Deviation of blood pressure indicators from the norm is accompanied by a deterioration in general well-being, both in the case of its increase and decrease. To establish blood pressure (BP) levels, measurements using a tonometer are used, but there are situations when a person cannot use this method. Therefore, people have developed effective and simple ways to determine values without using an instrument. How to measure blood pressure without a tonometer to get more accurate results?
Methods for measuring blood pressure at home
Blood pressure depends on your emotional state, so under stress it can increase significantly. Fluctuations in blood pressure occur as a result of taking medications, overwork, against the background of hormonal imbalance, as well as with excess body weight.
Optimal pressure indicators are within 120/80 mm. rt. Art., but in most cases the patient has individual indicators at which he feels good. Purchasing a tonometer is not necessary, since blood pressure can be monitored using proven methods.
Among them are the following effective methods for measuring blood pressure:
- determination by heart rate;
- diagnostics based on the body's reaction;
- identification by localization and nature of headache;
- methodology for establishing indicators with a pendulum and ruler.
If changes in blood pressure do not regularly bother a person, then you can do without purchasing a device by using traditional methods.
How to determine high or low pressure without a pressure gauge?
The symptoms of hypertension and hypotension are significantly different, so the patient can independently understand which condition corresponds to the pressure at the moment.
Low pressure is diagnosed at values of 100/60 mm. rt. Art. With these indicators, the vascular lumen expands, which causes a deterioration in blood flow and leads to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. Therefore, people experience fatigue, drowsiness, and malaise.
Characteristic signs of decreased blood pressure:
- dizziness, especially with a sudden change in body position;
- dull headache in the frontal lobes;
- decreased performance;
- deterioration of mental processes.
A decrease in blood pressure may be accompanied by pain in the heart area.
Blood pressure is considered high when it is 130/90 mm. rt. Art. High blood pressure can be determined by the following signs:
How to lower intracranial pressure at home
- cardiopalmus;
- dizziness;
- visual disturbances in the form of flashing “flies” before the eyes;
- temporal artery pulsation;
- headache in the occipital area.
High blood pressure is characterized by a feeling of heat that spreads throughout the body.
How to use a digital blood pressure monitor?
- Wrap the cuff around your arm. Turn on the device.
- In automatic models of digital tonometers, the pressure in the cuff will be created automatically when a button is pressed. Semi-automatic models have a rubber pressure bulb for this purpose. As soon as the required pressure is created in the cuff, the automatic mechanism will begin to gradually reduce it.
- Look at the display to see the result of your measurements. The device will show you your systolic and diastolic pressure values on the screen. Record your measurements. Example: 120/80, where the first number is the systolic pressure value, and the second is the diastolic pressure.
- Press the special button to deflate all the air from the cuff.
- If you want to repeat the measurements, wait 2-3 minutes until all the air is completely pumped out of the bulb.
This article was prepared using information provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Translation from English by Irina Korobkova
Make an appointment Do not self-medicate. Contact our specialists who will correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.
Determination of blood pressure level by pulse
You can measure blood pressure without a tonometer using the method of determining heart rate. This method is used by both patients and specialists. According to medical research, there is a definite connection between pulse and blood pressure. Thus, by the filling, rhythm, and heart rate, the presence of heart failure and vascular pathologies can be diagnosed. It is difficult to independently set pulse parameters, but by pulse frequency you can determine some characteristics of blood pressure. When determining the pulse, it is necessary to take into account age, constitutional features, weather conditions, as well as emotional state.
Norms of heart rate and blood pressure by age
Characteristics of pulse at low and high blood pressure:
- High blood pressure. Heart rate is accelerated (more than 90 beats/min), strong pulsation does not disappear when pressing on the artery, the pulse tension is solid.
- Low blood pressure. The heart rate is slow (55-60 beats/min), the pulsation is weak, disappears when pressing on the vessel, the pulse is not tense, soft.
Important! Normal values for a healthy person are 60-80 beats/min. In hypotensive patients, heart rate fluctuates between 60-50 beats/min, and in hypertensive patients – more than 80 beats/min.
To ensure accurate heart rate measurement results, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Take the most relaxed position possible; it is better to lie down with your eyes closed before the procedure.
- Determine the point on the body where the heartbeat can be heard most accurately (inner side of the hand, elbow bends, under the chin).
- Calculate the number of beats in 30 seconds.
- Multiply the result by 2.
The reliability of the results may be affected by the level of physical fitness, emotional and mental state, consumption of caffeinated drinks, and medications. Therefore, it is not recommended to rely entirely on these studies; you should additionally check your blood pressure using other measurement methods.
Definition by symptoms
You can determine your blood pressure by symptoms without a device and a cuff based on the complaints presented. Using objective and subjective symptoms, they check what kind of pressure is bothering a person.
Objective symptoms include:
- With reduced indicators (pallor of the skin, weak venous network).
- At high levels (the skin of the face takes on a red tint, the venous pattern in the cheek area increases, the whites of the eyes become pinkish).
Subjective signs of hypertensive syndrome:
- nausea, vomiting;
- pain in the heart area;
- numbness of the tongue, limbs;
- intense headache in the occipital region;
- noise in ears;
- visual acuity disorder.
The above symptoms do not indicate the development of hypertension; they indicate a temporary increase in blood pressure, which can be provoked by certain medications, mental fatigue, physical activity, and excessive coffee consumption.
Differential symptoms to determine the condition
The following series of signs are characteristic of low blood pressure values:
- causeless weakness;
- drowsiness;
- low performance;
- lack of oxygen;
- frequent urge to yawn;
- lack of concentration.
Diagnosis of accompanying symptoms will help you know the pattern of changes in blood pressure levels, which will help you take measures to alleviate the condition.
Diagnosis by localization of headache
Headache indicates changes in blood pressure under the influence of various factors. Therefore, pressure can be determined without a tonometer by the nature and location of the pain syndrome.
Signs of hypertensive headache:
- localized in the posterior region of the occipital lobes;
- pain of a pulsating nature, radiating to the frontal area;
- the pain intensifies with movement, accompanied by dizziness.
Pain syndrome at high values very often causes attacks of nausea, as well as pressure in the eyeballs.
Hypotensive syndrome is manifested by pain localized in the front of the head in the frontal area, accompanied by drowsiness, fatigue, and apathy.
Price
Several factors influence pricing:
- Brand. The more popular and advertised the manufacturer is, the higher the price will be.
- Design. New models are always more expensive than outdated ones. They look more modern, are often more compact than their predecessors and have more functionality. In a sense, there is also a fashion in the field of medical devices.
- Additional functions. Expensive models of electronic tonometers are equipped with functions for storing a certain number of measurements, detecting arrhythmia, motion and position indicators, and alert signals. A clock, calendar and thermometer can be built-in.
- Type of tonometer. Mechanical is the most budget option (~ 1000 rubles). Semi-automatic blood pressure monitors are more expensive – from 1200 rubles. Automatic blood pressure monitors can cost from 1800 rubles and more.
Quantitative measurement with pendulum and ruler
One of the popular folk methods of measuring pressure without a device is the method using a pendulum and ruler. The reliability of the results is indirect, since no formal studies have been conducted to confirm the method. It can be attributed to the field of bioenergy, when bioelectric impulses are recorded on the human body.
To carry out the procedure you need to prepare:
- thread 20 cm long;
- ring or bolt;
- ruler no less than 20 cm.
Using a thread and a weight, you need to create a pendulum.
To obtain more accurate results, it is necessary to measure points on both hands
The technique is carried out according to a certain algorithm:
- Relax, take a sitting position and place your hand on a hard surface.
- Place the ruler on the forearm from the hand to the bend of the elbow, so that the numbers are on top.
- Move the pendulum along the ruler with smooth movements from the hand to the elbow. At the moment the pendulum oscillates, you need to mark the point directly at the place where this will happen on the ruler. This mark will correspond to the diastolic reading.
- We continue the movement of the pendulum until the oscillation stops in order to measure the distance corresponding to the systolic indicator.
- The results obtained must be multiplied by 10. So, if the first point is located at 9 cm, and the second at 12 cm, then when multiplied, we get 120/90 mm. rt. Art.
The method with a ruler and a pendulum does not provide 100% information content, since fluctuations depend on the influence of external factors that affect the accuracy of the results.
Reliability of the results obtained
Experts recommend that patients suffering from hypertension be measured using a mechanical tonometer, the error of which is 10-15 mm. rt. Art. Traditional methods for hypertensive patients can be used in emergency situations, when it is not possible to use the device, but you urgently need to take the medicine.
Before starting to measure indicators by pulse or other method, it is necessary to take into account that an increase in the level is observed in the systolic indicator. The diastolic indicator does not increase significantly; it can be by 15-20 mm. rt. Art. more than usually. If a large difference (pulse pressure) is recorded between the upper and lower values, then the person’s condition is considered serious.
Frequent fluctuations in blood pressure indicate a disruption in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, for regular blood pressure monitoring, it is recommended to purchase an electrical or mechanical tonometer, which will help establish accurate data. Other measurement methods can act as an auxiliary method. So, if the pulse quickens and a headache occurs in the back of the head, you can find out in advance that there has been an increase in pressure, which needs to be confirmed by using the device.
Hand-held device
A manual tonometer for measuring pressure is an air-filled cuff with Velcro, connected by hoses to a rubber pump - a bulb and a meter (manometer). The cuff is wrapped around the patient's shoulder and fastened. The bulb is equipped with a screw-on valve. By compressing it several times, air is pumped into the cuff.
The most common breakdown of a mechanical tonometer is a violation of the seal of the bulb: the bulb bursts, or an invisible crack appears on it over time, which requires replacement of this part of the device.
In addition, some devices come with a phonendoscope for listening to blood impulses in the arteries. These blood pressure monitors are certainly more convenient.
