|
Ways To Diagnose Hypertension |
|
|
|
Hypertension is a condition when your blood
pressure is recorded consistently at the level of 140/90 mmHg or higher.
In most of the cases, hypertension does not show any symptoms. So, in
order to stay up-to-date regarding your health, you need to undergo
regular check-ups.
Now-a-days, several ways are
available to diagnose hypertension. The use of sphygmomanometer is one
of the most common ways to diagnose hypertension. Apart from this,
certain tests like blood tests, chest X-ray and ECG can be performed as
well. These tests act as a guiding principle for the required medical
treatment.
The sphygmomanometer is a well-known instrument used
for measuring blood pressure. It comprises of an inflatable cuff and a
manometer. The cuff is to restrict the blood flow and the manometer is
to measure the pressure.
While measuring BP with
sphygmomanometer, the inflatable cuff is first wrapped around the upper
arm to restrict the blood flow. Then slowly the air from the cuff is
released. When the blood starts flowing again there is a slight
swooshing sound. The pressure at this point is measured as the systolic
pressure. And the pressure at which the sound disappears is noted as the
diastolic pressure. The blood pressure rate is written as the systolic
pressure/diastolic pressure mmHg.
If the reading is 140/90 mmHg
or higher, it is termed as high blood pressure or hypertension.
One
has to be very careful, while using the cuff as a very wide cuff or a
small cuff or speaking during the test can give false readings which may
lead to the wrong diagnosis of blood pressure.
The test performed
at home to monitor the blood pressure is generally known as ambulatory
monitoring. This is a good option for people who have white-coat
hypertension.
Hypertension can
be detected with the help of a physical examination also. But to find
out which type of hypertension treatment you require, you need to
undergo some tests. These include blood tests and urinalysis, an
exercise stress test and an electrocardiogram.
Blood tests and a urinalysis: This test is basically performed to
find out the underlying cause of hypertension. The underlying cause
could be cholesterol, high potassium levels, blood sugar, infection,
kidney malfunctions, and the likes.
An exercise stress test: This
test is conducted for those who have borderline hypertension.
An
electrocardiogram (ECG):
An electrocardiogram (ECG) records your
heart's electrical activity. This is used as a screening test for people
who are at a high risk of heart problems, including people with high
blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol.
|
