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103 55 blood pressure: Blood Pressure 103 over 55

103/55 blood pressure – is it good or bad?

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Maintaining a healthy blood pressure throughout your life is one of the most important things you can do for long-term health and longevity. Whether you’re looking up a blood pressure of 103/55 for yourself or a loved one or simply out of your own curiosity, you’re taking the right steps by being informed and empowering yourself or someone else to be their own best advocate.

According to the American Heart Association, a blood pressure reading of 103/55 would be considered
hypotension, or low blood pressure. Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is defined by a systolic reading (the top number) of less than 90 or a diastolic reading (the bottom number) of less than 60. Low blood pressure generally isn’t considered an issue unless it causes symptoms (such as dizziness, light-headedness, or fainting) or unless it drops suddenly.

Okay, now you know how to classify a blood pressure of 103/55, but now what do you do with that information? Read on to learn more or look up another blood pressure reading.

What is a good blood pressure reading?

According to the American Heart Association, a normal blood pressure reading is lower than 120/80. While there is no specific number for low blood pressure, most experts say blood pressure is too low when it causes symptoms or drops suddenly. In general, though, low blood pressure can be considered anything under 90/60.

More information about a blood pressure reading of 103/55

A blood pressure reading of 103/55 is pronounced “103 over 55.” You may also see it written colloquially as 103/55 bp.

In a blood pressure reading of 103/55, 103 is called the systolic number and 55 is called the diastolic number. Systolic refers to the part of the cardiac cycle in which the heart contracts and pumps blood from the chambers into the arteries, and diastolic refers to the part of the cardiac cycle in which the heart relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood. You may also hear the systolic and diastolic numbers referred to as the top number and the bottom number.

Systolic and diastolic readings are measured in mmHg, which is a unit of pressure equal to the pressure that can support a column of mercury 1 millimeter high. Hg is the chemical symbol for mercury. For a blood pressure reading of 103/55, you would pronounce it “103 over 55 millimeters of mercury.”

How do you measure blood pressure?

In a doctor’s office, blood pressure is traditionally taken manually by a doctor or nurse with a sphygmomanometer. A sphygmomanometer is a medical instrument with an inflatable cuff and pressure meter or dial. The sphygmomanometer is placed snugly around the upper arm and is inflated by hand, and the doctor or nurse listens to the brachial artery with a stethoscope as they gradually reduce the pressure of the cuff. When the whooshing sound of blood is first heard through the stethoscope, the doctor or nurse makes note of the reading on the pressure meter. This indicates the systolic blood pressure reading. When the sound disappears, the reading on the pressure meter indicates the diastolic pressure reading.

Blood pressure can also be taken at home using a number of a digital devices. They typically consist of an inflatable cuff and digital display and simply work by placing the cuff around the upper arm and pressing a button, after which the cuff inflatess, deflates, and displays a reading. The most popular blood pressure machines for home use are made by Omron, Beurer, and Paramed, amongst many others.

One thing to keep in mind is that blood pressure can vary by time of day and activity level, so if you’re taking it at home it’s important to check it around the same time each day and rest for a few minutes ahead of time to limit as many variables as possible. It can also be affected by eating.

Blood pressure tends to rise in the hours before waking and then drop in the afternoon and evening before dropping to its lowest point while sleeping, so one popular recommendation is to check it just after waking up and just before bed to identify trends in how it varies from morning until night. Because of this, you might find that if your blood pressure is 103/55 in the morning, it might be lower before bed, and vice versa. Of course, these are just general rules of thumb and may vary by the individual.

Relevant HSA expenses

If you have an HSA as part of your health insurance plan, you’ll be pleased to find that blood pressure monitors, blood pressure cuffs, and wrist blood pressure monitors are all eligible, including smart blood pressure monitors like the offerings from Qardio and Withings.

How the heck do you pronounce sphygmomanometer?

Sphygmomanometer is pronounced sfig-moh-muh-‘nah-mi-ter. Easy!

Explore blood pressure readings similar to 103/55

The following table shows related blood pressure readings because sometimes just one number can make all the difference.

Please note that if a field is blank, it’s not an accident—it simply means a record doesn’t exist for that particular blood pressure. This could be because going forward or backward would create a blood pressure reading that wouldn’t make sense, or because that blood pressure simply doesn’t exist in our records.

