Blood pressure is an important indicator of the normal functioning of the human body. This is a value that demonstrates with what force the blood pushed out by the heart muscle exerts pressure on the walls of blood vessels.
The upper value - systolic blood pressure - shows the pressure in the arteries at the moment if the heart is compressed and pushes blood into the arteries. It depends on the strength of the contraction of the heart.
The lower value - diastolic blood pressure - shows the pressure in the arteries at the time of relaxation of the heart muscle. This is the minimum pressure in the arteries, it reflects the resistance of peripheral vessels.
Blood pressure depends on many conditions: the time of day, the mental state of a person, the intake of various stimulant drugs or medications that increase or decrease pressure. With unusual physiological stress, or emotional stress, the value of blood pressure increases. There are quite a few ways to understand increased or decreased pressure without a tonometer.
Hypertension
Hypertension is a state of the body in which blood pressure is higher than 140/90. Basically, the process is caused by some kind of pathology:
- overweight;
- thyroid pathology;
- kidney disease;
- hormonal fluctuations;
- heredity;
- problems in the cardiovascular system.
In addition, constant stress, alcohol abuse and smoking can provoke hypertension. In addition, hormonal substances and the frequent consumption of unhe althy foods - fried, s alty, fatty, carbonated and caffeinated drinks can become a factor. In the early stages of progression, arterial hypertension is very difficult to determine, since it does not have obvious manifestations.
When the disorder begins to develop, the following symptoms appear:
- chest discomfort;
- palpitations;
- pulsation and pain in the temples and neck;
- feeling sick;
- blackout eyes;
- weakness;
- shortness of breath;
- nosebleed.
If these symptoms occur, seek immediate medical attention. If all the required measures are not taken in a timely manner, a person may develop a hypertensive crisis, which leads to such serious consequences as: cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, heart attack.
Hypotension
A disease in which blood pressurelower than 100/70 is called hypotension. It occurs in the following cases:
- heredity;
- head injury;
- lack of sleep and fatigue;
- pregnancy;
- tuberculosis;
- diabetes mellitus;
- VSD;
- hormonal failures.
Hypotonic patients often suffer from sleep disorders. Throughout the day, patients with a similar diagnosis feel depression, apathy, overwork, and in the evening they have a period of energy.
The main signs of low blood pressure include:
- drowsy;
- increased asthenia;
- bad memory;
- excessive sweating;
- heart palpitations under various loads;
- digestion problems;
- meteorological dependence;
- pre-fainting.
For quite a long time, this disease, like hypertension, may not manifest itself. When the first signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. The disease is dangerous because it can provoke oxygen starvation of the brain and other organs.
Pressure Tips
How to understand high or low blood pressure? In order for the measuring device to demonstrate a more accurate result, it is necessary to follow separate instructions for measuring blood pressure and preparing for the measurement procedure:
- before measuring pressure, you need to be in a calm state for some time, avoiding activity and stress;
- exclude alcohol, coffee, strong tea, smoking thirty minutes before measuring pressure;
- ensure immobility at the time of the procedure;
- provide a two to three centimeter gap between the crook of the elbow and the cuff;
- don't be anxious, don't talk, don't move during blood pressure measurement;
- should sit up straight with the arm positioned to measure the pressure on the table without tension, feet should be on the floor, not crossed.
It is necessary to first empty the bladder, since it is possible to understand high or low blood pressure in a person only with absolute physiological comfort.
Measurement of blood pressure for systemic monitoring of the state of the body in case of hypertension or hypotension should be carried out in the morning and in the evening. If you need to determine blood pressure at the time of deterioration, then you need to relax as much as possible and try not to worry.
People over 50 are advised to monitor their own pressure constantly to prevent serious diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Auscultatory diagnostics
In the auscultatory method, a tonometer is used, which includes a cuff and a phonendoscope. The cuff is worn on the forearm, fixing it in a stationary state. The phonendoscope is placed in the cubital fossa. Listening to the pulsation is done through the ear tubes. When measuring pressure, pump up with a pearair into the cuff, and then gradually lower it, slowly unscrewing the plug. The moments of pulsation that are heard in the phonendoscope correspond to the values on the manometer: the first beat of the pulse and the last one are recorded.
Palpatory diagnosis
You can find out high or low blood pressure without a tonometer by palpation. It involves the use of a tonometer sleeve and palpation of the radial artery. Like the auscultatory method, air is pumped into the cuff and the pulse value is determined when it is lowered. Only the rhythm is determined not with the help of a phonendoscope, but through palpation of the artery and a feeling of the pulsation of the vessel. This method is recommended for those who do not know how to find out whether the pressure is increased or decreased by pulse, when measuring children and if the rhythm is barely audible through a phonendoscope.
Oscillometric diagnostics
How to determine high or low blood pressure with a headache? Oscillometric diagnostics will help you. It involves the use of a tonometer, but does not require listening through a phonendoscope. The device displays the pulse and pressure values on the screen. Such tonometers are mechanical and automatic. Mechanical ones involve the use of a pear, and automatic ones themselves pump air by pressing the "Start" button on the device screen. Automatic blood pressure monitors are worn on the wrist.
Hypertension treatment
High blood pressure, no matter how severe, should be treated. Such a diagnosis leads to significant changes in almost all organs and systems of the body. The necessary therapy should be prescribed by a doctor. It is he who evaluates all possible risk factors, selects the appropriate medications and establishes the appropriate medical examinations and procedures. First of all, you need to know how to determine high or low blood pressure at home. In case of abnormalities, be sure to consult a doctor.
Reducing the amount of s alt in food, refraining from smoking and drinking too much alcohol, increasing physical activity (after consulting a doctor), and the ability to rest and relax after a hard day will give a tangible benefit to improving a person’s well-being. For each person, a personal therapy prescribed by a competent doctor should be developed. Drug therapy for hypertension is necessary with a persistent increase in pressure above 160 by 90 millimeters. rt. Art. For patients with concomitant pathologies (cardiac disorders and renal failure), characteristics from 130 to 85 millimeters are considered unsafe. rt. Art. and above.
Treatment of hypotension
If you already know how to find out high or low blood pressure at home, you need to constantly monitor the result. If the rates are low, action must be taken. Among the substances that increase blood pressure, there is not much abundance and variety. The most popular are "Citramon", caffeine-sodium benzoate, infusion of eleutherococcus and ginseng, Chinese magnolia vine, "Pantocrine".
If a person began to fix signs or symptoms of low blood pressure, then first of all, you need to consult a general practitioner. He will find suitable means and prescribe the required treatment, taking into account absolutely all indications. Self-administration of any medications can have a very negative impact on he alth and cause a whole range of adverse effects.
Conclusion
Measuring blood pressure should be for the sake of monitoring the state of the body, as well as to prevent heart disease. Now you know how to understand high or low blood pressure based on symptoms and measurement techniques. If you feel unwell, the first step is to measure the level of pressure in order to take special medications. In addition, when measuring blood pressure, you must follow certain rules so that the readings of the tonometer are extremely clear.
