Blood Pressure monitors [Archive]

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dilli-theclaw

15-03-2005, 21:41

Raistlin

15-03-2005, 21:45

SYS, probably stands for Systolic try Googling that and see if that helps.
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DIA would be Diastolic

dilli-theclaw

15-03-2005, 21:46

SYS, probably stands for Systolic try Googling that and see if that helps.

As I said I did do a goole ;) but I was hoping someone here could provide me with a real simple version :) (We're talking LISTER simple here)

I just want to know if I'm going to burst something I guess.:D

Raistlin

15-03-2005, 21:48

Systolic is the blood pressure when the heart beats, Diastolic is the pressure between beats.

dilli-theclaw

15-03-2005, 21:50

Systolic is the blood pressure when the heart beats, Diastolic is the pressure between beats.

Thanks for that :)

Charlie_Bubble

15-03-2005, 21:50

This any help:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/measuringbloodpressure.htm

bb31

15-03-2005, 21:51

systolic / diastolic

Normal blood pressure is less than 140/90 mmHg.
Mildly high blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above, but below 160/100 mmHg. Treatment with tablets may be advised if it remains at this level, depending on whether you have other 'risk factors' (see below).
Moderate to severe high blood pressure is 160/100 mmHg or above. Treatment with tablets is usually advised if your blood pressure remains at this level.

id have it checked at your gp with a monitor thats been checked recently rather than checking yourself

Raistlin

15-03-2005, 21:53

Sorry, not a doctor.

According to a couple of Googles, the average is 120/80.

If I'm reading yours correctly it's about 130/108 not sure if I've read that right.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. For medical advice you are advised to seek professional assistance. No liability will be accepted for sudden explosions of the heart!

gary_580

15-03-2005, 21:54

I just want to know if I'm going to burst something I guess.:D

depends what you wrap the cuff around i guess :D

Raistlin

15-03-2005, 21:55

depends what you wrap the cuff around i guess :D

:LOL:

dilli-theclaw

15-03-2005, 21:57

Raistlin

15-03-2005, 21:59

BB31 I am a diabetic in Insulin so I guess I'd better get the dr to check it out when I'm there again :)

Well worth getting it checked if you're concerned at all.

Hope all is well.

bb31

15-03-2005, 21:59

Thanks to everybody who has replied - I will check out the link now :)

With luck my heart won't burst Raistlin - but you never know.

BB31 I am a diabetic in Insulin so I guess I'd better get the dr to check it out when I'm there again :)

gary_580 no comment :)

Yes diabetics need to have a lower reading i think than quoted........so id be off to the doctors soonish rather than later if i were you

gary_580

15-03-2005, 22:03

Millay

15-03-2005, 22:04

I suffer from hih blood pressure, and have done for a few years now, i was admited to hospital when my bp systolic was up in the 230s...

aparently diastolic is the one that gets the doctors really nerveous.

Its worth rembering, that you need to leave a good amount of time between test ie a few hours. BP does naturally spike all over the place.

The most improtant time to take your BP is when you wake up.

The most important thing is to get it checked by your doctor, i guess being diabetic it is already monitored, but much better just to get it checked.

ikthius

15-03-2005, 22:26

The higher is called systolic blood pressure and represents the pressure in the arterial system caused by the heart as blood is being pumped out. The lower number is called the diastolic pressure and represents the portion of time when the heart muscle is resting and filling with blood.

ik

greencreeper

15-03-2005, 22:27

Aren't fathers supposed to hand down old pocket watches and boxes of fishing tackle? Dilli's dad gives him a blood pressure monitor :erm:

dilli-theclaw

15-03-2005, 22:28

Aren't fathers supposed to hand down old pocket watches and boxes of fishing tackle? Dilli's dad gives him a blood pressure monitor :erm:

I suspect it was a hint.

homealone

15-03-2005, 22:40

129/82

brilliant - the medication is working ;)

reducing salt intake & stopping smoking has helped, too, presumably :angel:

I was more like 190/130 before - I never knew, till I went to the GP with a chest infection.

blood pressure is important - but as has been said, measure it under the same conditions each time - on waking is as good as any :tu:

danielf

15-03-2005, 22:43

as BB31 says, that monitor might be very inaccurate. Your diastolic looks wierd in comparison to the systolic and why is the second reading so different? I wouldnt believe what your seeing.

