Individuals talk about high and low blood pressure  all the time and how it affects our health. High blood pressure and its symptoms are more commonly talked about.

The phrase blood pressure describes how much our heart is working to pump or force the oxygenated blood around our body and pumping the de-oxygenated blood back to our lungs to be oxygenised again. Every individual has a different blood pressure value and this can differ depending on your action such as if you are sitting and resting or if you taking part in exercise.

There are two figures which are recorded when taking your blood pressure. The top figure is the systolic number which records the pressure that your blood is exerted when the heart is beating and forcing the blood around your body. The bottom number of the reading, called the diastolic pressure, is the measure of your blood pressure when the heart is resting between the beats. It can be quite easy to confuse your blood pressure readings with your heart pulse rate.   Your heart pulse rate does not measure the pressure of your blood in your body but the amount of times your heart actually beats.

If your blood pressure reading has a number between 90 and 130 at the top and between 60 and 80 at the bottom, this might be regarded as a common blood pressure reading. A low blood pressure reading would be any reading with a systolic reading of below 90 and a diastolic reading of under60. If you have a blood pressure reading with high top and bottom numbers like above  140 and 90 respectively, then you will be regarded having high blood pressure. Being overweight or under lots of stress can make your blood pressure to increase. Maybe you have gone out with lots of shopping (for women’s clothes and more) but time is running away.

You may not always be aware if you have low blood pressure, as there are not any symptoms every time. Depending on how low your blood pressure goes, some symptoms can ie  dizziness or feeling light headed, fainting or feeling like you are going to faint, feeling sick, weak and suffering from defective sight which appears all hazy. If you suffer from these symptoms regularly when you stand up, then there is more than a chance that you have low blood pressure. Low blood pressure when changing from these positions is more usual in older people and can lead to falls. The more active you are, the more your body has to pump the blood around the body and to your head, and if your blood pressure is low, it will struggle to do this, causing you to feel faint. Low blood pressure can be caused following dinner times and eating which is quite usual with elderly people. The reason for this is that following a meal your intestines require a huge amount of blood for digestion. Your heart will be required to increase the rate it pumps blood around your body, but to keep a good level of pressure, your blood vessels may need to reduce in size. If your heart rate does not increase enough or your blood vessels do not reduce themselves enough, your blood pressure will descend. Eating sensible amounts and often [for example] not too much or going for long periods without eating can help control the balance of your blood pressure and thus decrease the risk of you suffering from the symptoms of low blood pressure. Having a low level of blood might also result in low blood pressure which can either be caused by dehydration or a fault with your kidney’s. If you suffer from life-threatening sickness or diarrhea, then this can [make you dehydratedbring on dehydration] which in turn can alter your blood pressure readings and reduce them, giving you low blood pressure.

You do not have a concern if you suffer low blood pressure as long as you don’t commence having the symptoms known. If you vary your habits and life-style, this can maintain and improve your blood pressure without the need of taking medication. You will want to be certain if you busy shopping for your favourite items (Coast women’s clothes a favourite) that you have had something to eat an drink or stop for a break, so you don’t suffer.

Do ask and refer to your GP if you are uncertain and need any medical direction in this respect.