How to measure blood pressure for the elderly

If the elderly at home have high blood pressure, they should always pay attention to their blood pressure, and a sphygmomanometer is a good tool. Normal people's blood pressure will fluctuate 24 hours a day. If you want to compare the daily blood pressure fluctuations of the elderly, you must do it at the same time, in the same place (living room or bedroom), in the same part (left hand or right hand), The same body position (sitting or lying down) must be fixed. Such measurement results are very accurate. The elderly blood pressure readings must be recorded every day for future comparison.

There are two types of sphygmomanometers: one is a mercury sphygmomanometer, and the other is an electronic sphygmomanometer. Nowadays, electronic sphygmomanometers are used at home, while mercury sphygmomanometers are generally used by doctors and are for home use. rare.

When measuring blood pressure, you should sit upright, take off one sleeve of your shirt, do not roll up the tight sleeves, keep your arms flat, palms up, your upper arms and heart at the same level, and your muscles should be relaxed. . Don't be nervous when measuring blood pressure, and don't hold your breath, because holding your breath can increase blood pressure.

Don’t talk when measuring blood pressure to avoid affecting the measured value. If you do strenuous exercise, take a bath, etc., wait half an hour before measuring blood pressure. The arm of the person being measured should be in contact with the heart. Flush.

The most commonly used site for measuring blood pressure is the brachial artery in the upper arm. When measuring, the palm of the hand should be facing up, exposing the upper arm, and the cuff should be evenly wrapped around the upper arm. The tightness should be enough to allow two fingers to be inserted. Otherwise, if the cuff is wrapped too tightly, the measured blood pressure will be low, and if it is too loose, the blood pressure will be high. When measuring, the cuff mark should be placed on the inside of the arm, with the air tube facing the middle finger of the palm.

After all preparations are in place, you can measure your blood pressure. If it is a mercury blood pressure meter, do not inflate it too high or too hard. After use, expel all the air in the cuff and roll it up. , the blood pressure will be measured after a while. Normal blood pressure is 130-139 systolic blood pressure and 80-89 diastolic blood pressure. If the blood pressure exceeds systolic blood pressure by more than 140 and diastolic blood pressure by more than 90, then you have high blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more serious the condition.

For patients with high blood pressure, they can measure once before taking antihypertensive drugs and again after taking antihypertensive drugs for comparison. People who do not have high blood pressure can also take the test. own blood pressure. .

Note: Old people with high blood pressure should control their diet, eat less spicy and greasy food, and exercise moderately. Avoid cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications.