Blood Pressure Test

Blood pressure is a silent disorder, which can affect anyone.  Age, sex and race play an important role. According to medical records, men are more likely to be affected than women. Therefore, having a regular check of our blood pressure after a certain age is important and could save your life from other related complications. The sphygmomanometer is an instrument used for measuring blood pressure and is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).

Table of Contents

Blood Pressure
AIM
Materials Required
Procedure
Result
Conclusion

Blood pressure is the force created by the blood circulation through the circulatory system. There is a fluctuation of blood pressure and it depends on our lifestyle, eating patterns, BMI – body mass index, family history and many other factors. Based on the reading, the blood pressure is of two types. High blood pressure or Hypertension mainly occurs when there is an increase or rise in blood pressure from its normal to unhealthy levels. Low blood pressure or Hypotension mainly occurs when there is a decrease or drop in blood pressure from its normal levels. Moreover, the exact causes of varying blood pressure are not clear.  Along with the causes, the symptoms and treatment of blood pressure vary.

Explore more @  Blood Pressure and its Symptoms

The main purpose of conducting this experiment is to study the common method used for measuring the blood pressure of an individual.

• Stethoscope.
• Blood pressure cuff.
• A sphygmomanometer or Digital Blood Pressure monitor.

• Allow the patient to relax for 15 to 20 minutes before taking their readings.
• Wrap the blood pressure cuff evenly around the patient’s arm above the antecubital fossa for an accurate reading.
• Now place the bell of the stethoscope over the brachial artery at this location to get the strongest pulse sounds.
• Once, after everything is set, start pumping the cuff bulb gradually and listen to the pulse sounds. Keep on checking the reading in the Sphygmomanometer.
• Continue to expand the cuff up to the point where the pulse sound is no longer felt. This reading is recorded as the diastolic pressure.
• Now slowly reduce the cuff until the pulse sounds are felt. This reading is recorded as the systolic pressure.

Note: If you are using the new Digital Blood Pressure monitor, then there is no more use of the stethoscope. As this single device can measure the blood pressure, pulse rate and provide accurate results instantly with one-touch operation.

Also Read: Hypotension

Note the measurements of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure obtained and calculate the accurate blood pressure of an individual.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the normal blood pressure of a healthy individual is measured to be 120 – 140 / 70 – 90 mm Hg along with the normal pulse rate 60 – 80 per min.

The normal range of systolic blood pressure should be between 90 – 120 mm Hg. Systolic blood pressure is the reading recorded when the pressure is exerted on the arteries and blood vessels while the heart is beating.

The normal range of diastolic blood pressure should be between 60 – 80 mm Hg. Diastolic blood pressure is the reading recorded when the pressure is exerted on the walls of arteries around the body in between heartbeats when the heart is relaxed.

Also Refer: Facts About Heart

Learn more in detail about the blood pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure or any other related topics @ BYJU’S Biology

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1.What is Blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the arteries. The reading of blood pleasure is given by two numbers- systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure.

Q.2.What is Systolic Blood Pressure?

The amount of pressure exerted on the arteries and blood vessels is called Systolic Blood Pressure. The systolic Blood Pressure increases with the individual’s age. The normal range of systolic blood pressure should be 90 – 120 mm Hg.

Q.3.What is Diastolic blood pressure?

The amount of pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries is called diastolic Blood Pressure. The diastolic Blood Pressure decreases with the individual’s age. The normal range of diastolic blood pressure should be 60 – 80 mm Hg.

Q.4.What is Hypotension?

Hypotension is also called as low blood pressure. It is the sign of an underlying disease, where the reading on the sphygmomanometer falls below 90/60 mm Hg- 90 mm Hg systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic.

Q.5.What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is also called as high blood pressure. It is a serious, chronic health problem related to the rise in the blood pressure, where the reading on the sphygmomanometer raises more than 140/90 mm Hg- 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic.