How Does a Blood Pressure Cuff Work?
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Blood Pumping System
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The heart muscle pumps blood to all parts of a body providing life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients. A blood pressure cuff measures the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. The blood pressure monitor has several connected parts: ablack nylon bladder or arm band, the connected tubing, the blood pressure gauge meter and the pumping bulb and valve assembly.
How it Works
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The bladder is wrapped around the upper part of the arm and secured by Velcro. It has tubing and a valve that is also attached to a gauge or reading meter. When the blood pressure bulb is worked by push-button or manually pumped, it sends out air past the valve and through the tubing. The forced air causes the blood pressure cuff to inflate, creating pressure on the arm and blood vessels.
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The Result of Constriction
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The tightening cuff cuts off the blood flow in the arm temporarily. When the cuff finally releases the air, the blood resumes flowing again and the doctor monitors the flow. The pressure created artificially helps to determine the rate at which the heart is working by measuring the flow of blood and registering it on the gauge.
The Registered Numbers
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The gauge displays the numbers at which the blood begins flowing, say 120, and that figure represents the maximum output pressure of the heart, referred to as the systolic reading. In other words, it is the highest arterial pressure reading during a contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. As pressure is released on the arm, the doctor listens with a stethoscope against the veins until there is no further sound. That number then---for example, an 80 diastolic---shows the pressure of the heart in a relaxed state.
Home Test Pointers
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Many people test their own blood pressure at home because truer readings can come from avoiding "doctor's office anxiety." Points to remember when taking blood pressure numbers are: be quietly seated, wrap the upper part of a bare arm, rest arm near heart level with no talking. A preliminary reading can be done on both arms and the result of the higher reading is used. People with recurring health problems such as a bad headache that won't leave, dizziness or nauseousness, a lengthy nosebleed or blurred vision should measure blood pressure and report the figures to a doctor.
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