Medical On Line Welcome to Medical OnLine Blood Pressure including Hypertension Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood as it is circulated in the arteries. Each time the heart beats it squirts a relatively small volume of blood into the arterial system momentarily boosting the pressure of the circulating blood. Systolic blood pressure is the higher level of pressure which occurs each time the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is the lower level existing when the heart relaxes in between beats, and is the resting level of pressure. Hypertension is a blood pressure higher than normal.
Hypotension is blood pressure lower than normality.
Normal levels of blood pressure are hard to define. If your doctor is concerned, it may be necessary to take several readings spread over several weeks to months before a decision is made to put you on to medication. This is also because you might have to take it for the rest of your life. Symptoms of raised blood pressure are few until the pressure is dangerously high. So each time you have a check-up with your local doctor, your blood pressure should be measured.