Blood Pressure

Well let’s find out, what is Blood Pressure? = Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats (about 60-70 times a minute at rest); it pumps out blood into the arteries. ‘Systolic Pressure’ is Blood Pressure at its highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. Diastolic Pressure is when your heart is relaxed, between beats, your blood pressure falls. Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. 120/80 mmHg. The top number is the systolic and the bottom the diastolic. When the two measurements are written down, the systolic pressure is the first or top number, and the diastolic pressure is the second or bottom number. If your over 120 then considered pre-hypertension, your systolic is over 220, then you are in sever hypertension. Your diastolic is over 120 then you are in severe need of a doctor’s care. Blood pressure changes during the day. It is lowest as you sleep and rises when you get up. It also can rise when you are excited, nervous, or active.

So what do we need to take into account with blood pressure? = High blood pressure is the result of another medical problem a few of them listed. When the cause is known, this is called secondary high blood pressure. Younger women, have the narrowing, a thickening of the muscular wall of the arteries going to the kidney (fibro muscular hyperplasia). For those older, elder people, the narrowing generally is due to hard, fat-containing (atherosclerotic) plaques that are blocking the renal artery. ‘Renal Hypertension’ is narrowing (steno sis) of the artery that supplies blood to the kidneys (renal artery). Isolated systolic hypertension, however, is defined as a systolic pressure that is above 140 mm Hg with a diastolic pressure that still is below 90. This disorder primarily affects older people and is characterized by an increased (wide) pulse pressure. High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Emotional tension and stress can temporarily increase blood pressure, too.

So we have to consider that when we take blood pressure, we still follow ‘GUIDELINES’, rules regulations, the ‘ASEPTIC’ techniques, apply the right ‘CUFF’, use caution when administering it to a patient (SEXUAL HARRASMENT, lawsuit). We can take into account the patients name, so they feel better about whom they are getting screened by. We must be polite, of course at all times. Find other alternatives; use the manual devices for accuracy. Make sure you patient is comfortable, and relaxed, need of assistance in seating blood pressure is best taken when you are still and quiet. If you just did a marathon, running, smoking, having sex, the patient will give out the wrong type of blood pressure, for we already know, it’s high. So we must make sure that they are neutral before we take blood pressure to get an accurate reading. Sometimes, our patients will ‘NOT’ want to hear this. But, when they do ask about possible alternatives, then we can ‘ONLY’ suggest. We are not doctors to diagnose, or their mothers to tell them what to do? So we always look for possible signs, vital signs, the fifth vital signs, and observe our patients. We are not there to judge them, just help them. Take out IV's and anything invasive to your patient's body, this will be safe.

Ways to lower your blood pressure:
1. Manage Your Weight
2. Exercise
3. Manage a Good Diet
4. Low Sodium Diet
5. Limit Alcohol Intake
6. Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke
7. Reduce Caffeine
8. Reduce your Stress, Rest
9. Monitor Blood Pressure at home and make Regular Doctor Appointments
10. Get support from family and friends