Can anyone tell me how one reads blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer (ooh, love that word! hope I’m speeling it right)? I just came from the doctor’s office. Every time I go, I watch the tech put the cuff on my arm, and she squeezes the ball and watches the mercury rise in the meter, and the mercury ticks down a bunch of times, and then she says, “120 over 80, very good” and takes the cuff off. I can’t figure out what she’s watching for on the meter! How does the meter’s behavior translate to the systolic and diastolic readings? Can somebody enlighten me? Much obliged.
Wow! The upper reading is your systolic, and your lower reading is diastolic. How the doctor reads it is when he inflates the cuff you’ll note he places the stethescope in the antecubital region of your elbow; then he slowly releases the pressure. When he hears your pulse, he notes the the top number, and when he can no longer hear your pulse, he notes the lower number. This gives you your blood pressure. If you watch the dial closely, you can do the same thing, except you feel your pulse rather than hear it, and it is obviously not as accurate.
Incidently, the last time mine was checked, it was 174/78. The text book norm is 178/80. Hope that helps!
Whoops! I goofed! My last check was 118/78, and the norm is 120/80. Sorry!
I’m glad you fixed that, I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news.
Vestal Blue: Incidently, the last time mine was checked, it was 174/78. The text book norm is 178/80. Hope that helps!
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Whoops! I goofed! My last check was 118/78, and the norm is 120/80. Sorry!
My first though was “The norm for who? John Madden?”
Glad to see your real pressure is healthy.
Thanks for clearing that up! I forgot about the stethoscope part of the procedure.
They’re not listening for your pulse, but rather for the opening and closing of a valve in the vein.
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I would like to know how to interpret a blood pressure reading; to what exactly do the numbers refer? Don’t want to get technical, just like to have some kind of rule of thumb similar to “if you’re running a 100F temperature you have a fever” type of thing.
Wrong - they/we are listening for a surge of blood through the artery.
Imagine standing by a water faucet connected to a hose. You have the faucet set to alternate between high & low pressures. (Say equivalent to 120 pounds of foot pressure on the hose & 60 pounds of foot pressure on the hose). You weigh 180 pounds and step on the hose with all your weight. Since the pressure on the hose is higher than the pressure the faucet is generating, no water flows through the hose. You put your other foot down gently & very gradually transfer your weight to the foot not on the hose.
When 1/3 of your weight is on the 2nd foot, the pressure on the hose falls below 120 lbs & water flows, but only during the high pressure times (systole is when your heart is actively pumping blood out). With your foot, you can probably feel surges of water going through the hose.
When 2/3 of your weight is on the 2nd foot,
the pressure on the hose falls below 60 & now water flows continuously. (Diastole is when your heart is relaxed & taking in blood) You no longer feel the surges.
Blood Pressures:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial”>code:</font><HR><pre>
High Normal 135-139 85-89 repeat within 2 years
Mild 140-159 90-99 confirm within 2 months
Moderate 160-179 100-109 See doctor within 1 month
Severe 180+ 110+ See doctor immediately
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Sue from El Paso
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