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Understanding blood pressure readings are not complex as one may think. Those two numbers onehears when visiting a doctor or getting a reading could be easily understood. Blood pressurereadings are commonly done with every doctors visit one encounters. There are also portableblood pressure monitors which are commonly found in drug stores.

Getting a proper blood pressure reading to understand if one is at risk can only be done withmultiple testing done at different times. Many factors can account for a slight elevation in onesblood pressure, such as a stressful day, or even the doctor's visit it's self can cause one to have ahigher than normal reading.

Doctor's typically record high readings and watch for a consistently steady "high reading" beforetaking action. People at risk for high blood pressure that are testing themselves should do so atdifferent times during the day and over a span of a few days to ensure an accurate reading.

Understanding one's reading is not as difficult as it may sound. There are two numbers thataccount for blood pressure, the top number (the higher one, known as the systolic) and thebottom number (the lower one, known as the diastolic). When blood flows through the heart, the heart expands to release blood back into the body and contracts to take in blood from the bloodvessels. A blood pressure reading is in layman's terms, the "opening and closing of the heart."

Systolic: The blood pressure when the heart is contracting.Diastolic: The blood pressure when the heart is relaxed.

There are four stages of blood pressure readings:

Normal - Systolic below 120 and Diastolic below 80People with normal blood pressure should maintain the healthy lifestyle they have alreadyadapted.

Pre-hypertension - 120-139 / 80-89
People with pre-hypertension are at a risk for developing high blood pressure and should adopt ahealthy lifestyle with changes in their diet, exercise, and salt intake.

Stage 1 Hypertension - 140-149 / 90-99
Need a complete lifestyle change; doctor's monitor patients with Stage 1 hypertension for usuallya period of 6 months, without changes in a Stage 1 patient, a medication will typically beprescribed.

Stage 2 Hypertension - 160+ / 100+ or more
Treated with a lifestyle change as well as one or more medications to lower blood pressure.

Understanding blood pressure readings is a simple process, as long as the readings are done over aperiod of time. People with risk factors should keep a journal of blood pressure readings to presentto his or her doctor for further treatment and discussion. People with a healthy blood pressurereading should maintain the diet and exercise they have adapted, and people at risk should adoptone.