← Prev systolic numNext systolic num →
102/55 blood pressure104/55 blood pressure
← Prev diastolic numNext diastolic num →
103/54 blood pressure103/56 blood pressure

Sources

  • Understanding blood pressure readings – American Heart Association
  • High blood pressure – Mayo Clinic
  • Get the most out of home blood pressure monitoring – Mayo Clinic
  • Blood pressure – Wikipedia
  • How to pronounce sphygmomanometer – Dictionary.com

Disclaimer

The information on this page is intended to be an educational reference and is not to be taken as medical advice. If you think you’re having a hypertensive or hypotensive emergency, or if you’re having any kind of medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.

Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

Hypotension, also called low blood pressure, happens when blood pressure falls below the normal range.

What is Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?

Normal blood pressure is between 90/60 and 130/80.

  • The top number, or systolic pressure, is a measurement of the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle contracts.
  • The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, is a measurement of the pressure in the arteries between beats of the heart.

Hypotension, or low blood pressure, happens when your child’s blood pressure falls below the normal range. A drop in blood pressure is not always a cause for concern, and the severity of the situation depends on the cause.

What are the different types of Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?

Three main types of low blood pressure in children include:

Neurally mediated hypotension

This type of low blood pressure primarily affects children, and they usually outgrow it by adulthood. The blood pressure drop happens when a child has been standing for a long time.  

Orthostatic hypotension

This type of low blood pressure occurs when a child sits or stands up suddenly. It is a common reason for a drop in blood pressure and your child’s body will typically correct to normal blood pressure within a few seconds.

Severe hypotension

This life-threatening drop in blood pressure happens suddenly when a child has an infection, has an anaphylaxis allergic reaction or experiences a traumatic injury that causes sudden blood loss. When severe hypotension occurs, it prevents oxygen from getting to the brain and other organs, leading to serious problems or can even be fatal.

What are the signs and symptoms of Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?

  • Blurred vision
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness (vertigo)
  • Fainting
  • Feeling weak
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Sleepiness

What are the causes of Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?

The most common causes of low blood pressure in a child include:

  • Anaphylaxis (life-threatening) allergic reaction
  • Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)
  • Certain medications, including painkillers and anti-anxiety medicines
  • Dehydration
  • Drinking alcohol (teenagers)
  • Heart conditions
  • Infection
  • Sudden position change, such as standing up quickly

Pediatric Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) Doctors and Providers

  • Mouin Seikaly, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Soumya Adhikari, MD

    Pediatric Endocrinologist

  • Chelsea Anderson, MD

    Pediatrician Newborn Medicine

  • Michel Baum, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Elizabeth Brown, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Keri Drake, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Jyothsna Gattineni, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Halima Janjua, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Ximena Lopez, MD

    Pediatric Endocrinologist

  • Jessica Morse, MD

    Pediatrician Newborn Medicine

  • Raymond Quigley, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Joseph Schneider, MD

    Pediatrician Newborn Medicine

  • Muraleedharan Sivarajan, MD

    Pediatrician Newborn Medicine

  • Kaili Stehel, MD

    Pediatrician Newborn Medicine

  • Smitha Vidi, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Matthias Wolf, MD

    Pediatric Nephrologist

  • Sudha Mootha, MD

    Pediatric Endocrinologist

  • Robin Landgraf, APRN, PNP-PC

    Nurse Practitioner – Nephrology

What does lower blood pressure show: what does a lower blood pressure indicator mean in a person – April 6, 2021

Blood pressure (also known as blood pressure) is the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels. When measuring it, two types are determined: with each heartbeat, blood pressure fluctuates between the largest (systolic) and the smallest (diastolic). In colloquial speech, they are called upper and lower.

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Why do we need two indicators?

High and low pressure separation is more for doctors than for patients. But doctors do not separate them from each other, so there is no need to memorize or evaluate separately the numbers of the lower pressure – they are associated with the numbers of the upper one.

– The upper number – systolic blood pressure – shows the pressure in the arteries at the moment when the heart contracts and pushes blood into the arteries, it depends on the strength of the contraction of the heart, the resistance exerted by the walls of the blood vessels, and the number of heartbeats per unit time, – explains cardiologist Maria Benevskaya. – Therefore, in general, we can say that this indicator reflects the work of the heart, although, of course, other factors also take part in this process.

