How you prepare for the test the position of your arm and other factors can change a blood pressure reading by 10 or more. If you have high blood pressure talk to your health care team about steps to take to control your blood pressure to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Blood Pressure Readings Explained
When you measure a patient s blood pressure what are you actually measuring. The gauge will normally be designed so that it can be attached to the bladder. Write down your blood pressure number each time you measure it so you can track it over time. Both scales measure the force of air pressure in the bladder in terms of mm hg. The top number is your systolic pressurethe blood pressure when your heart beats. This is a big deal. That could be enough.
A lot of people have blood pressure that are on the borderline of having hypertension and these small errors can sway you one way or the other in a diagnosis and treatment with medication you might not need michael rakotz measuring blood pressure is one of the most common procedures performed at a medical office. The bottom number is your diastolic pressurethe pressure in between heartbeats. Use this list of questions to ask your health care team pdf icon pdf 173 kb to help you manage your blood pressure. Inflate the cuff 2030 mm hg above this level to determine bp. This frees the person taking the blood pressure from having to hold the gauge in one of his hands. To determine whether you have hypertension a medical professional will take a blood pressure reading.
If you use the auscultation method prefer a palpated estimate of radial pulse obliteration pressure to estimate sbp. As the air pressure is released the needle moves in a counter clockwise direction. If you use the auscultation method deflate the cuff pressure 2 mm hg pers and listen for korotkoff sounds.
Gallery of When You Measure A Patient S Blood Pressure What Are You Actually Measuring
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