Hypertension

Hypertension is high blood pressure.

Blood pressure measures how strongly blood presses against the walls of the arteries as it is pumped around the body by the heart. 

If the pressure is too high it puts a strain on the arteries and the heart, which makes it more likely that a person will suffer a heart attack, a stroke or kidney failure.

Blood pressure is measured using a digital sphygmomamometer or some surgeries may use a traditional sphygmomamometer which uses a stethoscope. 

• A cuff is places around the patient's upper arm. 
• It is inflated which stops the blood flowing past the cuff along the artery leading to the hand.
• The machine then releases the pressure slightly - if using a stethoscope a pulse will be heard which is the sound caused by the blood being squirted through the constriction in the artery- systolic blood pressure.
• As more air is released from the cuff the sound dissapears, this means there is no pressure difference between the air in the cuff and the blood at its lowest pressure. There is no resistance from the cuff so the sound being pushed past the constriction ceases. This is diastolic pressure.
• Blood pressure is measured in millimetres so a reading will be 100/65.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is another methos that may be ordered by a doctor if other methods do not give consistent results. It is often used if there is a big difference between the blood pressure readings a patient gets at home and the readings in the doctors office. 

An ABP moniter is a small device worn throughout the day, usually for 24 or 48 hours. The device takes a patient's blood pressure measurements, which are recorded for later printout and analysis. The devices are ususally loaned by a clinic or a hospital.

If a patient is required to use an ABP moniter, they keep in mind that it it important for a health professional to properly size the cuff, which fits around the arm. 

Some doctors and nurses still prefer the old fashioned aneroid sphygomanometer, which consists of using a stethoscope, arm cuff, dial, pump and valve.

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and it is recorded as two figures:

• Systolic pressure: pressure of the bloos when the heart beats to pump blood out.
• Diastolic pressure: pressure of the blood when the heart rests in between beats.

You are said to have hypertension if readings on seperate occasions consistently show the blood pressure to be 140/90mmHg or higher. This means that the blood is pressing against the walls of the arteries excessively as it is pumped around the body by the heart. 

A blood pressure reading below 130/80mmHg is considered to be normal.

Positive: A positive result suggests that the patient suffers from hypertension. They may be referred to a specialist. It is likely they will be put on drugs to control the blood pressure levels.

Negative: A negative result means that there are no problems with the bloof pressure. No further treatment is needed.