| Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted | | | | blood pressure in the artery. If it's not equal and |
| through the blood circulation on the blood vessel walls | | | | higher than the normal, you may be suffering from |
| and forms one of the major fundamental signs of | | | | hypertension. |
| human body. The pressure caused by blood | | | | Before measuring blood pressure, you must consider |
| circulation is lowered down as the blood flows | | | | the do's and don'ts to get a better and accurate |
| through arteries, veins, arterioles and capillaries. The | | | | result on your BP measuring. Don't use alcohol, |
| word blood pressure usually refers to the pressure in | | | | caffeine and tobacco 30 minutes before doing the |
| the arteries. Arterial pressure is normally measured | | | | procedure, go to the bathroom and rest for 3 to 5 |
| through a sphygmomanometer. The function of this | | | | minutes without talking, sit comfortably and place |
| device is for measuring blood pressure by getting | | | | your arm raised to the level of the heart, wrap the |
| mercury column height to show the pressure | | | | cuff correctly in your arm and make sure that the |
| produced by the blood circulation. | | | | bottom edge of the cuff is 1 inch above your elbow. |
| In measuring blood pressure in clinics and hospitals, | | | | This method can also be done in your home. You can |
| nurses put fancy inflatable blood pressure cuff on the | | | | use digital monitoring device or an aneroid monitor. |
| arm and measure it directly by putting pressure | | | | The digital monitor can be used manually or |
| gauge in an artery. | | | | automatically cuffs and flashes the result on a small |
| The cuff that is being used is responsible for putting | | | | screen. An aneroid monitor has a dial gauge that can |
| pressure on the artery in the arm. It is inflated so | | | | be read by looking at a pointer that works when |
| that the pressure will stop the flow of blood and the | | | | measuring BP. The advantage of using aneroid |
| air is slowly let off while stethoscope is being placed | | | | monitor is that it can easily be carried from one place |
| also in the arm to listen if the blood starts to flow | | | | to another. This device has its own stethoscope |
| again. The moment when the nurses hear blood | | | | attached in it and it is less expensive than digital |
| flows, the pressure in the cuff should be equal to the | | | | monitors while digital monitor is automatic. |