How to measure blood pressure

People always feel uncomfortable when it times to measuring the Blood Pressure of someone. Well, this is quite important thing, and everyone should know how to measure it. Believe me it is not hard at all. The most common Blood Pressure machine is that mercury one. Most doctors used to of it. Let’s start with it.

First of all, check if BP machine is lock or unlock. Some bp machines having lock system for mercury, so if it is off than on it first.

Start with hand belt. You have to tie the belt on the shoulder of the patient. You can choose any hand but left one is more preferable. Tie it properly, not over fit it and also not that much loose.  Just keep in mind that the pipe which is going from that belt to machine is not having any folds, which can give wrong measures.

Now wear the Stethoscope in your ears. Just check Stethoscope from both sides because one of side will give less sound in compare of other one.

Now check the patient’s nerve near that belt from where you can felt the nerves sound. Just put the Stethoscope’s other end on the hand near belt where you can feel the nerve more (above part of joint of hand).

Now you are having one pump ball joint with hand belt. First fit the screw of that pump ball so that air not came out. Than start pumping that ball and mercury of the machine wills start rising. Keep pumping it till the mercury reached around 170 to 180 number on the machine.

Now stop pumping after reaching to above mark. Now slowly off the screw/gauge of that pumping ball to remove the air again (make it slowly when you are learning it). Now during air removing process, in the Stethoscope you will hear the nerve beating sound (like drum). Just note that number (where the mercury is at that time) when that sounds starts in the Stethoscope.  Now keep continue air removing process (that sound will keep continue) from that belt. At one point that sound will be stop note that point too. Now it’s all done. The number (on BP machine) on which nerve beating sound had started is that person’s upper BP count, and on number which that sound got off is the lower BP count of that person.

Let me tell you, I have heard that normal BP counts are 125 for upper and 75 to 80 for bottom.

So this is it. How we can measure BP of any person. This information is for education purpose, and process can change as per instrument.

Many people are using digital BP machines too for the same purpose. And I don’t think we need to learn how to measure BP from that machine. I mean they are all automatic, so quite easy. But let me tell you, I have heard that digital BP machines are not that accurate in compare to manual BP machines. So keep this thing in mind. You can see discussion about this topic from the bottom link.

Discussion: Digital BP machines and Manual BP machines..

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