A medical condition where ones blood pressure is chronically high is called hypertension or what is also commonly known as high blood pressure. Acquiring hypertension is a serious condition that may then lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, as well as other health related problems.
Generally, diagnosing hypertension is based on the persistence of high blood pressure. The diagnosis will usually require three separate measurements which are at least taken one week apart. In exceptional cases though, if the elevation is very extreme, or end organ is already damaged then the diagnosis may be applied and treatment should be administered immediately.
As hypertension generally does not manifest any symptoms, having a regular blood pressure monitor is important and to be able to obtain a reliable blood pressure measurements following several rules and understanding the many factors that influence blood pressure reading is very important.
For instance, if measurements to be taken in control of hypertension it should be at least one hour after caffeine, 30 minutes after smoking or strenuous exercise and without any stress.
When taking measurements, the bladder should encircle and cover two-thirds of the length of the (upper) arm. The patient should be sitting upright in a chair and with both feet flat on the floor for a minimum of five minutes before taking a reading. The patient should also not be on any adrenergic stimulants, such as those found in many cold medications.
A systolic pressure is the pressure reading at the onset of the sounds described by Korotkoff (Phase one), while a diastolic pressure is then recorded as the pressure at which the sounds disappear (K5) or sometimes the K4 point, where the sound is abruptly muffled.
Two measurements should be made which are at least five minutes apart, and, if a discrepancy of more than 5 mmHg occurs, a third reading should be made. The readings gathered should then be averaged. The initial measurement should be made with both arms. For elderly patients who particularly when treated may show orthostatic hypotension, measuring BP while in lying sitting and standing position may be useful.
