High blood pressure is the silent killer. According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), “About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has HBP. The condition itself usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, HBP can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.”
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted on the artery walls as heart pumps blood through the circulatory system. Measured in units of millimeters of mercury, the measurement considers two pressures. The first is the pressure as the heart contracts, called systolic blood pressure. The second is the pressure exerted on artery walls while the heart is at rest, called diastolic pressure. It is read as Systolic over Diastolic, for example 119 over 72.
What is High Blood Pressure?
A simple way to look at the question is that any pressure that is not normal is high. The NIH categorizes blood pressure in terms of normal, prehypertension, Stage 1 hypertension, and Stage 2 hypertension. Table 1 illustrates the blood pressure values associated with each category.
|
Category
|
Systolic
(top number)
|
|
Diastolic
(bottom number)
|
| Normal |
Less than 120
|
And
|
Less than 80
|
| Prehypertension |
120–139
|
Or
|
80–89
|
| High blood pressure |
|
|
|
| Stage 1 |
140–159
|
Or
|
90–99
|
| Stage 2 |
160 or higher
|
Or
|
100 or higher
|
Table: 1. Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults (measured in millimeters of mercury, or mmHg) (Source: National Institutes for Health )
Equipment
Blood Pressure Cuff (Source: Greg Cundiff
Electronic blood pressure units are available at most pharmacies and department stores. For this demonstration, we will use a manual cuff and stethoscope.
Preparation
The NIH recommends the following to prepare for measuring blood pressure.
- Do not smoke or drink coffee for thirty minutes before the test.
- Empty bladder before the test.
- Sit for 5 minutes before the test.
The Test
Sit comfortabley for 5 minutes. (Source: Greg Cundiff)
Seat patient with both feet flat on the floor. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Expose underside of elbow
Place cuff (Source: Greg Cundiff)
Place the cuff approximately 3 finger widths above the bend in the arm.
Align artery arrow on cuff with midline of arm.
Wrap cuff so it is snug but not tight.
Clip gauge to cuff.
Locate thumb nob near bulb and gently tighten.
Inflate cuff (Source: Greg Cundiff)
Inflate cuff bladder with bulb to a pressure of approximately 150.
Place stethoscope diaphragm over bend in the underside of arm.
Listen for a pulse.
If present continue to inflate bladder until no pulse is heard.
If pulse is not present back off on thumb screw to slowly deflate bladder.
Check for first pulse sound (Source: Greg Cundiff)
Listen for an initial pulse. When heard, note dial indication.
Listen for last pulse sound. (Source: Greg Cundiff)
Continue to listen for pulse sound to stop. When pulse sound first stops, note dial indication.
Record both indications.
Compare reading to chart in Table 1.
If results are other than normal, seek competent medical advice.