Maria Benevskaya – Associate Professor of the Department of Hospital Therapy named after. Academician P. E. Lukom Medical Faculty of the Russian National Research Medical University. N. I. Pirogova, candidate of medical sciences, cardiologist, therapist, doctor of functional diagnostics.

The lower number shows the pressure in the arteries at the time of relaxation of the heart muscle, it reflects the tone of the peripheral vessels.

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What should the lower pressure be?

As we have said, this number should not be considered on its own, but in the context of upper pressure.

– The ideal difference between them is within 40-50 mm Hg. Art. That is, for example, 120 to 80, 100 to 60, 110 to 70. When a patient sees deviations in the lower pressure, for example, it is very low (40, 50, 30), then this is a reason to see a doctor, because this may indicate some kind of pathology, most often cardiological, says cardiologist Natalya Gulyaeva.

Natalya Gulyaeva — cardiologist, candidate of medical sciences.

High lower blood pressure indicates that vascular tone is increased, and this carries a risk of cardiovascular complications such as stroke.

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What does it mean if the difference is more than normal?

Natalya Gulyaeva says that low lower blood pressure can be not only in the case of cardiac pathology, but also in a malnourished person – hunger, illness (for example, with oncological pathology or severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract), dehydration. This may be due to the individual characteristics of the body, but in any case it is better to consult a doctor so as not to miss the disease.

– An increase in the difference may be due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, aggravated by malnutrition of the brain (most often vertebrobasilar insufficiency). Diseases of the musculoskeletal system lead to a weakening of cerebral blood flow. Hence the problems with upper and lower pressure in general, says Maria Benevskaya.

Often low values ​​of diastolic pressure, especially in elderly patients, may indicate damage to the heart valves. Malformations (aortic stenosis with aortic valve insufficiency) and inflammatory heart disease (endocarditis), as well as myocardial infarction, can lead to damage to the heart valves.

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What if the difference is less than the norm?

A small difference may indicate the presence of atherosclerosis of the aorta (deposition of cholesterol in the largest vessel), damage to the kidney vessels, aortic aneurysm (pathological expansion of a separate section of the aorta with the possibility of rupture or dissection of the walls due to excessive load), anemia (decrease in hemoglobin level in the blood) and many other conditions.

And this is not the whole range of pathologies that affect this parameter, so a change in the indicator can be a wake-up call in order to pay attention to your health.

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When should I measure pressure?

The fact that the pressure is not normal can be indicated by a lot of symptoms: general weakness, and an unmotivated feeling of malaise, fatigue, rapid pulse, unusual tachycardia, headaches, dizziness, feeling of fainting, impaired vision, hearing.

“You need to pay attention to these symptoms at any age, even if a child complains of headache and weakness,” says Gulyaeva. – If there are no symptoms, you still need to see a doctor once a year, because failures can be asymptomatic, but lead to serious problems later. Smokers and those who have an irregular work schedule, constant lack of sleep need to be especially careful to monitor their blood vessels. I see from my patients that this is a huge contribution to the deterioration of health.

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How to measure blood pressure at home?

If you notice that your blood pressure readings are not normal, you should see a doctor, even if you do not have any other symptoms. But first you need to prepare.

— 5-7 days you need to monitor the pressure at home, in the usual calm environment, advises Natalya Gulyaeva. – You need to measure it in the morning within half an hour after waking up in comfortable clothes and a comfortable position. Three times measured, recorded the average figure. The same thing needs to be done in the evening, not running from work or training, but in a calm home environment. This home pressure monitoring will be important for the doctor, because in the office patients often worry and give increased numbers.

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What else to read about health?

  • Why a blood clot forms and how to avoid it;
  • Is there a stroke in young people and is there any prevention;
  • What tests should everyone have every year.

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    90,000 high pulse and low pressure at the same time: what to do, Treatment

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    How to take measurements correctly

    Sometimes low pressure readings with a high heart rate can be the result of an incorrect measurement. The procedures are carried out when the patient is in a calm state, 40-60 minutes after eating. Do not move or talk during the measurement. Pressure is measured on both hands, with an interval between procedures of 3-5 minutes.

    Pulse measurement should also be taken when the patient is at rest. You can’t talk, move or laugh. To count the pulse, fingers are applied to the wrist. It is not recommended to measure the pulse in the area of ​​the carotid artery, since the data obtained will be unreliable.

