Which Blood Pressure Monitor Is the Best?
Once hypertension occurs, patients need to take antihypertensive drugs daily. However, sometimes, if there are significant emotional fluctuations, blood pressure may also rise. At this time, to know the changes in their blood pressure, patients can only use a blood pressure monitor for measurement. In daily life, electronic blood pressure monitors are more convenient for patients to operate, and they are a good choice for some elderly patients with hypertension.
Blood pressure, abbreviated as BP, refers to the pressure exerted by the blood on the vessel walls as it flows through the blood vessels. It is the driving force that propels the blood to flow within the vessels. When the ventricles contract, blood flows from the ventricles into the arteries, and the pressure on the arteries is highest at this point, known as systolic blood pressure (SBP). When the ventricles relax, the arterial vessels elastically recoil, and the blood continues to flow slowly forward, but the blood pressure decreases, and this pressure is called diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
Mercury blood pressure monitors are available in both desktop and standing versions. Desktop mercury blood pressure monitors have a reasonable structure and are sturdy and reliable. Standing blood pressure monitors can be adjusted to any height and are most commonly used due to their reliable results. However, the latter is slightly bulkier and inconvenient to carry, and both types have the risk of mercury leakage. The principle of measuring blood pressure is auscultation, which mainly consists of three parts: a balloon, a cuff, and a manometer. The rubber cuff of the cuff is connected to the balloon and the manometer through two tubes, forming a closed pipeline system. There are two types of manometers: mercury column and spring.
Electronic blood pressure monitors can be further divided into upper arm, wrist, finger, manual, and automatic types based on the measurement site. Their advantages include ease of operation and intuitive readings. They automatically measure blood pressure by simply turning on the switch, making them suitable for home use. However, electronic blood pressure monitors also have the disadvantage of large errors and need to be frequently calibrated using standard mercury column blood pressure monitors. Their principles include auscultation (also known as Korotkoff's method) or oscillometry (also known as the oscillation method). They are mainly composed of a gas pressure sensor, a pressurized mini air pump, an electronic control exhaust valve, related software, a mechanical slow exhaust valve, and a solenoid rapid exhaust valve.
Pneumatic blood pressure monitors are also known as liquid-free blood pressure monitors or spring-type blood pressure monitors. They use a pneumatic pump for pressure measurement, are small in size, and are easy to carry. However, as the number of applications increases, the accuracy of the results may be affected due to changes in the properties of the spring, so they need to be regularly calibrated with standard mercury column blood pressure monitors. They are rarely used clinically.
