General Blood Pressure Information - HealthSmart 04–825–001 Manual De Instrucciones

general BlooD Pressure information

What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by blood flowing against the walls of the
blood vessels throughout your body.
Your heart, which is the center of the circulatory system, provides the force for the blood
to flow or circulate. When your heart contracts or "beats," the blood is forced through the
blood vessels increasing the pressure. This is the highest pressure in the cycle or what is
referred to as SYSTOLIC blood pressure. In-between beats your heart relaxes and your
blood pressure decreases. This is referred to as DIASTOLIC blood pressure.
This complete series of events, which occur in a single heartbeat, is known as the
CARDIAC CYCLE.
Your Digital Blood Pressure Monitor will automatically read your blood pressure and
display both systolic and diastolic readings on the screen. Your systolic reading will be
positioned as the upper number and the diastolic reading will be the lower number.
120 80
(systolic)
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters (mm) of mercury (Hg) and is generally recorded
with the systolic pressure (120) listed first and the diastolic pressure (80) listed second.
The numbers are typically separated by a slash mark (/) as shown.
Both pressure readings, the SYSTOLIC and DIASTOLIC, are necessary for a physician to
evaluate the status of a patient's blood pressure.
Please contact your physician for specific information regarding your own blood pressure.
What Influences Blood Pressure?
Many factors such as genetics, age, sex, altitude, physical activity, anxiety, muscular
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/
(diastolic)
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development, certain medications or even the time of day can influence blood pressure.
Influences such as sleep or relaxation decrease blood pressure, while anxiety or exercise
increase blood pressure.
Why Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home?
A visit to a physician's office can be stressful for the patient and anxiety is a known factor
in raising blood pressure. This temporary occurrence of elevated blood pressure at the
physician's office is commonly referred to as "white coat syndrome."
Whether or not you experience "white coat syndrome," home blood pressure monitoring
provides you with the opportunity to supplement measurements taken at your physician's
office. These home readings, when taken over a period of time, can show an accurate
indication of change. Furthermore, your records can assist your physician in evaluating
your health and in making important decisions in the diagnosis and treatment of your
condition. Because of this, it is important to take consistent daily measurements of your
blood pressure.
The variations in your individual readings should only be interpreted by your physician or
a trained healthcare professional.
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