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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.