How should the blood pressure be measured?
The blood pressure varies from minute to minute, according to the demands on the circulation and the need for blood and oxygen to be delivered around the body. Someone may have a blood pressure of 130/80 when they are sitting quietly at rest, but it should rise to perhaps 160/110 if they run up a couple of flights of stairs. Stress can cause high blood pressure, and this is a particular problem when people come to have their blood pressure measured in a hospital or clinic, even if they do not feel stressed , the blood pressure may rise. This is sometimes called white coat hypertension , though it can still occur if your doctor does not wear a white coat. Therefore the blood pressure should be measured after someone has been sitting quietly for a few minutes. The normal method is to use an inflatable cuff on the upper arm, usually actuated by a small machine. If the blood pressure is consistently high in hospital or in a clinic, and it is suspected that the readings are not representati
