Blood pressure facts for kids
Blood pressure is a measurement that doctors use to check your health. It tells them how hard your blood is pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries are like tubes that carry blood from your heart to all parts of your body.
Doctors usually measure blood pressure in a large artery, like the one in your arm. The measurement is given in units called millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
When you get your blood pressure checked, you'll see two numbers. The first number is called the systolic pressure. This is the highest pressure when your heart beats and pushes blood out. The second number is the diastolic pressure. This is the lowest pressure when your heart rests between beats. For example, if your blood pressure is "122/65," it means the pressure is 122 mmHg when your heart beats and 65 mmHg when it rests. Doctors use a special tool called a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure.
Contents
What is Normal Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure can be different for everyone, and it changes naturally. For example, a child's blood pressure is usually lower than an adult's. As people get older, their blood pressure often gets a bit higher.
For healthy adults, a normal systolic blood pressure is usually below 120 mmHg, and a normal diastolic pressure is below 80 mmHg.
Your blood pressure also changes throughout the day. It's usually lower when you're sleeping and higher when you wake up or are active. Things like stress, being sick, certain medicines, and even what you eat can affect your blood pressure. Sometimes, just being a little nervous about having your blood pressure taken can make it go up. This is sometimes called "white coat hypertension."
Blood Pressure Problems
Sometimes, blood pressure can be too high or too low. Both can cause health problems.
High blood pressure
Main article: Hypertension
When blood pressure stays too high for a long time, it's called hypertension. This is a very common problem. About one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is sometimes called "the silent killer" because it often doesn't cause any symptoms. This means many people have it without knowing. However, over time, high blood pressure can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other body parts. It can lead to serious health issues like a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure.
Low blood pressure
Main article: Hypotension
When blood pressure is too low, it's called hypotension. If your blood pressure is too low, your heart, brain, and other parts of your body might not get enough blood and oxygen.
Low blood pressure can make you feel dizzy or even cause you to faint. If blood pressure gets very low, it can lead to more serious problems like seizures, losing consciousness, or even be life-threatening.
Other pages
Images for kids
-
A digital sphygmomanometer used for measuring blood pressure
-
Blood flow velocity waveforms in the central retinal artery (red) and vein (blue), measured by laser Doppler imaging in the eye fundus of a healthy volunteer.
See also
In Spanish: Presión sanguínea para niños
