What is a blood pressure monitor?

It is a fact that your heart pumps blood. Sometimes, the pumping speed of blood becomes high or low. In such a case, the human body faces many issues like headache, nausea and bleeding nose. Long term issues include a heart attack, kidney failure and stroke.

A blood pressure monitor is used to check the pressure of the blood. It is also called a sphygmomanometer. There are a few types of a blood pressure monitor but all of them have the same purpose. The parts of a blood pressure monitor are:

Cuff

Mercury Manometer

Rubber Ball

Some of these parts may not be included in a digital blood pressure monitor.

Cuff

A cuff surrounds the arm of the patient. It is available in both a digital and a manual blood pressure monitor. The cuff becomes tighter on the arm to check the blood pressure of the patient.

Mercury Manometer

Mercury manometer or mechanical manometer shows the reading of the blood pressure. It tells us whether the blood pressure is high, low or normal.

Rubber Ball

A rubber ball is not a part of a digital blood pressure monitor. You press the rubber ball. It is attached with the cuff. The pressure from the ball tightens the cuff surrounding the patient.

In a digital blood pressure monitor, buttons are used in place of a rubber ball.

You also need a stethoscope if you have a manual blood pressure monitor.

How does a blood pressure monitor work?

The working of a blood pressure monitor is simple. You wrap the cuff of the blood pressure monitor around the right arm of the patient. For a manual blood pressure monitor, you press the rubber ball until the needle in the meter reaches up to 180. After that, you slowly open the screw of the rubber ball.

When you press the rubber ball, the cuff tightens around your arm. It cuts off your blood flow. The blood then flows around your artery and causes a vibration. You can hear this vibration through a stethoscope in a manual blood pressure monitor. This vibration is called systolic pressure. Systolic pressure is higher pressure. It occurs when your heart pumps the blood into the arteries.

After that, the cuff starts to puncture. As a result, the vibration of systolic pressure stops. You notice a change through a stethoscope. This occurs due to diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure occurs when your heart is at rest after pumping blood to the arteries. At this point, your heart fills with blood.

In a digital blood pressure monitor, you don’t need to press the rubber ball. You only use the buttons on the machine. You also don’t need a stethoscope as the machine itself records the reading. You can see the reading on the meter.

How to use a blood pressure monitor?

There are two types of a blood pressure monitor namely manual and digital. Let's learn how to use them both separately!

Manual Blood Pressure Monitor

You can’t use a manual blood pressure monitor alone. You need to get a stethoscope with it to hear the vibrations.

The first step to recording blood pressure through a manual monitor is to wrap the cuff. You wrap the cuff that comes with the monitor around the right arm of the patient.

The next step is to secure the screw of the rubber ball tightly.

Next, you press the rubber ball while keeping your eyes on the meter. A manual blood pressure monitor either has mercury  or a mechanical manometer. You keep pressing the rubber ball until the manometer needle or mercury reaches at 180.

After that, you unscrew the rubber ball slowly. Make sure you have your stethoscope placed in your ear. Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope under the cuff. It should be right above the brachial artery.

When you unscrew the rubber ball, the needle or mercury slowly comes down. You can hear a sound when the systolic pressure occurs. That’s your upper blood pressure. When the sound stops, it means it has reached your diastolic pressure. That’s your lower blood pressure.

Digital Blood Pressure Monitor

Using a digital blood pressure monitor is easier than a manual one. The first step is the same to wrap the cuff around the patient’s arm.

In this technique, you don’t need a stethoscope.

After that, use the button on the machine and it turns on.

You don’t need to press any rubber ball. It does everything automatically. After a while, the reading appears on the machine

What are the best brands of blood pressure monitor in the Philippines?

You can find a lot of brands for blood pressure monitors in the Philippines. You can get a digital or a manual blood pressure monitor from these brands. The most prominent brands in the Philippines are iCare, Indopals, Cofee, and Omron.

You can get both affordable and cheap options from Indoplas. Omron is more on the expensive side

Why should you get a blood pressure monitor?

Getting a blood pressure monitor is quite helpful. You don’t need to rush to the doctors to get it checked. Once you learn how to use your blood pressure monitor, it becomes easier. You should get a blood pressure monitor due to the following reasons:

You or someone else in your house has hypertension. Hypertension means high blood pressure. Such patients should check their blood pressure every day or every two days. It is not good to have high blood pressure normally. It can cause many issues for you.

