¶ … Blood Pressure
High blood pressure in known as the "silent killer" because most of it's victims were never aware they had it. Therefore, it is important to know how to take your blood pressure and what the normal readings should be. This paper will tell how to take your blood pressure with a digital monitor.
Taking your blood pressure is not hard. You need to make sure you are seated and your arm is resting on a table. Clothing can interfere with the reading, so remove any tight fitting garments.
Next, you need to put the blood pressure cuff on your upper arm, about one inch above the bend of your elbow, making sure the tubing is running down the inner part of your arm towards your hand. After attaching the tube to the monitor and making sure the batteries are good, turn on the blood pressure monitor. It is important to be sure the cuff is at heart level because this can affect the reading.
Hit the start button on the monitor and the cuff should start to inflate. If you have a history of high blood pressure, you may want to program the monitor to inflate to a higher starting point, otherwise let it naturally inflate to a reading of 160. The cuff may be a little tight and uncomfortable at first, but this should quickly subside. Once the cuff has inflated, it will start to slowly deflate. You will hear beeps as it is deflating, so don't be concerned. Once the cuff is completely deflated, the monitor will show what your blood pressure an pulse are. It is important to remember that one blood pressure reading alone does not mean you have high, low or normal pressure. You really need to take for several days, at the same time each day, to help determine what your regular blood pressure is.
After taking your blood pressure, you should contact your doctor about any abnormal readings. The normal blood pressure is 120/80, but don't be concerned if yours is a little higher or lower since things like time of day, temperature and amount of stress you're under can affect it. By monitoring your blood pressure periodically, you may be able to detect any problems before you become a victim of the "silent killer."
