It's not hard to understand your blood pressure readings once you get to grips with what the blood pressure numbers mean.

Blood pressure numbers

Blood pressure readings consist of two numbers. The numbers are written like this: 140/80.

The number before the slash is always the higher of the two and is called the systolic blood pressure.

The number after the slash is called the diastolic blood pressure.

Systolic blood pressure reading

When the heart contracts to pump blood around the body it builds up pressure in the blood vessel. The peak level of this pressure is called the systolic blood pressure. In some ways it is a measure of how hard your heart has to work to pump blood around the body.

Diastolic blood pressure reading

The diastolic blood pressure is the level of the pressure left in the hearts pumping system when the heart is fully relaxed and filling up with blood - getting ready to pump again with the next beat.

High blood pressure readings

If your systolic blood pressure reading is greater than 140 and your diastolic blood pressure reading is greater than 90 then you have high blood pressure.

If you diastolic blood pressure reading is less than 90 buy your systolic pressure is greater than 140 then you have what is called "isolated systolic high blood pressure"

Low blood pressure readings

If your systolic blood pressure is less than 90 and your diastolic blood pressure is less than 60 then you have low blood pressure readings

Normal blood pressure readings

Yup - you guessed it: Normal blood pressure readings lie at systolic blood pressure readings between 90 and 140 - with diastolic blood pressure numbers between 60 and 90

This page was written by Doctor Gordon Cameron

Read more about blood pressure on his website devoted to treatment for blood pressure problems