How is Blood Pressure Checked?

Have you ever been to see your doctor and they had someone put a cuff on your arm, inflate it and listen? If you have, then you've had your blood pressure checked.

Here is exactly what happens when your blood pressure is checked:
 

  Step 1: Squeezing
That instrument wrapped around your arm is called a "sphygmomanometer." This oddly named tool squeezes your arm for just long enough to stop the blood flow. Then, the pressure is released.
 
  Step 2: Listening
The person measuring the blood pressure listens with a stethoscope. When the blood starts to flow again it makes a sound. The person listens and watches a gauge, and then records the measurements.
 
  Step 3: Recording
The first number recorded is the pressure of the blood flow when our heart beats. This is called "systolic pressure."

The second number recorded is the pressure between our heartbeats. This is called "diastolic pressure." (By the way, blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated "mm Hg".)
 

  Step 4: Decision
Both numbers recorded during our blood pressure check are important. Health care professionals can determine if we have high blood pressure or not.
 


To see blood pressure levels and what they mean, take a look at this illustrated chart.