I'd go to the Dr and get yourself checked if your concerned. If your Doc's a good bloke id take this machine along and get him to do a comparison against his/hers

Perhaps the monitor is inaccurate, but blood pressure does vary wildy over the course of the day. It is therefore advised to sit quitly for 5 minutes or so before measuring your blood pressure (don't cross your legs, rest your arm on a table), and take it several times. (Over several days. If you're not at ease, or just returned from your 20 mile cross-country run (or just ran up the stairs) it is likely to be elevated. Having said that, diastolic looks a bit high, as does the pulse)

Also, some people get temporary elevated blood pressure simply from a visit to the doctor (known as 'white coat hypertension'). Mine goes through the roof at the doctor's, so I once had to wear a monitor for 24hrs, and it turned out to be fine.

ian@huth

15-03-2005, 23:04

That diastolic pressure is rather high as is the pulse rate. I would get your doctor or practice nurse to check your blood pressure and take a reading with your monitor as soon as theirs has been taken.

Blood pressure varies quite a bit during the day and depends on what you are doing and any stress you may be experiencing. First thing in the morning it tends to be lower than average. The one thing to make sure of is that the monitor is at the same level as your heart when taking a reading.

I am always setting the blood pressure monitor at the hospital into alarm mode when they check mine there. It alarms if the systolic pressure is above 200 which it invariably is. That is even with taking medication for it, Ramapril or atenelol (keep having a few months on one then a few on the other).

homealone

15-03-2005, 23:15

mine is "DIOVAN"

- 160mg capsules - actually made very near here, we used to call it Ciba - Geigy

valsartan is the google link ;)

SMHarman

16-03-2005, 00:46

Did you take those properly?

Is this a cuff and separate machine or a complete wrist device (ooher)
For the cuff it should be on your upper arm and your arm should be resting on a horizontal surface palm upturned. For a wrist based one your arm should cross your chest so your hand is placed on your opposite breast.

You should be rested, not doing watching anything stressfull and should not talk or move during the measurement.

The results - the second looks very wrong. The others look a little high 120/80 is optimal. Your not going to burst but they look unhealthy. Same can be said about your pulse. A healthy resting pulse should be under 60, and definately lower than those results.

I would get your doctor to take the test either manually or on a machine they trust as that is either a dodgy machine or you need some excercise.

nffc

16-03-2005, 00:59

120/80 is roughly average but it varies immensely, age, lifestyle, any conditions, drugs all alter what is healthy and what isn't- something which a search engine can't tell you.

If you're worried then I'd get it checked out professionally as a forum isn't the right place- your doctor also has access to your medical records which a GP on here won't have.

I don't like blood pressure meters of any sort, they usually make my hand go to "sleep" for ages but then that sometimes happens when I'm lying funny or something. Now that's a sensation I don't especially like... :(

Nikko

16-03-2005, 01:07

We had a blood pressure monitor at my school - but the milk monitor always got there first

dilli-theclaw

16-03-2005, 08:42

Did you take those properly?

Well I followed the intstructions as best I could.

Is this a cuff and separate machine or a complete wrist device (ooher)
For the cuff it should be on your upper arm and your arm should be resting on a horizontal surface palm upturned. For a wrist based one your arm should cross your chest so your hand is placed on your opposite breast.

It is a wrist action one :)

You should be rested, not doing watching anything stressfull and should not talk or move during the measurement.

I was rested - only viewing the threads on here, not sure how stressfull that is.

The results - the second looks very wrong. The others look a little high 120/80 is optimal. Your not going to burst but they look unhealthy. Same can be said about your pulse. A healthy resting pulse should be under 60, and definately lower than those results.

I thought it would be better if I took a number of readings.

