Monitoring Blood Pressure: Key to Minimize Risk For Heart Problems
Keeping a record of the blood pressure level at home is very important in maintaining blood pressure. Since it is known that blood pressure level tends to fluctuate throughout the day it is vital that blood pressure is monitored on a regular basis. Hence, having a BP monitor is necessary since it is the main tool that is used in recording the regularity of one’s blood pressure.
Monitoring blood pressure is critical in diagnosing and managing heart related diseases. Blood pressure monitors can either be manual or automatic depending on ones preference. The automatic blood pressure is the more preferred one between this two as it is easier to use. Automatic blood pressure monitors makes monitoring easy and simple especially for those who monitor their blood pressures at home. They are widely available from pharmacies, online or medical supply shops.
Automatic blood pressure (BP) monitors are an integral part of any vital signs monitor used in hospitals, critical care units, emergency rooms, and even homes. An automatic blood pressure monitor takes away all the effort and confusion that sometimes surrounds checking BP levels. Most of the best modern machines simply do it all for you. All you need to do is place the cuff around your arm and the monitor does the rest. The action of an automatic digital BP monitor is quite the same to the operation of the manual pressure meter with a couple of differences.
The first difference between the two is the speed. Automatic blood pressure monitors will measure the diastolic pressure and the systolic pressure already on the first pass, while increasing the air pressure in the cuff. The second difference is that the air will be provided to the digital BP cuff by an electric pump instead of the manual pump. Lastly, the pulsation will not be observed by hearing but rather by the built in microphones or other sensor types. Automatic monitors have a capacity of measuring the blood pressure in tens of seconds, even during the time the BP cuff is still inflating.
Bicep (upper-arm), wrist, and finger monitors-these are the three types of automatic blood pressure monitor. The first one which is the bicep of upper arm monitor is considered by most of the users to be the most accurate since it ensures the proper positioning in relation to the heart. This type of automatic monitor has an arm cuff which should be wrapped around ones upper arm, and it also has a display screen that shows the reading of the test. The wrist monitor on the other hand is recommended for those who experience pain from inflated cuff. It is placed at the wrist and has a small LCD and storage case. It can also be faster than a bicep monitor since there is no jacket or sweater to remove. The last type which is called the finger blood pressure monitor is the latest technology for measuring blood pressure. It offers much convenience since it only requires the index finger to be placed in the finger cuff and press the button in order to measure BP. However, this type of monitor is not as accurate as the other types of automatic BP monitor.
With the number of choices available in the market, choosing the best automatic blood pressure monitor is not an easy task. Hence, educating oneself with the various facts and information about the various types of these blood pressure monitors will help in the making the right decision regarding which monitor type will best suit your needs.
Vince is a Fitness coach from Germany. He carries in his genes a history of heart ailments and hypertension. Due to that, he constantly monitors his blood pressure through the help of his Boso Medicus Family Blutdruckmessgeraet Oberarm (automatic blood pressure monitor).