Apparatus for measuring blood pressure refers to devices that allow you to monitor your health at home at any time of the day.
This is how you can detect permanent deviations from the normative values and in time turn to the doctor, preventing the diseases of organs, which are hit by constant pressure surges - the heart, kidneys, liver, brain.
Who Needs to be at Home
People with heart and vascular diseases, hypo- and hypertensive need to purchase a tonometer on a mandatory basis. Such diseases imply frequent surprises on the part of pressure, which must be checked with every deterioration in well-being.
Varieties of household tonometers are developed and sold a lot. Only needs to be predetermined with some nuances of :
- for what purposes the device is purchased: periodic use for a relatively healthy person or a person with specific diseases to which it must be adapted;
- is the person able to independently measure;
- value.
All manufactured blood pressure tonometers can be divided into three types:
- completely mechanical;
- semi-automatic( mechanics combined with electronics);
- automatic( all work is carried out by electronics).
Mechanical tonometers
The device consists of:
- cuff attached to the shoulder above the elbow fold;
- rubber pear, with which the air is manually pumped into the cuff;
- pressure gauge showing the pressure level in mm Hg;
- phonendoscope for listening to cardiac tones.
To use a mechanical device, is necessary to secure the cuff on the shoulder, manually swap, following the manometer. Then the pressure from the cuff is slowly discharged, and at this time the phonendoscope on the elbow bend needs to listen to the heart sounds, following the indicators on the manometer.
The main advantages of mechanical pressure gauges for measuring blood pressure:
- is the highest accuracy of all kinds of devices on the market;
- is the lowest price available to all categories of the population.
The disadvantages in use include:
- difficulties in use without an assistant: one hand has to pump up air and then adjust the rate of its bleeding, and the second - to hold the phonendoscope, listening to heartbeats;
- overestimation of results when used alone: air pumping - physical effort that increases blood pressure;
- distortion of results in case of problems with hearing or vision: it is difficult to catch the initial / terminal heart tones or notice on the manometer which digit they corresponded to.
Semi-automatic devices
The device consists of:
- cuffs fastened to the shoulder above the elbow fold;
- rubber pear with which the air is manually injected;
- electronic display showing the results.
In order to use a semi-automatic device, needs to fix the cuff on the shoulder, manually inflate the air, which is then automatically discharged by the and all subsequent manipulations will be performed independently. At the end of the process, the display shows the pressure and heart rate.
The main advantages of semi-automatic devices:
- considerable simplification of the measurement process;
- result does not depend on the human factor;
- there is no need to use a phonendoscope;
- the presence of a display on which the results are displayed;
- price is lower than that of automatic devices;
- batteries last longer than in fully automatic devices - their energy does not go to the compressor.
The disadvantages in use include:
- the need to replace the batteries;
- slight distortion of results towards overestimation because of the need to apply physical force when injecting air.
Automatic devices
The device consists of:
- cuff mounted on the shoulder above the elbow fold;
- electronic display showing the results.
To measure, should be fixed to the arm or wrist of the cuff, to which a box with a display is attached by a rubber hose, press the button.
The main advantages of automatic devices:
- process is fully automated;
- result does not depend on the human factor;
- there is no need to manually inject air and use a phonendoscope;
- availability of electronic display, on which( depending on the built-in functions) the results are displayed;
- in the market is presented a wide range with many additional functions( up to connection to the printer and computer);
- device can be used by the whole family, if necessary purchasing additional cuffs of large or small size;
- to not depend on the replaced batteries you can purchase the device with a network adapter.
The disadvantages in use include:
- requires more frequent than in the semi-automatic version, replacement of batteries;
- price is the highest among all categories of tonometers.
On the shortcomings and unnecessary functions for which you have to overpay, described in the video:
Comparison and recommendations on how to choose the best
When choosing a device, you need to consider the following features:
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Mechanical tonometers are now used mainly by doctors .Choosing this model for the house, especially if you have to use it yourself, you need to purchase a device with a built-in phonendoscope.
The manometer should be with large, clear divisions and in a metal casing. Air bleeding is based on a screw or button principle. The button provides more even bleeding.
- Persons with tachycardia or with a weak pulse need to choose electronic models with intelligent functions that adapt the device to these problems.
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Electronic wrist models are suitable only for young people, because after 40 years, changes in the vascular bed begin affecting the accuracy of the data.
Because the artery on the wrist is thinner, it also distorts the performance. And with diseases of blood vessels( atherosclerosis), measurements can not be made.
The convenience of the model is its compactness and it can be purchased as a road option for trips to the dacha, business trip, vacation.
- The tonometer worn on the finger should be considered as a fun toy, and not as a serious gadget, as modern technology does not yet allow accurate measurement of blood pressure, based on the parameters of the vessels of the finger.
More useful information about which tonometer is best for choosing at home is described in the video:
Mechanical is the cheapest, but it's inconvenient to use without help. Semi-automatic costs a little more, but a person only needs to pump up the cuff, everything else he does himself. The automatic version is the most expensive , but such models are very diverse in functionality and you can choose the option that suits all parameters.
