If you are at rest, your blood pressure will be lower. This is a normal response to changes in activity or emotion. Blood pressure can also be affected by age, medications and changes in position. High blood pressure is also called hypertension. This means the pressure in your arteries is above the normal range.
Some people have blood pressure that stays up all or most of the time.
Some people only have high blood pressure when they go to the doctor, because they feel nervous. Having your blood pressure checked is quick, easy and painless. A valve is opened and air is then released from the cuff and the sounds of your blood rushing through an artery are heard through a stethoscope. It represents the maximum pressure in the artery produced as the heart contracts and the blood begins to flow. It represents the lowest pressure that remains within the artery when the heart is at rest in between beats.