Things you need to know about blood pressure

Posted by Digital Guidence on September 11th, 2019

Tension or blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the arteries. Arthur, a  medical scientist from WHO, explains it by comparing the circulatory system with the plumbing of a house: “It is a pipe system through which it circulates a fluid and the pressure at which it circulates must be adequate. If the pressure rises above levels, the arteries that lead the blood begin to suffer greater damage and, in the long run, that damage ends up resulting in complications,” says the specialist in Nephrology.

Although aging is one of the main factors that causes blood pressure to increase more than is due, since the arteries harden with age becoming less elastic, arterial hypertension does not only affect the elderly. "Arterial hypertension is not a problem only for older people," says Arthur. According to the specialist, the sedentary lifestyle that characterizes Western society is causing more and more cases of hypertension at earlier ages, usually associated with obesity and overweight problems.

What can cause high blood pressure?

Aging or the genetic factor are some of the non-modifiable causes that increase the risk of tension rising. There are, however, another series of factors that can lead to increased tension such as inadequate food, overweight or lack of physical activity. Specialists recommend both hypertensive patients, and anyone who wants to prevent any problem related to stress, to practice a healthy lifestyle as a better way to prevent any problem associated with having inadequate blood pressure levels. The president of the Seh-Lelha especially recommends the moderate use of salt and draws attention to the excessive consumption that many of coffee and tea make. "It is recommended to avoid all kinds of stimulants such as caffeine or theine, although for one cup a day there would be no problem," says Arthur.

When is it convenient to measure tension?

"It is advisable to measure blood pressure at least once a year, " says Arthur. However, most of the time it is not necessary to go to a specific test to control the level of tension, since family doctors in Primary Care have in their protocol the indication to perform a blood pressure test on the patient, have the symptoms I have. " Whatever the reason for the patient to go to the clinic, the tension must be measured," says the specialist. It is in these tests that most cases of hypertension are detected.

What is the test to measure tension?

Everyone is well acquainted with the conventional test to measure tension: the doctor places a cuff around the patient's arm and inflates it so that the tension reaches the minimum and maximum point. Arthur explains that this test first seeks to block the artery inside the arm and then open it little by little. The maximum pressure, the systolic, is measured at the moment that artery opens. According to the medical specialist, in the past, blood pressure was measured by listening to the noises produced by the artery; when those noises disappeared, the value of the minimum or diastolic tension was determined. "Today we have automatic devices detect these two moments," says Arthur.

What are the normal blood pressure values?

Normal blood pressure in adults is 120 mm of mercury, when the heart is at its maximum pulsations and 80 mm of mercury, when it is more relaxed. "The cut-off point to detect hypertension problems is if the blood pressure is equal to or exceeds 90 mm of diastolic tension and 140 mm of systolic tension," says the nephrologist.

According to Arthur, blood pressure is a parameter that has a lot of variability and varies greatly depending on the activity, the time of day or the meals that have been made. "Today we have devices that allow us to know how the tension is at different times of the day and thus be able to apply better, both diagnostic measures and treatment," says the expert. 

When should the specialist recommend self-measurement of blood pressure?

In general, the healthcare professional may recommend self - measurement of blood pressure always (with some exceptions, mainly in obsessional patients and prone to self - medication). It is an effective method that allows to know the tension of the patient outside the consultation, in his daily life, thus avoiding the known as the phenomenon of the white coat (the sensation that the patients experience when arriving at the health center and facing the professional This phenomenon causes the blood pressure of patients to rise slightly compared to their normal figure).

The self - measurement of blood pressure should be performed in the morning and evening, after a preliminary rest 3 minutes. The proper position is as follows: sitting, with the legs not crossed, the back resting on the chair and the arm where the cuff is placed on the table. It is recommended that the cuff be put on the arm (and not on the wrist, with exceptions - obese people-).

After self-measurement, the patient must record the results obtained by writing them down in a notebook. You should take this notebook to the appropriate healthcare professional (doctor or nurse) when you have your appointment to review them together. With these results, the professional will assess the treatment and monitoring of the patient.

How to measure blood pressure?

There are several ways to measure blood pressure:

• Mercury sphygmomanometer: It is the most accurate and least exposed to errors. A stethoscope is required for use.
• Air sphygmomanometer: It is the most used and is also a precise device. You also need a stethoscope to use it.
• Electronic device: It is widely used for self-control, it does not need a stethoscope because it has a built-in pulse detector and is easy to use. However, it is a very sensitive device to noise and movement, so that the values ​​obtained are accurate, it is necessary that the arm does not move and does not speak. It is important that the device is in good condition and checked periodically

In addition, to measure blood pressure it is necessary to meet a number of conditions:

To measure blood pressure, the cuff of the sphygmomanometer should be placed at the level of the heart. The upper edge should be at least two centimeters above the flexure of the elbow. The sleeve is then inflated to a pressure of 180 millimeters of Hg. If it is known that in previous determinations the systolic pressure was higher than this figure, it is inflated to a pressure 200 mm Hg above the last known. The bell of the phonendoscope is placed where the arterial beat has previously been located in the flexure of the elbow and the cuff is gradually deflated. The first beat heard corresponds to the systolic or maximum pressure and the disappearance of the beat at the diastolic or minimum pressure. In children and also in some adults, the beats do not disappear;