It is best to measure the pressure in a homely and calm environment, so a tonometer must be available in your home medicine cabinet - mechanical, wrist or electronic. The fact is that some people who are in the hospital or calling for an ambulance at home may have “white coat syndrome”, and the pressure can only rise due to the anxious situation and the presence of unfamiliar people. It is worth noting that for people over the age of 40, doctors recommend monitoring their blood pressure daily, even if they do not have diagnosed hypertension.
How to measure pressure: the right environment
It is best to measure in a calm, quiet, comfortable atmosphere and at a comfortable room temperature. Sit on a chair with a straight back so that there is a table nearby. The ideal height of the countertop is that at which the middle of the cuff placed on the shoulder will be at the level of your heart.
How to measure pressure: preparation for the procedure
Remember that doctors recommend waiting a couple of hours after eating and only then start measuring pressure. And an hour before the procedure, give up coffee, nasal and eye drops, as well as smoking (drinking alcohol is a fact of course). Draw the hand on which you will take the measurement. Sitting on a chair, lean your back on its back, relax your legs and do not cross - this is important so as not to change the configuration of your vascular system. Pressure should be measured after a 10-minute rest. When you are doing the measurement, any conversations are excluded and, of course, it is advisable to turn off the TV, especially if news or series are broadcast on it.
How to measure pressure: cuff position
Put on the cuff of the device above the bend of the elbow for two - two and a half centimeters. The tubes should be located in the area of exit of the brachial artery. It is very important that the cuff be pulled evenly over the entire surface of the arm. Due to the fact that the human arm is narrower at the elbow and wider at the shoulder, the cuff, if it is evenly fixed, will be slightly oblique fastened.
How to measure pressure: how to pump air and how much it needs to be pumped
An electronic blood pressure monitor determines independently how much air must be pumped into the cuff. And when using a mechanical device and a phonendoscope, pressure measurement is carried out as follows.
1. Using a phonendoscope, determine the pulsation of the radial artery using a phonendoscope.
2. Begin to quickly pump air into the cuff (up to the 60 mm Hg mark), and after that pump only 10 mm. Hg. Art. until the ripple disappears. Add to this 30 mm. And remember that number.
3. Start blowing 2 mm of air from the cuff. Hg. Art. in a second.
4. The upper limit of pressure (systolic pressure) is the one at which the pulse again began to differ in the phonendoscope. Remember this number.
5. The lower limit of pressure (diastolic pressure) is the figure at which the pulse disappeared.
How to measure pressure with a carpal tonometer
1. Remove all objects from your hand (bracelets, watches). Make sure that the tonometer body is correctly positioned relative to your palm. The drawing depicted on the packaging of the carpal tonometer or in the description for it will help you with this.
2. Place the cuff on the wrist of your left hand so that your thumb is pointing up.
3. The cuff is applied to the skin (not to the sleeve of the clothes) one and a half centimeters higher than the carpal fold. The cuff should be wrapped until it snug against the arm.
4. Bend your arm so that the tonometer is aligned with your heart.
5. You should be relaxed during measurement. Do not start conversations with anyone and refrain even from pondering issues that concern you.