You probably remember the routine from your last physical exam:
A nurse wraps a cuff around your upper arm, pumps the cuff full
of air, and then lets the air out slowly while listening through
a stethoscope or watching a machine. Most likely, you don't
remember feeling anything — except perhaps that odd sensation of
the blood pounding in your arm! For most guys and girls, this is
the only time they think about their blood pressure.
Understanding Blood Pressure Every person needs blood pressure
to live. Without it, blood wouldn't be able to circulate through
the body to carry oxygen and fuel vital organs. Blood pressure
is the pressure your blood exerts against your blood vessel
walls as your heart pumps. Blood pressure rises with each
heartbeat and falls when the heart relaxes between beats, but
there is always a certain amount of pressure in the arteries.
That blood pressure comes from two physical forces. The heart
creates one force as it pumps blood into the arteries and
through the circulatory system. The