Elta BM122 instruction manual Fluctuations of blood pressure

BM122.qxp 9/10/07 2:24 PM Page 15

GB

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MEASURING YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE AT HOME?

Measuring blood pressure during a check-up by a doctor in a hospital or clinic can make a person nervous, which results in a higher blood pressure. Various factors can influence a blood pressure measurement, therefore one single measurement does not necessarily give an accurate reading. The measured blood pressure of a relaxed patient, after getting up in the morning and before eating breakfast, is called fundamental blood pressure. Therefore measuring the blood pressure at home is important, because there the blood pressure is closest

to this status.

A. Classification of blood pressure according to WHO

pressure

The standards to measure high and low blood pressure,

89

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

regardless of age, were determined by the World Health

blood

85

HIGH NORMAL

NORMAL

Organization (WHO), as shown in picture 1.

Diastolic

180

189

mmHg

B. Fluctuations of blood pressure

Systolic blood pressure

Blood pressure fluctuates depending on the time of day and

Fig. 1

season. The fluctuations are more marked in

people with high blood pressure. Normally

160

A

B

blood pressure is higher when one is working

140

and then lowers during the night. The

mmHg120

fluctuations of blood pressure during a day

pressure

100

are illustrated in picture 2. These

80

measurements were taken every 5 minutes.

Blood

60

The thick line represents the period of sleep.

40

The rise of the blood pressure at 4 o'clock in

20

12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 1 2 3

4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11

the morning (shown in the illustration Fig. 2

Time

as A) and at noon (shown in the illustration as

Fig. 2

B) represent a pain attack.

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