This article will be the first on the “How tos” category of this blog. This category will feature simple tutorials you can follow at home when the health worker is not around to keep yourself healthy.
Blood pressure measurement is a very important skill for everyone health workers or not. I can remember my mum asking me to help her check her blood pressure on several occasion all thanks to the hospital where I carried out my industrial training, because this skill save me the embarrassment that day.Individuals living with elderly persons or relations who have come of age and adults in general need to know how to check blood pressures themselves as this will keep complications of high blood pressure at a distance.Are you a busy person who do not visit the hospital monthly for medical check up,then you need to acquire this skill.
This particular skill is used in examining following group of persons:
Pregnant women
Mothers before and during child birth.
Someone losing a lot of blood
A person who might be in shock.
Anyone with signs of heart trouble, difficulty in breathing, frequent headaches, diabetes, painful veins.
Persons over the age of 40
Women taking birth control pills
Instruments used
A sphygmomanometer with mercury level and a blood pressure cuff with a gauge and a stethoscope.
Take notes of these tips before you start
Make sure the person you want to measure his/her blood pressure is relaxed because recent exercise, anger and nervousness may alter the readings.
Fasten the pressure cuff (the clot like material) around the person’s bare upper arm(the person must roll up his/her sleeve.
Close the valve on the rubber bulb (like balloon) by turning the screw clockwise.
Pump the pressure up to more than 200 millimeters of mercury (watch the red liquid increase)
Place the stethoscope over the front elbow (at that junction elbow folds)
Listen carefully for the pulse as you slowly let air out of the cuff by turning the screw anti clock wise then take the readings.
Digital Sphygmanometer
If the process seems to complicated with the stethoscope and the manual sphygmomanometer then try the digital.is easy to use.You can purchase one here
Taking the Readings
Take the first reading the moment you begin to hear the soft dull sound of the pulse. This happens when the cuff drops to the highest pressure in the artery (systolic/top pressure)The values are normally around 110-120mm
As you continue to release the pressure while listening carefully take the second reading when the sound begins to fade away. This happens when the pressure of the cuff drops to its lowest. It is normally around 60-80Hg. This is to say the result you get will look like this Bp 120/80.
Normal blood pressure for an adult is usually 120/80 but anything from 100/60-140/90 is also considered normal. It is the bottom number (diastolic) that tells us more about your health. For example if a person’s blood pressure is 140/85 there is not much need to panic but if it is 135/110, he/she has serious high blood pressure and requires attention probably diet and some drugs. It is worthy to note also that sudden drop in Bp below 60/40 especially people in shock is fatal and immediate action should be taken.
Hope you are enlightened by the tutorial watch out for more tutorials here and share with friends as well
STAY HEALTHY
If you’re reading this, you’re all set, paderrn!