Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers
120/80 is on every health poster — but very few patients can tell me what the two numbers actually mean. Here is a plain-language guide you can share with your family.
Blood pressure is always given as two numbers, one over the other. The top number is the systolic pressure — the force in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number is the diastolic — the force when your heart rests between beats. Both matter, but for most people the systolic number is the one that creeps up with age.
What the ranges mean
- Below 120/80 — normal. Keep up whatever you are doing.
- 120–129 / below 80 — elevated. A signal to adjust lifestyle before it becomes hypertension.
- 130–139 / 80–89 — stage 1 hypertension. Worth a structured review with your doctor.
- 140/90 or higher — stage 2. Usually needs medication alongside lifestyle change.
How to take a reliable home reading
A single high reading means very little. Blood pressure fluctuates through the day with stress, caffeine, a full bladder, and even the position of your arm. For a number your doctor can trust:
- Sit quietly for five minutes before measuring — no phone, no conversation.
- Rest your arm on a table so the cuff is level with your heart.
- Take two readings, a minute apart, and note the average.
- Measure at the same time each day, ideally morning and evening.
When to call us
If your home readings are consistently above 140/90 over a week, or you ever record a single reading above 180/120 with headache or chest discomfort, do not wait for your next routine visit — call the clinic the same day. We can review your numbers and decide together whether medication is needed, or whether a few months of lifestyle change is the better first step.
To bring your readings in for review, book an appointment with Dr. Rao or Dr. Mehta.