Monitoring BP is important for both healthy and unhealthy people, regardless of age. This is important in ensuring that your blood pressure levels are normal or determining if you have hypertension and control it earlier before it could damage your health or internal body organs.
Because hypertension (high blood pressure disease) or hypotension (low blood pressure) is known as the ‘silent killer’, being a seriously dangerous condition that shows no symptoms, many people are using their own monitors at home so they could check their blood pressure regularly. Major causes and risk factors for HBP conditions including unhealthy diet, obesity, aging, heredity, etc.
The simple monitoring of blood pressure can go a long way because it keeps hypertension under control. Before automatic or electric blood pressure monitoring devices were invented, monitoring your BP can be difficult. With today’s technological advancements, you don’t have to pump up the cuff anymore.
With just a press of a button after wearing the cuff on your arm, you can get the information of your heart rate and blood pressure in just a few minutes. Because of this, anyone can keep their BP levels in check without visiting the doctor.
Some people still use the traditional method of getting BP information by using a sphygmomanometer. Trained nurses and other people who are used to this instrument can get systolic and diastolic BP levels quite easily. With this device, you would place the cuff on your arm, pump it using a hand pump and simply read the levels of BP.
Some people believe that the traditional sphygmomanometer offers more accurate readings while others are more inclined to using newer devices. Today, both the sphygmomanometer and automated monitoring devices are used in hospitals and doctor clinics, depending on their preference.
In rare instances, a doctor may perform a more invasive procedure to determine dangerous blood pressure levels for you. In these cases, you would go to the health care provider or to the hospital and be placed under local anesthetic before a doctor would place a cannula into the artery and perform a very accurate blood pressure reading in mmHg. In the case of hypertension will diagnosed, medical treatment will be necessary (usually some medication like beta blockers or ace inhibitors).
Check also what is the normal blood pressure higher and lower range for men and women.
