Basics of Blood Pressure

Your heart acts like a pump, sending blood surging through your blood vessels each time it contracts. Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by blood pumped from the heart on the walls of blood vessels. Systolic pressure is the pressure exerted when the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries. Diastolic pressure is the pressure exerted when the heart expands, or relaxes. When you or your doctor take your blood pressure, both your systolic and diastolic pressures are measured. If your blood pressure measurement is 120 over 80 (120/80), for example, your systolic pressure is 120 while your diastolic pressure is 80.

Important Instructions Before Use

1.Do not confuse self-monitoring with self-diagnosis. Blood pressure measurements should only be interpreted by a health professional who is familiar with your medical history.

2.If you are taking medication, consult with your physician to determine the most appropriate time to measure your blood pressure. NEVER change a prescribed medication without first consulting with your physician.

3.For persons with irregular or unstable circulation resulting from diabetes, liver disease, arteriosclerosis or other medical conditions, there may be variations in blood pressure values measured at the wrist versus at the upper arm. Monitoring the trends in your blood pressure taken at either the arm or the wrist is nevertheless useful and important.

4.Blood pressure can vary based on many factors, including age, gender, weight and physical condition. In general, a person’s blood pressure is lower during sleep and higher when he or she is active. Blood pressure can change easily in response to physiological changes. The setting in which a person’s blood pressure is measured can also affect the results. Having one’s blood pressure measured by a healthcare professional in a hospital or clinic can cause nervousness and may result in a temporarily elevated reading. Because blood pressure measurements taken in a clinical setting can vary considerably from those taken at home, a person’s blood pressure should be measured not only occasionally in the doctor’s office, but also on a regular basis at home. Also, if you find that your blood pressure is lower at home, this is not unusual. To accurately compare with your physician’s reading, take your Panasonic blood pressure monitor to your doctor’s office and compare readings in this setting.

5.People suffering from cardiac arrhythmia, vascular constriction, liver disorders or diabetes, people with cardiac pacemakers or a weak pulse, and women who are pregnant should consult their physician before measuring their blood pressure themselves. Different values may be obtained due to their condition.