There are no hard and fast figures which represent a normal blood pressure. And very often doctors and other experts cannot even decide between them what an ideal blood pressure range is for an adult.
However it is usually agreed that somewhere between 110/70 and 125/80 is considered to be an average blood pressure for a grown person, though someone with naturally low blood pressure may be closer to a range of 100/60
A blood pressure of 140/90 is considered to be high, though as a person gets older, this falls into the more normal range for people.
Blood doesnt circulate in an even stream around the body, but travels in a constant series of spurts. Therefore the pressure peaks in the blood vessels just after a heart beat and then ebbs until the next one. This is a continuous process.
The two blood pressure figures represent the pressures when the forces are at their peak and at their lowest ebb. The stronger the arteries are, the more they resist the force of the blood and the lower the blood pressure.
As a person gets older, and the elasticity of their arteries weakens, the figures tend to rise. However the lower figure should still be under 90 until that person at least reaches their sixties.
Many studies looking at blood pressure in both black and white people have found there is a higher prevalence of hypertension (High blood pressure) in black people than there is in white. This has led to further research in determining whether this is racially determined or just based on socioeconomic and dietary factors.
Some people suffering high blood pressure may find they just cant pinpoint a cause for their problem. They may be fit, have a very healthy lifestyle yet their blood pressure remains consistently high for no apparent reason. This is called Primary or essential high blood pressure. However if the raised blood pressure is due to an underlying medical problem, it is known as Secondary High Blood Pressure.
Nearly one in four people in the Western world have high blood pressure. Many people dont appreciate it is a dangerous condition that can lead to a heart attack kidney failure or stroke if it is left untreated. Yet there are thousands of people unaware they have high blood pressure who are walking around with a lethal time bomb ticking away inside them.
Guide to Blood Pressure, low and high blood pressure and treatment.
Tesoro High School Gym Teacher Helps Teens Stay Fit
John Gipe used to be overweight in high school. He heard his teachers call him heavy and he knows how obese students in the Orange County Schools feel. Gipe has been teaching physical education for over twenty years and was preparing for retirement but was concerned about the increasing number of overweight teens at Tesoro High School, part of the Orange County School District. He knows from personal experience that being overweight in your teen years can have lifelong affects on your health, such as knee and back problems as an adult.
He made a decision to try and do something to help these students. Gipe saw that the traditional focus on team sports in physical education was not keeping students fit. Gipe and a local Rancho Santa Margarita pediatrician created the Body Composition class. This class isnt just for the obese but is a response to the increasing sedentary lifestyle lead by todays teens. The class is based on and uses the same type of techniques and work as modern health clubs. This includes learning about maintaining a nutritional diet, learning proper stretching and strengthening techniques. Counselors in the high schools are taught how to quietly recommend obese students to the class. The class has proved successful and is now being implemented in six other Orange County School District high schools.
Health Spa Techniques
Gipes Body Composition class offered in some Orange County School District high schools is often more intensive and personalized than the volleyball or badminton played in the average physical education class. The students engage in crunches, push-ups, work with medicine balls, and use equipment designed to improve balance. This is all done to pumping music and Gipes constant encouragement. This environment makes the students an active part of the process. A lack of motivation is one of the main reasons that the traditional physical education class does not keep the students fit.
When the exercises are over, the students gather to practice yoga style breathing and cool down. The music is turned off and Gipe takes on a different role. He doesnt yell but speaks softly and tells the students about what it takes to accomplish the goals theyve set to improve their health.
Why Student Health is so Important
Unhealthy students are not just hurting themselves but can have a negative affect on the schools. Students who do not eat properly are often absent more, have lower test scores and may have trouble concentrating. There are more than nine million overweight students in American schools. This has caused an increase in childhood heart disease and diabetes. Absenteeism can affect the federal and state funding that a school receives. This is not intended to be insensitive but to illustrate the pressures that can be placed on large school districts like Orange County School District. The average student absences can cost a school between $10 and $20 dollars per day, which can add up to millions per year. Additional costs can be incurred by the school because of extra staff or overtime needed to help students with weight or nutrition related sicknesses.