How do you read blood pressure?

[Anonymous]

I am 19. About 5'1 weighing around 140ish. I took a blood pressure test and got 170/14 I don't know what it means. My family has a history of high blood pressure and lately I have been feeling chest burns. I have been eating a lot of junk food tho which makes me a bit sick. But what does my blood pressure mean?

[Smileyface93]

140/90 is considered high, therefore anything over that should be promptly taken care of. Normal is considered to be around 120/80. Blood pressure can fluctuate do to exercise, stress, or even being sick. It might be a good idea to monitor your blood pressure at least a couple times a day for a few days and report the results to your doctor.

[Asker]

I dont understand 140/90 is high right? Well I got 140/14. A high and a low number...

[Smileyface93]

I thought maybe the 14 was a typo. I've never heard of anyone having a bottom # that low before. I'd try a different machine, just to be sure.

[Asker]

I did try it twice. It went and stopped at 14 and then went up to like 28ish. But I didn't know which to count.

[Smileyface93]

I don't know, I could be wrong, but I feel like it'd be nearly impossible for your # to be that low on the bottom. I'm no doctor, but I feel like if your # was 14, you'd have been dead by now. I think it's gotta be the machine or it's being read wrong. I'd go to a doctor to be sure

[Smileyface93]

Thanks for MHO! Hope everything worked out okay!

[BertMacklinFBI]

if you go to one of those self-tester units at a drug store or some shit they have a general chart written out for you what is considered good and bad.

[Asker]

I used one and I saw the chart but it only had one number which doesn't make sense since its two numbers (ex 170/14)

[HGStebbins]

Not sure you did it right. That 14 number is REALLY low. 170 is also high for a resting blood pressure.

[Asker]

What does the 14 mean though?

[HGStebbins]

means you should be dead.

[Asker]

So do I got high or low blood pressure?

[HGStebbins]

www.heart.org/.../...adings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp

[Asker]

Thank you!

[HGStebbins]

Your systolic is emergency high and your diastolic is emergency low according to the American Heart Association.

[Asker]

Sounds like me.

[badger25]

The 170 number is really high especially for your age. The 14 is way low too, so low that a nurse or doctor would think you did something wrong when you took it

[Asker]

Can you explain the 14 part? I check the chart and it only showed one number for each measurement (ex. <25) and not <25/17. Why?

[badger25]

I'm not sure what kind of chart you mean,

[Asker]

The chart on my blood pressure monitor

[ThatBritishLad]

Cut your arm open, squirt it and see how far it goes.

[Azara]

>120 /80 =normal
70/30=low

[Asker]

Okay but I dont get how 170/14 could mean one number when its two numbers?