I would get your doctor to take the test either manually or on a machine they trust as that is either a dodgy machine or you need some excercise.

I have to go to the dr's soon so I will ask them there.

Thanks once again to one and all who replied :)

Ramrod

16-03-2005, 09:36

My dad just gave me his old blood pressure machine thing. Nice.

What I'd like to know from a clever medical person here is what the numbers mean.

I've done a quick google - but a simple explanation would be much more helpful.

My numbers are as follows (over 3 readings)

SYS/mmHg 142 - 109 - 141
DIA/mmHg 124 - 103 - 119

PULSE/MIN 114 - 102 - 109

Cheers in advance.Your diastolic pressure and your pulse are waaaaay too high :shocked: .......Had you just eaten or exercised?
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With a diastolic pressure like that I would suspect that you have a faulty machine or you didn't fit it properly...........otherwise you need to see the quack asap.........

dilli-theclaw

16-03-2005, 09:39

Your diastolic pressure and your pulse are waaaaay too high :shocked: .......Had you just eaten or exercised?
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With a diastolic pressure like that I would suspect that you have a faulty machine or you didn't fit it properly...........otherwise you need to see the quack asap.........

Nope - I'd been chillin on my couch with the laptop looking at the forum.

btw - just after I got up it was

125/81 pulse 108.... (This was averaged over 3 readings again)

But i will ask the dr (which is in 2 weeks by the way) :)

danielf

16-03-2005, 09:55

Nope - I'd been chillin on my couch with the laptop looking at the forum.

btw - just after I got up it was

125/81 pulse 108.... (This was averaged over 3 readings again)

But i will ask the dr (which is in 2 weeks by the way) :)

125/81 looks perfect, but that pulse is still high.

Ramrod

16-03-2005, 10:42

125/81 pulse 108.... (This was averaged over 3 readings againThat BP is ok.........pulse slightly high though. (beaten to it)

Funny you should mention this at this time 'cos I got sick of taking my BP manually (or getting Mandy to do it) so I bought a wrist BP moniter last week :D

SMHarman

16-03-2005, 11:50

125/81 looks perfect, but that pulse is still high.
Are you pregnant ;) , the monitors don't do well with pregnancies and pulse measurement.

Salu

16-03-2005, 12:04

Your blood pressure is dynamic and will vary constantly. Standing, sitting or moving will affect it. Although having a personal sphygmomanometer (Blood pressure measuring device) can be useful to those who need it and indeed pick up on some people who are hypertensive (high blood pressure) who may not have yet been diagnosed, there are also negatives. One being unnecessary worry. Another being that wrist measurements are regarded as being less reliable than upper arm ones. The theory being that the larger the artery the more reliable the reading. If your systolic was less than 80 you would struggle to feel the radial pulse (wrist). This is why the medical profession use the upper arm and not the wrist...

Blood pressure is a single diagnostic procedure and should be interpreted in conjunction with medical history and other tests. Diagnosing on just blood pressure is inappropriate. I wouldn't be too concerned with the pulse reading as again this is dynamic. Your resting pulse on average is said to be 72 but it can be normal to have higher ones and indeed lower ones.

What I am basically saying is that yes those readings look high on the face of things, but your medical history needs taking into account. You should also have your BP measured by a medically calibrated sphyg. As many have said already your GP is best equipped to do this and proffer their advice.

As you have already been diagnosed with Diabetes you will undoubtedly have had your BP checked before. This will be compared. Although it depends on how long you have had diabetes and what type you have. Its tempting to ask you about your kidney function and other questions but the best advice I can give is to get examined.

:)

barita_lola

07-08-2007, 05:22

My friend, Why worry about your health when you can very easily get a checkup and from that point on, compare yourself at every checkup with your last check up? You're right to wonder how healthy you are, but not to worry. Make health part of your life instead of waiting for signs of sickness!

dilli-theclaw

07-08-2007, 08:37

Excuse me?

SMHarman

07-08-2007, 14:22

Recon barita_lola is about to offer some kind of herbal suppliment?