Blood pressure measurement
The device that is commonly used for checking blood pressure is a sphygmomanometer. It contains a rubber armband — the cuff, which is inflated manually or a mechanical pump.
Once the cuff gets inflated enough for stopping the pulse, a reading is taken through an electronic method or analog dial.
The reading is displayed in terms of the pressure it takes to move the mercury in the tube against gravity. Therefore, this is the reason for pressure is measured using the unit millimeters of mercury, abbreviated to mm Hg.
Measuring blood pressure normally does not cause any discomfort or pain. However, you may feel numbing or tightening for a while.
Blood pressure readings
Understanding the Blood pressure readings in detail
A stethoscope catches the exact point where the pulse sound returns and the pressure on the cuff are released slowly. Using the blood pressure measuring instrument stethoscope helps the person measuring the blood pressure to listen to two important points.
Blood pressure readings are noted or displayed in two numbers: Systolic pressure is the first reading, and the diastolic pressure is the second reading. The reading is mentioned as, for instance, 140 over 90 mm Hg.
The systolic pressure is the highest figure caused by the heart's contraction; while the diastolic number is the lowest pressure that is generated on the arteries during the short-term “resting” period between the heartbeats.
The blood pressure is always measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). So the reading that we receive is always in a fraction as mentioned earlier.
What are systolic and diastolic pressure?
- systolic pressure – is the pressure that is produced by our heart for pushing the blood out
- diastolic pressure – is the pressure when the heart rests between the two beats
The standards that denote normal, high, and low blood pressure are as mentioned below:
Normal blood pressure is when the reading ranges between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
High blood pressure is when the reading ranges from 140/90mmHg or higher
Low blood pressure is when the reading ranges from 90/60mmHg or below