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Psychology And Health Problems 1

Psychology and Health Problems 1

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Psychology and Health Problems 2

Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. The same way that air fills a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity. If there is too much air pressure it can cause the balloon to pop, too much blood pressure can harm healthy arteries. Blood pressure is measured by two numbers, systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure measures cardiac output and refers to the pressure in the arterial system at its highest. Diastolic pressure measures peripheral resistance and refers to arterial pressure at its lowest. Blood pressure is normally measured at the brachial artery with a sphygmomanometer (pressure cuff) in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and given as systolic over diastolic pressure.
The upper number is the systolic pressure, which is the peak force of blood as the heart pumps it. The lower number is the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart is filling or relaxing before the next beat. Normal blood pressure for an adult is 120/70. Height, weight, fitness level, age, and health of a person has an effect on normal blood pressure. Hypertension, commonly called high blood pressure, is a reading of 140/90 on three consecutive measurements at least six hours apart. High blood pressure causes the heart to work harder than it should and can damage the coronary arteries, the brain, the kidneys, and the eyes and is a major cause of strokes. Hypertension is broken down into two main groups, primary and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension has no specific origin but is strongly associated

Psychology and Health Problems 3

with lifestyle. It is responsible for 90 to 95 percent of diagnosed hypertension and is treated with stress management,...