LET'S start the month of hearts by taking a close look at our health. Although often overlooked, one of the most important aspects of our health is blood pressure. Even though we get our blood pressure measured for annual physical examinations or regular medical checkups, we aren't conscious of it until we feel unwell. It is also something affected by various factors such as our diet and amount of physical activity. Known as hypertension, high blood pressure can have adverse effects on our health if we aren't careful.

Simply put, blood pressure is the force of blood that flows from our heart through our arteries and to the rest of the body. Our muscles and other organs need the right amount of oxygenated blood for these to keep our body running efficiently. We may see that it is often represented by two numbers: the first one, known as the systolic number, shows the pressure when the heart contracts while the second one, known as the diastolic number, shows our blood pressure when our heart relaxes between beats. According to the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure ranges from below 120 and below 80 while high blood pressure begins once your systolic blood pressure reaches 130 and above and your diastolic blood pressure at 80 and above. The World Health Organization states that you can be hypertensive if the first number measures 140 or above and/or the second number measures 90 or above on 2 different days.