Medical Questions » Blood Pressure Questions » Question No. 146
| Question: | The nurse at work took my blood pressure, and said I should see a doctor. Is a blood pressure of 190/115 normal? |
| Answer: | Definitely not! Normal blood pressure is difficult to define as it depends on many factors including age, sex, fitness, position, weight etc. Your doctor will take all these into account when measuring your blood pressure.
Generally speaking, a blood pressure of more than 150/90 is treated with considerable suspicion.
Blood pressure cannot be determined by only one reading. The pressure will vary during the day, may be affected by anxiety and can even rise just because a doctor is taking it. As a result, if an abnormal level is found, your doctor will take it again later in the consultation, and then at different times on different days to build up a picture of the changes your blood pressure makes.
If it is consistently high, hypertension will be diagnosed and appropriate treatment started. Smoking, obesity and salt arc the greatest aggravating factors for hypertension, and correcting these may lower your blood pressure back to normal.
If you have been told that you have a blood pressure of 190/115 you need further medical attention, and should see your doctor soon. |
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