How to measure pressure at home

Measuring the pressure is best in a homely and calm environment, so in your home medicine cabinet you should definitely have a tonometer - mechanical, wrist or electronic. The fact is that some people who are in the hospital or call an ambulance at home can show "white coat syndrome", and pressure can jump only due to the alarming situation and the presence of unfamiliar people. It is worth noting that people aged more than 40 years of age are advised to monitor their pressure daily, even if they do not have diagnosed hypertension.

How to measure the pressure: the right environment

It is best to measure in a calm, quiet, comfortable atmosphere and at a comfortable temperature in the room. Sit on a chair with a straight back so that the table next to it. The ideal height of the table top is the one at which the middle of the cuff placed on the shoulder will be at the level of your heart.

How to correctly measure pressure: preparation for the procedure

Remember that doctors recommend waiting a couple of hours after eating and only then start to measure pressure. And one hour before the procedure, give up coffee, nasal and eye drops, as well as smoking (use of alcohol - a self-evident fact). Expose the hand on which you will make a measurement. Sitting on a chair, lean back against his back, relax your legs and do not cross - this is important in order not to change the configuration of your vascular system. The pressure should be measured after a 10-minute rest. When you do the measurement, there are no conversations and, of course, it is desirable to turn off the TV, especially if it broadcasts news or TV series.

How to measure the pressure correctly: the position of the cuff

Put the cuff above the elbow bend by two to two and a half centimeters. Pipes should be located in the area of the output of the brachial artery. It is very important that the cuff is attracted evenly to the entire surface of the hand. In view of the fact that the human hand is narrower at the elbow and wider at the shoulder, the cuff, with its uniform fixation, will be buttoned slightly diagonally.

How to measure pressure correctly: how to inject air and how much it needs to be pumped

The electronic tonometer determines independently how much air should be pumped into the cuff. And when using a mechanical device and a phonendoscope, the pressure is measured as follows.

1. Determine the pulsation of the radial artery with a phonendoscope at the elbow bend.

2. Start quickly pumping air into the cuff (to the mark of 60 mm Hg), and after that, pump only 10 mm. Gt; Art. Until the ripple disappears. Add to this 30 mm. And remember this figure.

3. Start blowing 2 mm of air out of the cuff. Gt; Art. For a second.

4. The upper limit of pressure (systolic pressure) is the one on which the pulse again began to differ in the phonendoscope. Remember this number.

5. The lower limit of pressure (diastolic pressure) is the figure on which the pulse has disappeared.

How to measure pressure with a carpal tonometer

1. Remove all items from your hand (bracelets, watches). Note that the body of the blood pressure monitor is correctly positioned relative to your palm. This will help you with the picture depicted on the wrist blood pressure package or in the description to it.

2. Place the cuff on the wrist of your left hand in such a way that your thumb is pointing upwards.

3. The cuff is placed on the skin (not on the sleeve of clothing) one-and-a-half inches higher than the wrist fold. The cuff should be wrapped up to a tight fit to the arm.

4. Bend your arm so that the tonometer is located with the heart on one level.

5. During the measurement, you must be relaxed. Do not start conversations with anyone and refrain from even thinking about the issues that concern you.