Do you suffer from high blood pressure?Apr 14 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The electronic blood pressure monitor gives you ease of use, while the manual monitor gives you the best accuracy.
Every time you go and visit the doctor, one of the first thing they do is take your blood pressure. So what exactly do those numbers mean? Some use an electronic machine, while others use a manual blood pressure cuff and listen with a stethoscope. What is the difference? First lets start of with the basics. What is a blood pressure? It is the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the arteries. The two pressures they are monitoring are systolic and diastolic. The systolic pressure, or the higher number, is the pressure noted at the moment of ventricular contraction of the heart. The diastolic pressure, or lower number, is the pressure during ventricular relaxation while the heart is refilling with blood. What is a normal blood pressure reading? A normal blood pressure will change with age. As a general rule, a normal systolic blood pressure in a male can be figured out by adding 100 to their age up to a systolic pressure of 150mm Hg. For an example, I am a 36 year old male so a healthy systolic blood pressure would be 136mm Hg. A female on average will run 10mm Hg lower than a male. A normal diastolic blood pressure will be between 65-90mm Hg for a male, and 10mm Hg lower for a female. Please remember that these numbers are just a rule of thumb. You must consult with your physician to find what is the normal pressure for your body. What kind of blood pressure monitor is right for me? The electronic blood pressure monitor. In the electronic blood pressure monitor, it will have sensors in the cuff (the band that wraps around the upper arm) that read the pressure for you and works by feeling the pulse in your arm. Pros It is very simple to use and can be simply operated by one person. Easier for people who suffer from any hearing loss. Cons Can sometimes give a false reading due to thickness of arm. You must remain very still while it operates for any movement can throw off the reading. The manual blood pressure cuff. Here you use a manual blood pressure cuff, also known as a sphygmomanometer. It will have a bulb at the end that you use to put pressure into the cuff. As you release the pressure from the cuff, you listen with a stethoscope for the blood pressure and note it by the numbered guage that is connected to the tubing. When you first hear a beat, that is your systolic pressure. When you no longer here a beat, that is your diastolic pressure. Pros Is not so effected by movement. Can give you a much more accurate reading. Cons This is really a two person job. When purchasing a blood pressure monitor, pay close attention to the size of the cuff. It is very important to have a cuff that fits correctly for an accurate reading. One that is too small will read high, and one that is to big will read low. I also recommend that you take your new blood pressure monitor with you to your next doctors appointment and compare readings. That will let you know if yours is accurate, runs high, or runs low so that you can adjust your readings. Pick the blood pressure monitor that works the best for your circumstances. As long as it gives a consistent reading, you will be able to chart the highs and lows of your blood pressure.  |
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