The sphygmomanometer is a common tool used in doctors’ offices to measure blood pressure. It consists of a cuff and a device to measure pressure. Accurate readings are essential for determining heart health, and taking blood pressure at home can be convenient and medically relevant.
Among the many common tools used in a doctor’s office is one that we are all familiar with, but whose real name is little known. That device is the sphygmomanometer, which is used to measure blood pressure. The sphygmomanometer has been in widespread use since the early 20th century and consists of a cuff placed around the arm, as well as a device for measuring the pressure at which blood flows freely and the pressure at which blood flow is restricted.
When using a blood pressure monitor, the cuff is inflated, usually around the upper arm, and the pressure is gradually released. A digital blood pressure monitor often works at the touch of a button, and blood pressure data is displayed on a digital screen. Many manual blood pressure monitors are also still in use, usually requiring a doctor to function properly.
In a handheld device, pressure is displayed as the height of a column of mercury in a tube. When the cuff is manually inflated, the height of the column increases and then decreases as the pressure is released. While the cuff deflates, the doctor usually listens with a stethoscope to the main artery in the arm.
When blood flow resumes after being stopped by the cuff, there will begin to be a rushing or pounding sound that the doctor is able to hear through the stethoscope. The pressure at which this occurs is noted and is called the systolic pressure. The cuff is allowed to deflate further and the pressure at which the sound is no longer audible, called the diastolic pressure, is also noted. These two values are the pair of numbers that you recognize as a blood pressure value.
It is important to take a person’s blood pressure when they are relaxed, otherwise the reading will be falsely elevated. Hormones such as adrenaline can dramatically increase blood pressure by constricting blood vessels. A person who has just been severely frightened, for example, will have elevated blood pressure compared to someone who is watching television. Accurate readings are essential in determining the health of the heart and therefore the rest of the body.
Using a hand sphygmomanometer, like many things in medicine, takes some practice before you can get consistently correct readings. For someone with high blood pressure, however, this can be an invaluable skill, as it is important to measure blood pressure frequently in that case. Aside from the convenience, some patients get nervous when their blood pressure is taken by a doctor, sometimes referred to as lab coat syndrome. This can nullify the reading, so being able to take your blood pressure at home is not only convenient but medically relevant as well.
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