Blood pressure is an unusually important factor. This is a litmus test of the state of the heart and blood vessels, evidence of their performance, as well as the speed of blood flow. On the one hand, blood pressure is affected by the force with which the heart muscle contracts, and on the other, by the resistance of the vascular walls. For a long and healthy life, it is necessary to maintain these indicators in the norm. Moreover, when in adulthood people encounter pathology in this area, few people realize that all their problems very often originate from childhood. What was the pressure in a 12 year old child? The norm for an adult is sometimes determined by processes experienced in adolescence.
Age factor and blood pressure
Pressure - an indicator is very unstable and highly dependent, including on age. So, for example, after 50 years you can feel completely healthy, having a pressure of 150/90. Such an increase is considered physiological, it reflects the loss of elasticity of large vessels.
Conversely, the normal pressure of a 12-year-old child may be lowered. This is the norm, and it is due to:
- great elasticity of blood vessels;
- their excellent cross;
- Widely branched capillary network.
However, after a very short period of time, the so-called “teenage hypertension” can be observed, which is also a physiological norm and is explained by enhanced heart function.
All these changes occur completely asymptomatically and are usually noticed by chance during routine medical examinations. With the gradual growth of the child, the pressure normalizes without special treatment. It happens years to twenty.
Thus, the pressure in a child of 12 years (his norm) is unstable. Sometimes adolescent abnormalities in blood pressure are a harbinger of future vascular problems in their adult lives. That is why the variable pressure in adolescents should be monitored until a certain age, when the diagnosis can either be removed or confirmed as a pathology.
Lowering blood pressure in puberty
Often, adolescents complain of fatigue, sweating in the armpits and palms, a throbbing headache, for example, when getting out of bed in the morning, dizziness. In this case, the pressure is sometimes 90/50 or even lower, the pulse is rare. These signs can be a signal of a serious illness, but can be normal manifestations of age-related characteristics.
Does a 12-year-old child necessarily have to lower their pressure? There is no norm for this phenomenon, but it often happens.
It is dangerous to use “invigorating” caffeine for children; it’s better to get enough sleep, although it’s best not to self-medicate, but to visit a doctor’s office.
In order to establish trouble in time, it is good to have a tonometer in the house and learn how to measure pressure correctly. It is better not to use an electric device for this - it does not always give the correct results.
Adolescent hypertension
This is not always associated with the disease. At this age, the body prepares for hormonal changes, and therefore increases its sensitivity to everything: weather, physical overload (even climbing stairs), emotional factors and other irritants.
Usually in such cases, the upper, systolic pressure rises , and it quickly returns to normal after the cancellation of the provoking cause. In such cases, it is enough to rest, lie down, calm down.
If the pressure in a teenager of 12 years is often disturbed, in addition, this phenomenon is accompanied by a headache, weakness, tinnitus, then an urgent consultation with a specialist is needed. In some cases, even at age 12, a diagnosis of "hypertension" can be made.
Such a child is prescribed to observe the regimen, eliminate stress, do physical exercises, move a lot, especially in the fresh air, be sure to remove excess weight, completely eliminate salt for a while.
How to determine the normal pressure of a child 12 years old
The correct answer will be - 120/70. Sometimes the bottom number is 80, which is also considered the norm. In boys, the average is always lower than in girls, but as they grow older, this difference disappears.
Low blood pressure in adolescence can indicate a weakening of the body, fatigue, lack of sleep. Sometimes it is accompanied by dizziness.
What pressure is considered to be elevated at 12? Most often it is expressed in numbers 130/80. The reason may be stress, lack of exercise, excess body weight, abuse of salty foods. Sometimes pressure rises during puberty due to hormonal imbalance.
What should be the pressure in a child of 12 years old? Its norm is determined by a special formula. To get the top number, you need to add the child's age, multiplied by two, to 80 (90). The lower digit is 2/3 of the upper value. In our version: 80 (90) + 24 = 104 (114) is the upper digit, and 104 (114): 3 = 70 (75) is the lower one.
Non-physiological causes of abnormalities
Not always teenage deviations in the numbers of blood pressure are physiologically explainable. Sometimes this is a sign of a serious illness. Studies of doctors conducted over the course of the day recorded that pressure in adolescents jumped at least in 30% of all examined. This figure is almost consistent with the standard among adults. It is recommended that from time to time one to two weeks to take regular measurements of the pressure of the child, so as not to miss the onset of the disease. The detection of a persistent increase in blood pressure of more than 135 units is a reason for contacting a pediatrician. Elevated blood pressure in a 12-year-old adolescent may indicate kidney disease (e.g., narrowing of the renal artery), heart, or endocrine disruption. Even primary hypertension should be corrected by a doctor - it does not always “outgrow itself”, it can even turn into a chronic disease.
Key recommendations for parents
First of all, you need:
- adjust the regimen of a child’s day, especially the alternation of loads;
- establish a normal sleep (from eight to nine hours);
- set aside time for daily walks of two to three hours;
- provide regular physical activity without much stress;
- limit sweet, flour and fatty;
- minimize salt intake.
Instead of this:
- eat lean protein daily;
- berries;
- fruit;
- vegetables;
- a variety of cereals;
- foods rich in potassium and magnesium (beans, cucumbers, currants, apricots, zucchini);
- very useful rosehip tea.