How is it done?

Measuring Blood Pressure

All physical examinations and check-up include blood pressure measurement. The process is familiar to everyone:

• Patients should not smoke or drink caffeinated beverages within 30 minutes of the measurement.
• The instrument used is called a mercury sphygmomanometer.
• An inflatable cuff with a meter attached is placed around the patient's arm over the artery.
• The person taking the blood pressure listens through a stethoscope.
• If a first blood pressure reading is above normal, the health professional may take two or more measurements separated by two minutes with the patient sitting or lying down, as well as one taken after the patient has been standing for two minutes.

Although this test has been used for 90 years, it is not completely accurate or sensitive.The following can bias the results. Falsely low pressure reading can be caused by the following:

• Recent exercise.
• Not smoking for a while after heavy, long-term smoking.
• White-coat normotension.

This is a condition in which a person's blood pressure registers as normal at the doctor's office, even though it is actually somewhat elevated. It tends to occur in men, especially those who are past smokers, older, or alcohol users. Falsely high pressure can result from the following:

• An arm cuff that is too small.
• Talking during the test.
• Having recently eaten foods that raise blood pressure.
• White-coat hypertension. This is a phenomenon in which a patient's blood pressure rises in the presence of a physician and, presumably, returns to normal at home. Studies have suggested that white-coat hypertension actually may pose a risk for future heart problems, although the increased danger appears to be small (7.9%) compared with the risk in those with steady mild hypertension (22%). If this is suspected, home monitoring is important in order to avoid unnecessary drug treatments.

If the outcome is high normal or above, the patient should be monitored at home and have further tests to determine if the organs are affected. An average of all the measurements will be considered in the diagnosis of hypertension. One has to dial 6825000, 6825004, and 6825005 and take an appointment for a suitable date for check-up. One may also fix up the appointment through the internet (ehirc.com).