to relieve blood pressure. For some this may be surgical, for others, medicinal.
Check Regularly:
If you are curious about how your own pressure compares with the blood pressure chart by age, your doctor can give you more information on healthy numbers and what to be watching out for. You should do this at least once a year, but more often if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure so that you know you are at a healthy level. Catching high blood pressure before it spirals out of control can save your life.
Blood Pressure Chart By Age:
