What is an Average Blood Pressure?

You may be surprised to learn that blood pressure ranges can actually differ throughout the world. This is why your doctor will not only look for how closely you come to the average pressure range, but also take into consideration such factors as your age, race, health, gender, and more.

Blood pressure is defined as the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries. It is at its peak when the heart beats, forcing blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure and it's a significant measurement which reveals the compression capacity of cardiac tissues in a person's body coupled with the free flow of blood in their arterioles and arteries. When your heart is at rest, between beats, pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

In general, a healthy person should have a systolic pressure reading no higher than 130 mm of Hg and a diastolic pressure reading of approximately 80 mm of Hg. The average pressure of an average person is generally considered to be 120/80.

What's a high blood pressure reading?

Well, much like other conditions, there are different stages of hypertension. Stage one occurs when your systolic reading ranges between 140 mm of mercury to 159 mm, combined with a diastolic reading ranging from 90 mm to 99 mm. The next step in the hierarchy of stages is a systolic pressure of 160 or higher, along with a diastolic blood pressure of 100 or higher. This is the point at which you're considered to be in stage two.

Similarly, you can experience low pressure, though it may be more difficult to define. This is because some people feel light-headed, sluggish and experience headaches when their pressure gets too low, but other people may experience no symptoms at all and may not even be aware of their condition.

You only require one number, either systolic or diastolic, to be low to be considered in the low range. This is true even if the other number is perfect. So what's generally considered the starting low mark? Most experts consider anything lower than 90 systolic or 60 diastolic to be a warning sign.

The real danger occurs when your blood pressure takes a sudden plunge or if you've been experiencing long-term low range readings that are resulting in noticeable symptoms.

All of these ranges need to be considered closely by a physician. A high reading, for instance, may be the result of temporary anxiety or excitement. This is why it's helpful to have a regular doctor who has a history of your readings. He'll be able to determine if you're falling within an average range or if there is reason for concern.

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