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2. Facts about blood pressure
Blood pressure is the force which moves the flow of blood
around the body. This also exerts pressure on the walls of the
arteries and this pressure can be measured.
The arterial blood pressure depends on the heart's pumping
cycle.
The highest pressure in this cycle is known as
systolic
blood
pressure, and the lowest as
diastolic
blood pressure.
Your doctor needs both the
systolic
and the
diastolic
blood
pressure to be able to assess your circulation.
Fluctuations in blood pressure
Individual blood pressure fluctuates depending on the time of day
and season.
It is influenced by various factors including physical activity, fear,
nervousness, etc. These fluctuations are even more marked in
people with high blood pressure. Blood pressure is usually lower
during sleep and before getting up and then rises.
Why is it important to monitor the blood pressure regularly?
The monitoring of blood pressure by a doctor as part of a medical
examination can cause the person being examined to feel nervous
and thus cause a rise in blood pressure. Our blood pressure also
depends on various other factors and can therefore not be assessed
on the basis of a single measurement.
IM_HealthCont.Pro_USB_D-GB-F:IM_Temp Precise_dt-engl-ital 22.12.2009 15:34 Uhr Seite 41
