›› Blood Pressure Monitor
A blood pressure
monitor is a good thing to have on hand, especially if you know that
you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a family history of heart
disease. Because blood pressure is an excellent indication of
how your heart is performing, and how much stress it might be under,
your blood pressure is a vital piece of information in determining your
overall health. Indeed, along with your heart rate, your
blood pressure numbers are often referred to as your vitals.
One of the first things most doctors or nurses will do when they see
you in a treatment environment is to measure your vitals with a blood
pressure monitor.
I worked at a
residential drug and alcohol treatment center for over a year, and
during my time there I became very familiar with the use of blood
pressure monitors. The old school and more traditional blood
pressure monitors that you usually see your doctor use are called
sphygmomanometers. This is the typical cuff thing that they
Velcro onto your arm, and then pump up by hand. It has a
pressure gauge attached, and requires careful watching to accurately
determine your blood pressure. These traditional blood
pressure monitors are usually used in conjunction with a stethoscope to
give a reading of your heart rate as well. That means taking
vitals the old school way is a very active process and requires some
amount of training.
Fortunately, there
are newer and easier to use blood pressure monitors available
today. Today you can purchase electronic sphygmomanometers
that are programmed to basically do everything for you. All
you need to learn how to do is properly attach the cuff to the subjects
arm, which is easier than tying your shoes. Then with the
push of a button, the blood pressure machine does the rest.
It even records your heart rate, and displays it along with your blood
pressure in a little LCD display. All you have to do is wait
for it to finish.
Needless to say, these automatic blood pressure monitors made my life a
lot easier when I was working at the treatment center. Anyone
that works in a medical environment that doesn't have the training
nurses and doctors have gotten in the use of a regular sphygmomanometer
will certainly appreciate having an automatic blood pressure monitor on
hand.
Since my time at the treatment center, I have purchased my own
electronic blood pressure monitor. It’s a nice tool
to have on hand to accurately gauge any stress your heart may be under
if you think you may be having heart trouble.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
