The force exerted by the blood during cardiac contractions along the walls of blood vessels.

It is the result of 2 forces, the systolic pressure which corresponds to ventricular contraction. The second force is the
diastolic pressure which corresponds to ventricular rest in between contractions.
Elevated blood pressure may be associated with heart disease, congestive heart failure, strokes and kidney
disease.
Conversely, low blood pressure may be attributed to prolonged bed rest, blood loss such as seen in gastrointestinal
bleeding, anemia, severe infections, allergic reactions and even heart problems.
The American Heart Association categorized blood pressure into stages.

Hypertension usually does not present symptoms. In some cases, it is believed to be attributed to headaches,
nervousness, sweating and flushing of face. These are not reliable indicators for the condition since many factors other
than hypertension would lead to the stated symptoms. However, hypertensive crisis would present with severe
headaches, severe anxiety and shortness of breath (SOB).
Symptoms of low blood pressure, on the other hand, would include dizziness or light headedness, fainting, nausea,
blurred vision, fatigue and depression.
In taking blood pressure of an individual, consider the following factors: size and placement of the blood pressure cuff,
the position of the individual and the technique to be used.
If the cuff is too small, the systolic pressure will be incorrectly high. Cuff placement is ideally placed about 2 finger
breadth above the elbow over a bare arm. It can be done over a thin clothing but NOT on a thick clothing. Furthermore,
the sleeves should not be rolled up because it may cause an increase in the pressure around the arm thus, an incorrect
reading.