How Do you Know you are Hypertensive? (how to measure High Blood pressure)
There are three ways to know you have hypertension which are:
1. Signs and Symptoms
2. Medical tests
3. Sphygmomanometer
The fault in diagnosing Hypertension with symptoms is that it is not accurate so measurement with a sphygmomanometer or medical tests is better. So I will be discussing The symptoms of Hypertension and how to use a Sphygmomanometer so that you can know how to watch your blood pressure and manage hypertension if you have one.
Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
Below is the List of Symptoms of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
1. Shortness of breath from a pulmonary embolism
2. Chest pain
3. coughing and sweating
4. Coughing and sweating
5. Severe and Recurrent headaches
6. Nosebleed
7. Fatigue or confusion
8. Vision problems
9. Chest pain
10. Difficulty breathing
11. Irregular heartbeat
12. Blood in the urine
13. Pounding in your chest
14. Neck or ears
15. Dizziness
16. Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite:
All the listed Signs and symptoms are of Hypertension and require you to complain to your Health expert or Doctor about what to do about them because these signs are not 100 percent guarantee or confirmation that you have high blood pressure. You might not be experiencing all the symptoms all at once, it could be some or few, follow the guide on how to treat/regulate high blood pressure, as well you can contact me or your doctor for the next step.
Medical Tests for to Diagnose High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Symptoms and sphygmomanometer diagnosis are enough to know if you have Hypertension or not, but sometimes it might be caused by complicated underlying conditions that are capable of worsening the condition despite treatment unless treated specially.
Below are the medical tests to confirm and proper handling of Hypertension:
- Ambulatory monitoring. This 24-hour blood pressure monitoring test is used to confirm if you have high blood pressure. The device used for this test measures your blood pressure at regular intervals over a 24-hour period and provides a more accurate picture of blood pressure changes over an average day and night. However, these devices aren’t available in all medical centers, and they may not be reimbursed.
- Lab tests. Your doctor may recommend a urine test (urinalysis) and blood tests, including a cholesterol test.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): A test that measures the electrical activity, rate, and rhythm of your heartbeat via electrodes attached to your arms, legs, and chest. The results are recorded on graph paper.
- Echocardiogram: This is a test that uses ultrasound waves to provide pictures of the heart’s valves and chambers so the pumping action of the heart can be studied and measurement of the chambers and wall thickness of the heart can be made.
How to Check Your Blood Pressure With a Sphygmomanometer
Blood pressure is measured with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is written systolic over diastolic (for example, 120/80 mm Hg, or “120 over 80”). According to the most recent guidelines, normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. Elevated blood pressure is 120 to 129 and less than 80. Hypertension is blood pressure that is greater than 130/80.
Step 1
Sit down and open the blood pressure testing kit. Sit down at a table or desk where you can easily set up the necessary equipment. Remove the cuff, stethoscope, pressure gauge, and bulb from the kit, taking care to untangle the various tubes.
Step 2
Raise your arm to heart level.
Elevate your arm so that when you bend your elbow, your elbow is parallel to your heart. This ensures that you will not get either an overestimated or underestimated reading on your blood pressure. It is also important that your arm is supported during the reading, so make sure to rest your elbow on a stable surface.
Step 3
Wrap the cuff around your upper arm. Most cuffs have Velcro, making it easy to secure the cuff in place. If your shirt has long or thick sleeves, roll them up first, as you can only put the cuff over very thin clothing. The bottom edge of the cuff should be about an inch above the elbow.
. Some experts recommend you use your left arm; others suggest you test both arms. But while you’re first adjusting to self-testing, use the left arm if you’re right-handed, or vice versa.
Step 4
Make sure the cuff is snug, but not too tight.
If the cuff is too loose, the cuff will not compress the artery correctly, giving you an inaccurately low blood pressure reading. If the cuff is too tight, it will create what is known as “cuff hypertension” and give you an inaccurately high reading.
step 5
Place the wide head of the stethoscope on your arm. The head of the stethoscope (also known as the diaphragm) should be placed flat against the skin on the inside of your arm. The edge of the diaphragm should be just beneath the cuff, positioned over the brachial artery. Gently put the earpieces of the stethoscope in your ears.[8]
- Do not hold the head of the stethoscope with your thumb — your thumb has its own pulse and this will confuse you while you try to obtain a reading.
- A good method is to hold the head of the stethoscope in place with your index and middle fingers. This way, you should not hear a thumping sound until you have begun to inflate the cuff.
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