Fortunately, today there are many different aids that are designed to monitor the state of human he alth. This article will discuss such a device as a blood pressure monitor.
Terminology
At the very beginning, you need to deal with important terminology. So, a blood pressure monitor is a popular concept. In medical circles, this tool is called a tonometer. Its purpose is already clear from the name itself. After an extremely simple procedure, a person will find out their upper (systolic) and lower (diastolic) pressure indicators.
Types of blood pressure monitors
It should also be said that there are several types of blood pressure monitors:
- Mechanical, or classic. It will include a cuff on the arm, as well as a screen with an arrow that will move depending on the indicators.
- Digital. In this case, the indicators will be displayed on the screen.
- Mercury. Indicators can be determined by the movement of the mercury column.
Blood pressure monitor canalso differ in the place of its placement on the patient's hand. So, there are the following types of blood pressure monitors:
- Wrists.
- Finger.
- Shoulder (classic).
Mechanical blood pressure monitors
Now let's discuss each of these types in more detail. Let's start with a mechanical blood pressure monitor. This apparatus consists of the following parts:
- Arm cuffs.
- Pear, through which air is supplied.
- Phonendoscope. This is a device that is inserted into the ears. Needed to measure the patient's pulse rate.
- Manometer. That is, a dial on which you can see the pressure readings.
It is worth noting that it is these blood pressure monitors that are most often used in various medical institutions. And all because their cost is extremely low, and the duration of work and the correctness of indicators are high. This meter works simply. A cuff is applied to the arm (the area between the shoulder and the elbow), air is pumped with the help of a pear. The results can be obtained by viewing the movement of the arrow and listening to the person's pulse.
Pros and cons of mechanical blood pressure monitors
The advantages of mechanical blood pressure monitors are as follows:
- Give the most accurate result. And all because they are the least susceptible to outside influence.
- Indicators are not distorted with small movements of the patient, as well as during a conversation.
- Does not require material investments (exceptspent on purchases). It does not require batteries or additional battery charging.
Let's consider the disadvantages of mechanical blood pressure monitors:
- Extremely difficult to use at home (you must first learn how to listen to the pulse and see the fluctuations of the arrow).
- If people have hearing problems (most often it is the elderly who suffer from this), it also becomes impossible to use.
- For some people, blowing air can be quite difficult.
How to choose a mechanical blood pressure monitor?
If you want to buy a mechanical blood pressure monitor, you need to pay attention to the following important points when buying:
- Tonometer case. It must be metal. Well, if it is combined with a pear.
- It is also undesirable for the body of the phonendoscope to be plastic. This will significantly shorten its service life.
Automatic blood pressure monitors
There is also an automatic blood pressure monitor. It can be fixed on various parts of the arm: shoulder, finger, wrist. Here a person does not spend absolutely no strength and energy when using it. After all, the air is blown on its own. An important point: the correctness of the indicators directly depends on the position of the patient (you must definitely sit and keep your hand at heart level), as well as on the accuracy of the device.
Pros and cons of automatic blood pressure monitors
How good is an automatic blood pressure monitor?
- Quick measurement.
- Easy to use when traveling, outdoors, at work.
- Automatic heart rate indicator.
- Compact size.
However, automatic blood pressure monitors still have their drawbacks:
- Experts say that such blood pressure monitors give the least accurate result.
- Not suitable for people with hypertension.
- Strict adherence to instructions for use. Measurements must be carried out in a certain position, in a calm state, the hand must be held correctly. Only in this way will the indicators be as accurate as possible.
Semi-automatic models
What is the difference between a semi-automatic blood pressure monitor and an automatic one? Virtually nothing. However, the air here will not be injected independently, but with the help of a pear. Consider the advantages of semi-automatic models:
- Cost. They are cheaper than automatic ones.
- Do not require additional material investments (batteries, batteries, recharging).
However, such models also have a number of disadvantages:
- It will take some force to inflate the cuff.
- Poor accuracy of indicators when instructions are not followed.
It is important to note that when using semi-automatic models of blood pressure monitors, you must also follow the same rules for use as in the case of automaticmodels.
A few words about mercury blood pressure monitors
As already mentioned, there are also mercury pressure meters. These are the "grandfathers" of modern tonometers. This device was invented by Dr. Riva-Rocci from Italy in the distant 19th century. A modern such device consists of the following parts:
- Pears for blowing air.
- Cuffs (worn on a specific part of the arm).
- Mercury manometer.
The principle of its operation is the same as in the case of a mechanical model of a conventional tonometer. Air is pumped with a pear, the pulse is heard with a phonendoscope, and pressure fluctuations are viewed on a mercury tonometer. The main disadvantage is the toxicity of mercury, which significantly narrows the range of use of such a pressure gauge. The advantage is very large - the most accurate results. Such blood pressure monitors are used most often by specialists.
Brands
The most common blood pressure monitor models are produced under the following brands: Microlife, A&D, Gamma, Longevita. But studies show that the Omron blood pressure monitor is the most commonly purchased by patients. Why is that? Everything is simple. The price of the device is average, but there are many advantages. This is the quality of the material from which the device is made, and the clinical testing of the tonometer, as well as the presence of indicators of high blood pressure and arrhythmia.
