Systolic vs. Diastolic

When a doctor checks your blood pressure, the reading that comes comprises of two numbers expressed in the form of a fraction. Amongst these two numbers, the number that comes as the numerator of the fraction is the systolic blood pressure and the one that is shown in the bottom is the diastolic blood pressure.

Blood pressure refers to the total amount of pressure that the blood in a human body exerts on the blood vessels while flowing through. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by blood during a heartbeat whereas diastolic blood pressure is the pressure exerted on the walls of the blood vessels in the time between the consecutive heartbeats.

Systolic blood pressure is the apex pressure point as this is when the pressure of the blood stream on the walls is heightened due to the heartbeat. On the other hand, the diastolic blood pressure is characteristically lower in between the heartbeats as the blood tends to gush slower.

Blood pressure tends to be high in individuals who suffer from stress. Moreover, people who have cholesterol depositions and accumulated plaque lining the inside of the arteries also have high pressure. Often certain diseases may cause the blood vessels to get rigid. This can also result in a high blood pressure. In all these circumstances the heart is forced to strive hard in order to pump the blood through the vessels. When the systolic blood pressure is more than 120 and the diastolic blood pressure is more than 80, the patient is said to have a borderline high blood pressure. But in case the systolic pressure gets higher than 140 and the diastolic pressure gets higher than 90, it is termed as a chronic situation of considerably high blood pressure.

Often, in precise medical conditions, the diastolic blood pressure may get high which is a symptom indicating some unknown disease that is causing the stiffening of the blood vessels. On the contrary, if the systolic blood pressure is high with a normal diastolic reading, the situation is a more momentary one.

A properly balanced diet along with some regular exercise can help improve the condition of the blood vessels and also fortify the heart. In fact this is suggested as the most common treatment for individuals suffering from borderline blood pressure symptoms. An acutely high blood pressure can be treated with anti hypertensive medications.

Summary:

1)Systolic is the reading that appears in the top of a blood pressure reading, whereas diastolic is the reading that appears in the bottom.
2)Systolic pressure is exerted by the blood on the vessels during a heartbeat whereas the diastolic pressure is the pressure exerted on the walls of the vessels in between heartbeats.