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If you take the blood pressure of 50 different people, you will get 50 different readings. If you take the blood pressure readings of some people 50 times, you will get 50 different blood pressure readings. Still, it is possible, that in spite of all these different numbers being read, none of these people will actually have hypertension. In this article, we will discuss why this is and just what a correct blood pressure reading is.

A blood pressure reading consists of two parts. One part is the systolic reading and the other part is the diastolic reading. The systolic part is the higher of the two numbers and of course, the diastolic is the lower.

On a traditional BP reading machine, which is called a sphygmomanometer, the air pressure on the cup around your arm is inflated to a pressure that would be higher than your systolic reading. The air is let out of the cup until the person reading your pressure can hear your heartbeat through a stethoscope.

• The point at which he or she hears your heartbeat is your systolic reading.

The person reading your BP then continues to let more air out of the cup until he or she no longer hears your heartbeat.

• The point at which the sound of your heartbeat disappears is your diastolic reading.

A very good systolic reading is 120 and a very good diastolic reading is 80. However, the systolic reading is only mildly high when it is slightly over 140 and the diastolic reading is only slightly high when it is around 90. Add the fact you could go several points lower than 120 and 80 on these readings before hypotension, or low blood pressure was an issue, and you can see there is quite a wide range of good BP readings.

This is good because a normal person’s pressure will vary throughout the day. Changes in stress level, exercise and food digestion are all issues which can affect one’s BP. In other words, your BP could be a little higher after you eat a heavy meal, but it could also be a little higher if you were very hungry. Of course, if you were to meet a lion face to face, your blood pressure would be very, very high.

For this reason, it is wise to take time to relax throughout the day and to learn how not to become too worked up over little things. Still, unless you are a very unusual person, your blood pressure may be high or at least on the high side once in a while. Because of this, one is not diagnosed with hypertension until he or she is getting high blood pressure readings consistently.

It’s always a good idea to keep close tabs on your “vitals”, especially as you become older (and wiser?). Age, weight, and state of health can bring about changes in vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, and breathing capacity. There are medical devices available to keep readings on pulse, temperature, and BP that can be purchased and used at home. Sphygmomanometer is the technical name for a blood pressure monitoring meter.

Blood pressure

This is the amount of pressure that is exerted on the walls of your blood vessels by blood as it circulates throughout your body. There are two readings; one is systolic which refers to the maximum pressure while the diastolic is the term for the minimum pressure. Although circumstances can cause variations, the normal BP is considered to be one hundred fifteen over seventy five or 115 systolic over 75 diastolic as read a blood pressure monitoring device. Blood’s pressure will vary throughout the day and with different circumstances such as stress, exercise, drugs, and nutritional factors. When one has consistently high blood pressure, such as readings of one hundred thirty over ninety and above, they are said to have hypertension. This means their arterial pressure is abnormally high and this can lead to strokes or heart attacks. High BP creates stress on the inner walls of arteries and blood vessels, and is often called the “silent killer” because it may not be detected until it is too late.

Blood pressure monitoring devices

The original monitoring devices, such as the Sphygmomanometer are cumbersome devices primarily found in hospitals. They consist of a measuring unit that includes a mercury manometer, an inflatable cuff, and a bulb used to inflate the cuff and create the pressure (usually applied to the upper arm) by which blood pressure is measured and read. These devices require quiet surroundings because the doctor or nurse who operates the device must listen for the blood to sound differently through a stethoscope as pressure applied through the cuff is released. The pounding or whooshing sound made by blood inside the arteries will let the reader know when blood resumes flowing in that artery. This method is best used in a hospital environment.

Doctor’s offices and home monitoring equipment consist primarily of blood pressure cuffs attached to an oscillometric monitor to read BP by means of MAP or mean arterial pressure. These typically use a wrist cuff with a digital read out but they must be at heart level while the monitor is in use and readings are taken. These battery operated devices make it quick and easy to monitor ones blood pressure while at home, and in a more peaceful setting. Some patients have what is known as the “white coat” condition (doctors wear white coats) that raises both BP and heart rate, so at home readings are generally lower.
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There are devices used to measure blood pressure by attaching a tiny cuff to ones finger tip but these may not be as accurate as the previous two mentioned. However, they are very portable and give a general idea of the condition of ones pressure. And remote monitoring is possible today through use of wireless technology and Bluetooth devices.