What do the numbers on the blood pressure monitor mean?
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at
10:36 am
I decided to try on my mom's blood pressure monitor for fun. I held my wrist slightly above heart level, stayed still and breathed evenly.
next to the first number, it says SYS. mmHg
Next to the second number, it says DIA. mmHg
Last is the pulse
my numbers were 90, 54 then 90 again
what do these mean?
By the way, I'm 16. I'm 5'5" and 105 pounds. Thanks for all the response- very informative!
Tagged with: Blood • mean • Monitor • numbers • Pressure
Filed under: Blood Pressure Monitors • Questions and Answers
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i am not a nurse or anything, but your blood pressure sounds low. it depends on what is normal for you though. your pulse sounds on the higher side of normal, so you might be getting dehydrated. drink some water. a “good” blood pressure is 120/80, but everyone’s is different. for some it is generally lower and that is fine.
SYS = systolic blood pressure = the pressure of you blood when your heart is contracting.
DIA = diastolic blood pressure = the pressure of your blood when your heart is relaxed.
Your blood pressure is 90 mmHg SYS and 54 mmHg DIA
mmHg means milliliters mercury. Units of pressure
90 SYS over 54 DIA is perfect for a kid like you. For adults perfect is 120 SYS over 80 DIA
Those numbers measure basically the pressures in your arteries during your cardiac cycle. Your systolic or top number measures the pressure when your heart is beating or contracting. This pushes blood through. The diastolic or bottom number measures the pressure in between beats or while your heart is at rest. Also your blood vessels can also contract or expend depending on the situation like temperature or if your scared, etc. Your pulse measures how many times your heart beats in one minute. For an adult you are looking for a blood pressure of 120/80 and a pulse 60 to 80.
Your blood pressure is a measurement of how much pressure is being exerted on your arteries when your heart beats, and when your heart is at rest (between beats).
Systolic pressure is the top number and is the measurement of pressure during a heart beat.
Diastolic pressure is the bottom number and is the measurement of pressure during the resting phase.
That is why you always see blood pressure expressed as two numbers – 90/54 in your case.
While this blood pressure may seem “low”, if you are young, then it is entirely normal. 120/80 is an “average” blood pressure, not necessarily a “normal” one.
Normal resting heart rate is between 60-100, again depending upon your age and general health status. 90 is fine.
Hope this helps.