Patients often ask me when my blood pressure is measured accurately, and here Dr. Li is here to give you positive knowledge about popular science.
When I just graduated and joined the workforce, some patients came to the clinic and asked to measure their blood pressure to see if it was normal, and after I measured it, the patients said behind their backs that I, the doctor, would not measure blood pressure at all.
In fact, these are all comments from some patients who don't have a little medical knowledge, and I should be said to blame me. Human blood pressure fluctuates all the time, and it is not a fixed value, under normal circumstances, when people sleep relatively calmly, blood pressure will be relatively stable. When one opens one's eyes, the body will begin to release more renin, angiotensin and other vasoactive substances, which will cause the heart rate to increase, blood pressure to rise, mobilize the body's positive factors, and promote the human body to begin to adapt to the day's life.
Therefore, according to the changes in the human body, the human blood pressure rises 2 times, that is, when the blood pressure at 6~10 o'clock in the morning is the highest value, because this time period is also the time when the human body is active frequently after getting up. The second small peak time period of blood pressure increase at 4~6 p.m.; Then it gradually decreases until the lowest starts to appear at night, so that the number of blood pressure measures fluctuates like a curve.
The highest blood pressure at 6~10 o'clock is also the dangerous time period for acute myocardial infarction and acute cerebrovascular accident, so we should master the measurement and control of blood pressure at this time, which can help prevent the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and acute cerebrovascular accident.
Of course, not everyone's blood pressure is like this, some people's blood pressure changes not obvious at night, and some people's blood pressure changes in the opposite, that is, normal or high during the day, and higher blood pressure from night to night, this kind of anti-circadian hypertension is also prone to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergencies at night or in the early morning.
How to accurately measure blood pressure on a daily basis?
1. When measuring your blood pressure, you should find the law of your blood pressure fluctuation and whether it conforms to the circadian rhythm. If it does, it means that the morning is the time when blood pressure is at its highest. Therefore, it is necessary to measure blood pressure at 6~10 a.m. frequently; If your blood pressure is high at night or at night, it's a good idea to check your blood pressure before bedtime to see if it's normal.
2. Focus on monitoring the time period of hypertension and effectively control hypertension.
Based on the above, I have summarized the time of hypertension measurement for you. That is, find the time period when your blood pressure is at its highest, and then monitor whether your blood pressure is normal.
3. Choose the right drug and medication time according to the characteristics of blood pressure. For example, if you have high blood pressure in the morning, you should choose to take medicine after waking up in the morning; If your blood pressure is high in the afternoon, you should choose to take medicine after lunch and dinner; If it is high at night and at night, you should take the medicine at night or before bedtime. The choice of antihypertensive drugs is very important, and it is generally recommended to take long-acting ones, because they have a long-lasting effect, simply put, you can take one tablet to maintain the effect of the drug for 24 hours to help you control your blood pressure value.
If you need to take more than 2 types of blood pressure medication each day, you can take them separately, that is, in the morning and in the evening, so that your blood pressure can be stabilized. If you are taking a dipine-type blood pressure medication, you should choose to take it at night because it can reduce the side effects of increased heartbeat.
4. Monitor blood pressure at any time when you have symptoms. In addition to the influence of circadian rhythm, there are many factors that affect the fluctuation of blood pressure, such as dizziness, sweating, palpitation, blurred vision, etc., blood pressure should be measured at any time to observe whether it is related to the increase in blood pressure.
5. The standard for measuring blood pressure in clinical practice is to measure at least 4 times a month. It is not necessary to measure blood pressure several times a day, so frequent blood pressure measurement can cause tension and anxiety, and the blood pressure measured at this time is not accurate. If the blood pressure is relatively stable, it is enough to measure it once a month, and it is best to choose the same time period for each measurement when measuring blood pressure, so that you can get a general idea of the blood pressure fluctuation.
If blood pressure is in an unstable period, or if a new antihypertensive drug is being replaced, the number of measurements should be increased and the drug should be adjusted according to changes in blood pressure.
How to choose a blood pressure monitor?
When choosing blood pressure, many patients will ask, is it better to have a mercury sphygmomanometer or an electronic sphygmomanometer and be accurate? Here, Dr. Li suggests that if you are using it yourself at home, it is best to choose an electronic arm sphygmomanometer, which measures by itself, and has an accurate blood pressure value displayed for you to read and see, and the value is very clear, so that you can understand the blood pressure value even if you are not a doctor. It is convenient for you to monitor your blood pressure levels.
If you want to choose a mercury blood pressure monitor, Dr. Lai recommends that you do not buy it; Because many people think that mercury sphygmomanometers are the most standard and accurate way to measure blood pressure. However, if the patient himself or his family helps you measure, many people will not read the value by auscultation during the measurement, and cannot read the accurate blood pressure value and delay you in judging the blood pressure.
In addition, mercury blood pressure is gradually being phased out, because mercury sphygmomanometers are broken and overflowing, which will cause water and soil pollution.