There are no doctors, hospitals or clinics near you. Even if you don’t have hypertension or any such issues, it is good to keep a blood pressure monitor at home. Your blood pressure can get high or low for various reasons. If your blood pressure doesn’t rise or lowers frequently but you don’t have any clinic near you, you should get a monitor. In this case, if you or someone else at your house faces blood pressure issues, you can easily check it without travelling miles to the doctor.

If you or someone else at your house is pregnant, you should get a monitor. Pregnant ladies should keep their blood pressure in control. To control it, they have to check it every day. Many ladies feel weakness during pregnancy due to which their blood pressure lowers.

What is the best time to check your blood pressure?

You can check your blood pressure whenever you feel a rise or fall in your blood pressure. But for people who have to check it every day, they should have a routine for it.

Check your blood pressure in the morning, one hour after you wake up. Make sure you don’t eat anything before checking your blood pressure in the morning.

Another good time to check your blood pressure is at night. It should be one hour before you sleep.

You shouldn't check your blood pressure after taking a walk or exercising. Because at that time, your blood pressure is likely to increase. If you have exercised or walked a lot, you should wait for half an hour so that it becomes normal.

You shouldn't take any medication before checking your blood pressure either

Do home blood pressure monitors work?

Yes, home blood pressure monitors really work. The readings might be a little different than those blood pressure monitors at a hospital/clinic. But not too different. You can still get an accurate idea about your blood pressure.

Having a blood pressure monitor is very helpful. Especially those people who have hypertension should always have a blood pressure monitor. Such people should keep their blood pressure monitor even while travelling.

When you have a blood pressure monitor, you don’t have to travel and see a doctor. You can check your blood pressure at home. If you don’t have a clinic or hospital nearby, you should also help your neighbours if they want to check their blood pressure.

If you don’t control high or low blood pressure immediately, it can cause severe harms to your body. It can also cause a heart attack or kidney failure.

How to choose a suitable blood pressure monitor?

There are two types of blood pressure monitor. Which type should you get and why?

If you are an aged person, you should get a digital blood pressure monitor. It is easier to use a digital blood pressure monitor. Moreover, you can easily check your blood pressure through a digital monitor.

If you are not an aged person but you check an aged person’s blood pressure, you should get a digital monitor too. It is because if someday you are not at home, and your old man/woman has to check their blood pressure, they can easily check it through the digital blood pressure monitor. It can save them from many difficult situations.

If you don’t want to learn the hard technique, you should get a digital blood pressure monitor. You only have to press a few buttons and you are good to go.

If you live alone and don’t have anyone to help you around, you should get a digital blood pressure monitor. It is because, for a manual monitor, you have to hold the rubber ball and the stethoscope in your hand. It can be hard to do both while the cuff is around your arm.

If you want to stay on a budget, you can get a manual blood pressure monitor. Manual blood pressure monitors cost slightly less than a digital one.

In the end, it depends upon your preference. Some people consider manual monitors because they think they work better. You can get any if you want.

How much does a blood pressure monitor cost in the Philippines?

You can get a well-working blood pressure monitor in the Philippines in the range of ₱300-900. You can get expensive ones too that cost you up to ₱4000.

The price of the blood pressure monitor depends upon various factors. These factors may be the brand and type. Some brands make expensive blood pressure monitors while some make cheap ones.

You should only spend too much if you use the blood pressure monitor daily. Otherwise, a cheap one would work for you too

Do digital blood pressure monitors work accurately?

Some people think that digital blood pressure monitors don’t work. But that’s not true. The reading might come out to be slightly different than a manual blood pressure monitor. But it won’t be a huge difference.

Digital blood pressure monitors are great for most people. It is because using them is quite easier than manual blood pressure. Any person can learn to use it whether they are old or young. Due to this reason, people prefer digital monitors over manual ones. But they always doubt inaccurate reading.

Inaccurate reading can also occur in a manual blood pressure monitor. It is because inaccurate reading usually occurs due to the person’s negligence.

What does systolic and diastolic reading mean?