    How a person feels

    With low blood pressure and a rapid pulse, the patient has the following symptoms:

    • headache and dizziness;
    • nausea and vomiting;
    • pain and burning sensation in the chest area;
    • difficulty breathing;
    • severe weakness and fatigue;
    • increased heart rate;
    • decreased visual acuity;
    • lack of coordination, poor orientation in space.

    In severe cases, the patient is in a fainting state, he needs immediate medical attention.

    Causes of condition

    An increase in heart rate against the background of low blood pressure causes a decrease in the volume of blood circulating in the body.

    The reasons for this condition may be:

    • dehydration due to poisoning, infectious diseases, intestinal disorders, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, diabetes mellitus;
    • large blood loss – the causes may be ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, the presence of malignant tumors;
    • severe pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
    • hormonal imbalance caused by thyroid disorders;
    • disorders of the autonomic system;
    • panic attacks – severe fright, increased anxiety;
    • chronic fatigue, lack of sleep;
    • iron deficiency anemia, provoking a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood;
    • incorrect intake of certain medicines;
    • excessive physical and emotional stress, exhausting diets;
    • state of pain shock.

    In some cases, a similar pathology is noted in expectant mothers in the second half of pregnancy. This is due to an increase in blood volume and changes in the hormonal system. But by childbirth, blood pressure indicators usually stabilize.

    This condition occurs more often in elderly patients. This is due to age-related wear of the heart muscle and blood vessels. The fragility of blood vessels, their loss of elasticity is the reason that they cannot fully contract and regulate the level of pressure.

    Whatever the causes of the pathological condition, it must be brought back to normal. A decrease in blood pressure against the background of an increase in the frequency of heart contractions carries the risk of heart attacks or strokes. When feeling unwell, patients often lose consciousness, which leads to severe bruises and fractures. Expectant mothers are at risk of losing a child.

    If the patient is fainting or has convulsions, it is necessary to call an ambulance.

    What to do before the doctors arrive

    Helping a sick person before the arrival of an ambulance team consists in performing the following actions:

    • provide the patient with oxygen – open the window, unbutton the collar of the shirt, loosen the belt or belt;
    • help the person to take a horizontal position, the legs should be above the level of the head;
    • induce vomiting by pressing a spoon on the root of the tongue;
    • give the patient a sedative – tincture of valerian or motherwort;
    • Ammonia will help bring the patient to consciousness;
    • severe shortness of breath and blueness of the lips can be symptoms of a heart attack, before the ambulance arrives, you need to give the patient a Nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue;
    • Monitor the patient’s pulse and blood pressure levels.

    Until the doctors arrive, you can not give the patient medications, they are prescribed only by a specialist.

    Diagnostics

    Sometimes low blood pressure against the background of increased heart rate can be observed in relatively healthy people after heavy physical exertion or moral experiences. In this case, the person’s condition stabilizes after rest and positive emotions.

    In other situations, treatment is required, but before that, patients must undergo a thorough diagnosis to determine the cause of the health problems.

    The patient is shown the following procedures:

    • general and biochemical blood tests – help to detect anemia, the presence of inflammatory processes, diseases of internal organs;
    • blood sugar test;
    • x-ray – a study will reveal the presence of stones or pneumonia;
    • electrocardiogram – necessary to monitor the condition of the heart muscle;
    • hormonal studies – are prescribed for suspected thyroid pathologies.

    According to the indications, the patient can be assigned consultations of an endocrinologist and a neurologist.

    Treatment

    The prescribed complex treatment will help to normalize high blood pressure and pulse. At the same time, the task of doctors is to eliminate the main causes that caused such a serious condition.

    Drug therapy involves the appointment of a patient with drugs that maintain vascular tone, improve the functioning of the endocrine system, and accelerate blood circulation and metabolism. Additionally, vitamins are prescribed that improve the functionality of the heart muscle.

    The patient must comply with the drinking regime in order to eliminate dehydration and its consequences.

    If the cause of the condition was bleeding, a blood transfusion and iron supplementation will be needed to prevent anemia.

    The drugs that provoked the pathology should be canceled, instead of them, the patient is selected safe analogues.

    If a sharp drop in pressure was caused by the use of alcohol or drugs, the patient is given detoxification therapy.