How to measure pressure without a tonometer: ways to determine pressure using available tools
The content of the article:
- How to recognize abnormal blood pressure
- How to find out the pressure without a tonometer by symptoms
- How to check blood pressure without a blood pressure monitor by heart rate
- How to determine pressure without a tonometer using a pendulum
- What pressure is considered normal
- Video
Is it possible to measure blood pressure without a tonometer? This question is of interest to many, since a deterioration in a person's well-being can occur suddenly, in conditions when there are no medical devices at hand. There are such methods. Let's consider them and talk about how accurate they are and whether the obtained indicators can be trusted.
By analyzing the pulse, you can get an idea of whether your blood pressure is high or low
Blood pressure (BP) is the force with which the blood acts on the walls of the arteries. This value is not constant. For example, during physical activity, muscles experience increased requirements for oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the heart contracts with greater force, and blood pressure rises by 10-20 mm Hg. Art. During rest, the body's need for oxygen decreases, and the pressure indicators in a person return to normal. Therefore, blood pressure should be measured by any method only at rest.
How to recognize abnormal blood pressure
It is known that the deviation of blood pressure from the norm by more than 10-15 mm Hg. Art. leads to a deterioration in overall health. Clinically, this can be manifested by the following symptoms:
- headache;
- weakness;
- dizziness;
- nausea.
When they appear, it is necessary to measure blood pressure using a special device. If it is not there, then you can try to use folk methods, which we will now consider.
How to find out the pressure without a tonometer by symptoms
This method does not allow direct measurement of pressure, but only indirectly estimate whether it is increased or decreased. In order to understand what pressure a person has, we suggest using the information from the table.
| Sign | Blood pressure lowered | Blood pressure increased |
| Headache | It is usually localized in the back of the head, is aching or pressing in nature | Pressing, throbbing. More often localized in the temporal region |
| Dizziness | Happens often | Observed occasionally |
| General weakness | Minor to very strong | Not typical |
| Skin color | Pale | Unchanged or reddened |
|
Feeling anxious, agitated |
Not typical | Observed often |
| Drowsiness | Almost always | Seldom |
| Pulse | Normal or bradycardia (truncated) | Normal or tachycardia (rapid) |
| Nose bleed | Can not be | Observed with a significant increase in blood pressure |
| Nausea, vomiting | Almost never | It is often observed. Vomiting may be repeated without relief |
How to check blood pressure without a blood pressure monitor by heart rate
Another way to indirectly estimate the level of blood pressure without any apparatus is to analyze the heart rate and strength. The table shows the main characteristics of the pulse wave that you need to pay attention to.
| Pulse characteristic | Low blood pressure | High blood pressure |
| Heart rate (number of waves in 1 minute) | The pulse can be normal (60-90 beats per minute) or infrequent (less than 60 beats per minute). An increase in heart rate at low pressure is usually observed only against the background of massive blood loss | Tachycardia usually develops (pulse rate reaches 90 beats per minute or more). Much less often, there is a normal heart rate (60-90 beats per minute). If a patient develops bradycardia against a background of hypertension, in most cases this indicates an acute violation of cerebral circulation (stroke) |
| Pulse strength | Even light pressure on the skin above the artery with your fingers causes the pulse wave to disappear. | To stop the pulse wave, press firmly on the skin above the artery. |
| Pulse voltage |
Not tense, soft |
Tense, soft |
Thus, the analysis of the characteristics of the pulse makes it possible to distinguish between high and low blood pressure.
How to determine pressure without a tonometer using a pendulum
How to measure pressure without a tonometer at home? This can be done using a ruler and a simple pendulum. There have not been any clinical studies of this method, and it rather refers to bioenergetics and extrasensory perception than to medical science, therefore, the results obtained cannot be called reliable.
To measure pressure with a ruler and a pendulum, you must:
- Make a pendulum. To do this, take a thin lace (thick thread) 20-25 cm long, tie a small nut or ring to one end, the other end remains free.
- Place the forearm of the subject on a flat horizontal surface with the palmar surface of the hand facing up.
- Place a regular school ruler on your forearm so that its base rests on the elbow area.
- Take the pendulum in your hands and lower the ring above the zero division of the scale. It should be positioned as close to the ruler as possible without touching it.
- Begin to slowly move your pendulum along the ruler towards your hand.
- Note at which segment of the scale of movement of the pendulum from chaotic to become uniform, in the direction transverse to the surface of the ruler. Multiply the marked figure by 10. The result will correspond to the systolic (upper) pressure.
- Flip the ruler over so that the base is now in the crease between the hand and the forearm.
- The pendulum should now be slowly moved from the wrist towards the elbow joint.
- Also mark the point on the scale where the movement of the pendulum became clearly lateral. Multiply the figure obtained by 10. The result obtained corresponds to the lower (diastolic) pressure.
- Repeat the measurement procedure again.
As you can see, pressure can be measured in various improvised ways. However, the results obtained are very approximate, if not entirely unreliable. Therefore, if a person suffers from hypertension or hypotension and needs regular monitoring of blood pressure, it is necessary to purchase a tonometer at the pharmacy - an apparatus for measuring blood pressure according to the Korotkov method.
What pressure is considered normal
The blood pressure norm for an adult is in the range 91-139 / 61-89 mm Hg. Art. In this case, the absolute norm is 120/80 mm Hg. Art.
However, it should be understood that the blood pressure rate is an individual indicator for each person, the main thing is that it is located within the above limits. For example, pressure 120/80 is normal for one person, increased for another, and low for a third.
Low blood pressure (below 90/60 mm Hg) is called hypotension, and high (over 140/90 mm Hg) is called hypertension.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
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