Blood pressure is another vital sign that is helpful in managing your health. It might not seem simple to take your blood pressure, but we are here to guide you through the process!
An absolute necessity when taking blood pressure is an aneroid monitor.
Aneroid monitors require manually checking your blood pressure. A cuff is wrapped around your upper arm, which inflates as you squeeze a rubber bulb. The monitor comes with a gauge that you read by looking at the pointer on the dial. Aneroid monitors also come with a stethoscope to listen for the heart beats.
One can also use a digital monitor to check their blood pressure, which are automatic and easier to use than aneroid monitors. The blood pressure readings simply appear on a small screen on the unit. Usually, inflating of the cuff is automatic in a digital monitor, and there is no need to listen for the heart beats. Because of this, digital monitors are the most popular blood pressure reading device. They are, however, more expensive than aneroid monitors.
Before Taking Blood Pressure
Because blood pressure can change due to different factors, before taking your blood pressure, you must:
Wait 30 minutes after eating or using caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco products.
Go to the bathroom and empty your bladder.
Relax for 3 to 5 minutes
Sit in a comfortable position, with your legs and ankles uncrossed and back upright.
Elevate your left arm to the level of your heart, place it on a table or desk and sit still.
Wrap the cuff around the upper part of your bare arm. The cuff should be smooth and snug. There should be enough room for you to slip one fingertip under the cuff.
Check the placement of the cuff. The bottom edge of it should be 1 inch above the crease of your elbow.
Using an Aneroid Monitor
Put the stethoscope earpieces into your ears. The earpieces should face forward, toward your eyes.
Place the stethoscope disk on the inside of your elbow.
Inflate the cuff by squeezing the rubber bulb. Keep squeezing until the pointer on the dial reaches 30 to 40 points higher than your last systolic reading. The systolic reading is the top number of blood pressure. Inflate the cuff at a rapid rate, not just a little at a time. Inflating the cuff too slowly will cause a false reading.
Slightly loosen the valve on the unit and slowly let some air out of the cuff. Deflate the cuff by 2 to 3 millimeters per second. If you loosen the valve too much, you won’t be able to measure your blood pressure.
As you let the air out of the cuff, you will begin to hear your heartbeat. Listen carefully for the first sound. Check the blood pressure reading by looking at the pointer on the dial. This number is your systolic pressure.
Continue to deflate the cuff. Listen to your heartbeat. You will hear your heartbeat stop at some point. Check the reading on the dial. This number is your diastolic pressure.
Write down the measurement in your record. The systolic pressure goes in front of the diastolic pressure. For example, 120/80.
If you need to repeat the measurement, wait 2 to 3 minutes before starting
Using a Digital Monitor
Turn the power on to start the unit.
On the automatic models, the cuff will inflate by itself with a push of a button. On the manual models, you have to inflate the cuff. You do this by squeezing the rubber bulb at a rapid rate.
After the cuff inflates, the automatic device will slowly let air out.
Look at the display screen to get your blood pressure reading. It will show your systolic and diastolic pressures. Write down the measurement in your record. The systolic pressure goes in front of the diastolic pressure. For example, 120/80.
Press the exhaust button to release all of the air from the cuff.
If you need to repeat the measurement, wait 2 to 3 minutes before starting.
It is recommended to take your blood pressure at the same time everyday, or as your health care provider recommends.
To learn more about how to take your blood pressure, you can check out this video:
Recording Your Blood Pressure
When you measure your blood pressure, you'll notice that two numbers are recorded.
The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body. In an aneroid monitor, the systolic pressure is the number recorded during the first heart beat heard.
The lower number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood. The diastolic pressure is recorded when your heart beat stops in an aneroid monitor.
Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as "mm Hg" (millimeters of mercury).
Implications of Your Blood Pressure
NORMAL: Less than 120 / 80
Prehypertension: 120 / 80 to 139 / 89
High Blood Pressure: Stage 1 140 / 90 to 159 / 99
High Blood Pressure: Stage 2 160 / 100 or higher
High blood pressure has readings of 140/90 or higher, while normal blood pressure has readings of 120/80. If you have a blood pressure between 120/80 to 140/90, you are still in the normal range, but you are at risk of having high blood pressure (prehypertension).
Take note, only your doctor can diagnose you with hypertension or high blood pressure. If you have multiple high readings that last several days, then go see your doctor.
One can also have low blood pressure, called hypotension, which happens when your systolic reading is consistently below 90. See your doctor if you have multiple low readings.
Σχόλια