Hypertension monitoring Devices- an Overview

Do you know nearly 50 million adults in the United States suffering from hypertension? Hypertension is nothing but abnormally high arterial blood pressure. During hypertension you can easily evident that the blood pressure will definitely exceeding 140 over 90 mm Hg. Hypertension can also be called as High BP.

Causes of Hypertension
The two parameters cardiac output and total peripheral resistance determine the blood pressure of an individual. Hypertension is the end result of either overwork by the heart or constriction/narrowing of blood vessels. Based on the cause of hypertension, the two major types of hypertension can be described as: -

• Essential Hypertension
• Secondary hypertension

Hypertension monitoring
Hypertension monitoring can seem bewildering. There are wide range of hypertension monitoring machines available- all of them claiming to have advantages over each other.

The simple method used for hypertension monitoring is upper arm digital hypertension monitor. This hypertension monitors are simple to use and also being most accurate. The blood pressure cuff usually wrapped around your arm at the front of your elbow crease.

Other reliable equipments generally used for hypertension monitoring are:

• Cardiac CT scans
• Noninvasive blood pressure monitors
• Automated blood pressure monitors

Cardiac CT scans
Cardiac CT is nothing but Computing tomography of the coronary arteries of the heart. This is a type of invasive technology of hypertension monitoring.

The individual who is going to be subjected for cardiac CT scan requires an overnight fasting. This procedure involves the catheter insertion into the veins by the eminent cardiologist.

Cardiac CT is generally used to envisage the coronary thickness, anatomy of the heart and if possible the greater vessels also. Cardiac CT multi-slice scanning helps to get the three-dimensional images of the heart and aorta.

The cardiac CT scan is generally used to study the coronary arteries, the thoracic and abdominal aorta, the cardiac muscle, the pulmonary veins and the pericardium (Heart sac).

Preparing yourself for cardiac CT
The patients those who are gong to take cardiac CT scan should not take any energy or diet pills prior the day of your exam. Coffee, tea or caffeinated sodas should not be consumed before taken on the day of your exam.

The most important thing to keep in mind before going for the cardiac CT scan is that not to eat for four hours before on the day of exam. Inclusion of Viagra or similar medications prior to the day of exam should be avoided since it interferes with the medication you are going to receive during the cardiac CT scan procedure.

Diabetic patient should consult your physician before going for cardiac CT scan exam for altering the medication on the day of scanning. In case if you think you are going for low sugar on the time of scanning, immediately tell your technologist about your condition to avoid getting unscrupulous results.

He cardiac CT scan procedure will hardly takes 15 minutes to complete. After the cardiac CT scan, you may adhere to your normal routines and can take your food as you like. Your health care professional will discuss about your results.

A cardiac CT scan is absolutely no risk process. Some of the patients show unwanted reaction with the contrast agent. This agent may cause itching, irritation and sometimes pustules in the site of application. This can readily be treated with antihistamines.

Noninvasive blood pressure monitors
Noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitors have been extensively used in the operation theatres, recovery room and Intensive care units for monitoring the arterial blood pressure and peripheral vascular resistance. The clinicians continue to deliberate over the precision and consistency of Noninvasive blood pressure monitors over the other methods.

There are numerous research findings that the blood pressure values differ between the automatic noninvasive blood pressure monitor and direct arterial measurement of blood pressure. On an average there is a difference of 5 Hg of each other.

In addition to this, the anatomical location of measurement proves to be important criteria for getting different values between direct and indirect methods. For example, the arterial pressure obtained from the radial artery will be very high in noninvasive blood pressure monitors than the direct arterial monitor. This difference is mainly due to the fact that the radial artery is very small; hence the blood pressure in this artery will always be in higher side.

This greater difference in values clearly indicates that the treatment should not be started immediately after getting single value from the noninvasive blood pressure device. This value should be either compared with the auscultatory blood pressure monitor or taking multiple measurements from the noninvasive blood pressure monitor.

Procedure of using Noninvasive Blood pressure monitors
The main principle behind the noninvasive blood pressure monitors are oscillometry. This device consists of deflation solenoid valve, inflation pump, pressure transducer and a tourniquet. The deflation valve is connected to an electronic circuit.

The different values of systolic, diastolic and mean BP can easily be obtained for every 10 minutes. Sometimes this device can be combined with noninvasive cardiac output monitor also. This will help to get the peripheral vascular resistance of an individual. This noninvasive Blood pressure monitor can be fixed with a micro controller and a display unit separately.

Automated blood pressure monitors
Automated blood pressure monitoring is considered as a research instrument in the previous decades. Now these are playing a major role in hypertension monitoring. With the use of automated blood pressure, it is possible to get multiple automatic measurements of hypertension at specified intervals through out the day. This helps in monitoring the blood pressure continually to study if there is any diurnal variation.

The usage of automated blood pressure is limited to the patients suffering from white-line hypertension, borderline hypertension, episodic hypertension and suspected autonomic dysfunction. The automated blood pressure device also helps to find out the drug resistance and side effects of a particular medication.

Although there are numerous hypertension-monitoring appliances are available for identification of your blood pressure. It is highly advisable to have a small digital BP apparatus to check your BP at least once in a week. If you find any deviation from the normal values of 120/80 Hg, please do contact your health care professional to avoid the silent killer-the Hypertension.