There are two readings that come on a digital blood pressure monitor. You also notice two changes while measuring blood pressure from a manual monitor. They are namely systolic and diastolic measurements.

You should know the difference between both if you want to learn to use the monitors.

The systolic reading means your upper blood pressure. It occurs when your heart pumps blood to the arteries. At this point, the heart muscles are working. In a digital monitor, you can easily know the systolic reading because it comes on the meter. While in a manual monitor, the systolic measurement comes when you hear a sound in the stethoscope.

The diastolic reading means your lower blood pressure. It occurs when your heart is in a relaxing position. At this point, blood fills in the heart to pump it again. In the digital monitor, you can see the diastolic reading on the meter. While in the manual monitor, when the sound in the stethoscope stops, it means the blood has reached diastolic pressure.

How long does a blood pressure monitor last?

The lifespan of a blood pressure monitor depends upon its type and brand. But most blood pressure monitors last up to three years. In a digital blood pressure monitor, you use batteries or cells. These cells or batteries don’t last that long. So, you have to change them frequently. If you want the cells to last longer, remove them after you use the blood pressure monitor.

A manual blood pressure monitor might last longer as it doesn’t have any machinery involved. If you take proper care of it, it can last a long time.

Most blood pressure monitors start to show inaccurate readings after 2-3 years. So, you should match your blood pressure monitor’s reading to your doctor’s reading after 2-3 years. If the readings are close enough, the blood pressure monitor is working. But if the readings are not close, you should change your blood pressure monitor

How to clean a blood pressure monitor?

You should keep your blood pressure monitor clean if you want to last for a long time. To clean a digital blood pressure monitor. Wipe the meter with a piece of cloth every time you use it. This way, dust won't stick to your blood pressure monitor. You should also clean the monitor when you put cells or batteries inside. If you don’t clean that part, it can get damaged. Make sure you don’t let water near the blood pressure machine.

To clean a manual blood pressure machine, you should also use a piece of cloth. Make sure to clean the earbuds of the stethoscope every time you put them in your ears.

Should you check your blood pressure every day?

It is not necessary to check your blood pressure every day unless you need to. If you are a hypertension patient, you should check your blood pressure every day. It will help you keep track of your blood pressure.

Doctors suggest hypertension patients keep a track of their blood pressure. Now, it is not convenient to go to a doctor every day for your blood pressure. So, having a blood pressure monitor at home is better.

Pregnant ladies should also keep track of their blood pressure if advised by a doctor. It is more difficult for a pregnant lady to visit a doctor every day. So, at-home blood pressure monitors come in handy in this case.

Does a blood pressure monitor measure both high and low blood pressure?

Yes, a blood pressure monitor measures both high and low blood pressure. You don’t need to get two different machines for higher and lower blood pressure.

There are two pressures called systolic and diastolic. Systolic is upper pressure while diastolic is lower pressure. Every blood pressure monitor measure both the systolic and diastolic pressure

The systolic pressure occurs when your heart is working to pump blood. The diastolic pressure occurs when your heart is at rest and blood is filling inside of it.

Whether you buy a digital blood pressure monitor or a manual one, all of them measure both high and low blood pressure.

Difference between high and low blood pressure is reading. If your systolic pressure is lower than 120 and diastolic pressure is lower than 80, it means you have low blood pressure. In case of high blood pressure, the systolic pressure is greater than 130 and diastolic pressure is greater than 90.

How to avoid getting an inaccurate reading on a blood pressure monitor?

If your blood pressure monitor is accurately working, inaccurate readings can be because of your negligence. To avoid inaccurate readings, you should consider the following:

Make sure you are at rest while checking your blood pressure. You shouldn’t move frequently or it may cause a variation in your blood pressure. You should stay as still as possible.

Place the cuff at the right place to measure the blood pressure accurately.

You shouldn’t eat anything before measuring your blood pressure monitor. Wait at least half an hour if you have eaten anything before checking your blood pressure.

Don't take any medications before checking your blood pressure.

You shouldn’t work out, jog, walk a lot or do any heavy physical activity before checking your blood pressure.

Check your blood pressure at least thrice to get an accurate reading. You should wait a minute before checking your blood pressure again. In a digital monitor, you should wait 2-3 minutes.