How to Check Blood Pressure with a Sphygmomanometer

Regular blood pressure checking is a good thing. However, many unfortunate people who
experience 'hypertension or white jacket syndrome', an anxious state that causes blood
pressure to rise as soon as they are approached by health workers using horrific stethoscopes.
Doing your own at-home checkup can eliminate these anxieties and estimate your average
blood pressure every day, in really good conditions.

preparing the equipment

1. Sit and then open the blood pressure checking kit. Sit at a table or bench, where you can
easily organize the necessary equipment. Remove the cuff, stethoscope, pressure gauge, and
pump from the toolbox, be careful in removing the different tension measuring devices.

2. Raise your arms as high as heart. Elevate your arms so that when you bend your elbows,
your elbows are parallel to the heart. This will ensure you get a low or low blood pressure
reading. Raise your arm during the examination, be sure to rest your elbows on a stable
surface.

3. Tie the cuff around the upper arm. Most cufflinks have Velcro (two sides of material /
fabric that can be glued) which makes it easily locked. If your shirt has long or thick sleeves,
roll it first, because you can only tie the cuff to a very thin dress. The underside of the cuff
should be about 2.5 cm above the elbow.
 Some experts recommend using the left arm; others advise to examine both arms.
However, if you are the first time doing this, check your left arm if you are not left-
handed, and vice versa.

4. Make sure the cuff is tight but not too tight. If the cuff is too loose, the cuff will not hit the
arteries properly, causing an inaccurate blood pressure reading. If the cuff is too tight, this
will cause something called 'cuff hypertension' and give an inaccurate high yield.

5. Put a (more) wide stethoscope head on your arm. The head of a stethoscope (also called a
diaphragm) should be placed flat on the skin on the inside of your arm. The edge of the
diaphragm should be under the cuff, placed over the brachial artery (arm). Place the earpiece
in your ear.
 Do not hold the head of a stethoscope with thumbs to have its own pulse, this will
leave you confused trying to get a blood pressure reading.
 A good method is to hold the head of the stethoscope with the middle finger and
forefinger. You will not hear a pulse (other) in this way, until you pump the cuff.

6. Clip the meter on a stable surface. If the tape is clipped to the cuff, release it and place it on
something strong, like a thick paperback book. You can put the meter in front of you on the
table in this way, making it easier to see. It is important to link and keep this meter stable.
  Make sure there is enough lighting so that you can see the needle and meter marker
before you start the inspection.
 Sometimes, the meter is attached to the rubber pump, if so then this step does not
apply.
7. Take the rubber pumper and close the valve. The valve on the pump needs to be closed
tightly before you start. This will ensure no air comes out as you pump, so it will produce an
accurate check. Rotate the valve clockwise, until it is meeting.
 Do not lock the valve too tight, otherwise you will open it too far and release the air
too quickly.

Checking Blood Pressure

1. Pump cuff. Pump the pumper quickly to fill the air on the cuff. The pump continues until
the needle on the meter reaches 180 mmHg. Pressure on the cuff will close the path of the
large arteries in the biceps (upper arm muscles), stopping the flow of blood temporarily. This
is what causes the pressure from the cuff to feel weird or uncomfortable.

2. Open the valve. Open the valve on the rubber pump gently counter-clockwise, so that the
air inside the cuff exits at medium speed. Watch the meter; for best accuracy, the needle must
move downwards at a speed of 3 mm per second.
 Opening the valve when you hold the stethoscope may be a little difficult. Try
opening the valve with cuff-mounted hands, while holding the stethoscope with the
other.

3. Pay attention to systolic blood pressure. As the pressure begins to fall, use a stethoscope to
listen to a pulse or a tap. When you hear the first pulse, look at the pressure on the meter.
This is your systolic blood pressure.
 The systolic number indicates the pressure of your blood flow inside the artery wall
after the heart beats or contracts. This is a higher number of two blood pressure
readings, when blood pressure is written, this figure is above.
 The medical name of the throbbing sound you hear is 'Korotkoff'.

4. Watch your diastolic blood pressure. Keep watching the meter, use the stethoscope to
listen to the throbbing sound. A loud throb will soon turn into a buzz. Diastolic blood
pressure can be easily scrutinized, as the sound change indicates that 'soon' is your diastolic
blood pressure. As soon as the humming is reduced, then you hear nothing, look at the
pressure on the meter. This is your diastolic blood pressure.
 Diastolic numbers show blood flow pressure in artery walls when the heart is in a
relaxed state after contracting. This is the lower number of two blood pressure
readings, when your blood pressure is written, this figure is below.

5. Do not worry if you missed the reading. If you miss a reading either on systolic or diastolic,
you can pump the cuff a little more to repeat it.
 Do not do it too much (more than twice) because it can affect accuracy.
  Alternatively, you can attach the cuff to the other arm, then repeat the process again.

6. Check your blood pressure again. Blood pressure fluctuates over time (sometimes
dramatically), so if you do a double check within ten minutes, you can get a more accurate
average result.
 For more accurate results, check your blood pressure a second time, five to ten
minutes after the first.
 Using the other for second examination is also a good idea, especially if the second
result is not normal.

Reading Results
1. Understand the meaning of the results obtained. Once you have recorded your blood
pressure, it is important to know what that number means. Use the following instructions as a
reference:
 Normal blood pressure: The systolic number is less than 120 and the diastolic number
is less than 80.
 Prehypertension: Systolic numbers between 120 and 139, diastolic numbers between
80 and 89.
 Hypertension Level 1: Systolic numbers between 140 and 159, diastolic numbers
between 90 and 99.
 Hypertension Level 2: Systolic numbers above 160 and diastolic numbers above 100.
 Hypertension Weight: Systolic numbers above 180 and diastolic numbers above 110.

2. Do not worry if your blood pressure is low. Even though your blood pressure is well below
the "normal" 120/80, there is nothing to worry about. A low blood pressure test result, say,
85/55 mmHg is still considered normal, as long as no symptoms of low blood pressure are
present.
 However, if you experience symptoms such as dizziness, dizziness, dehydration,
nausea, blurred vision, and / or fatigue, you are strongly advised to see a doctor
because your low blood pressure may result from these conditions.

3. Know the time to seek treatment. Understand that high examination results do not
necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. It could be due to various factors.
 If you check your blood pressure after exercise, eat salty foods, drink coffee, smoke,
or are in a state of stress, your blood pressure can become unusually high. If the cuff
is too loose or tight on your arm, or too big or small for your size, the inspection may
become inaccurate. Therefore, you should not worry too much about this inaccurate
examination, especially if your blood pressure returns to normal as you check back
later.
 However, if your blood pressure continues consistently at or higher than 140/90
mmHg, you should consult with a doctor who can provide you with a treatment plan,
usually a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.
 If you get a 180 or higher systolic examination, or a 110 or higher diastolic
examination, wait a few minutes then check your blood pressure again. If it is still the
same, you need to contact the ER services immediately, as you may have severe
hypertension.