Blood pressure refers to the flow of blood in the blood vessels within a living organism. It is necessary to have blood pressure within a normal range for our organs to function properly. The normal range of blood pressure for humans is 120/80 mmHg. This pressure refers to the endurance of blood vessels that can tolerate this flow rate within.
Fluctuation may occur due to various reasons which can cause alter the pressure with which the blood flows in the vessels. These reasons may include exercise, eating fatty food, stress, immobility, etc. Slight fluctuation in blood pressure can be overlooked because it does not disrupt functions but it can be fatal during surgery, or pregnancy.
Extreme alteration in blood pressure leads to severe disorders where organs do not function properly and can cause damage to the physical body. High blood pressure is controlled with medication and close monitoring to identify the triggering culprit. It is important to track the results of every activity and their effect on blood pressure.
A blood pressure tracker is a tool used to measure the pressure exerted by blood on the walls of blood vessels. These trackers have been revolutionary in monitoring the changes in blood pressure because they are non-invasive and can be used multiple times. Usually, the blood pressure reading is logged in a log book to notice a trend over a specific time period.
Types
There are various types of blood pressure trackers found in the pharmacy and they all have their advantages as well as disadvantages. The most commonly used blood pressure trackers include:
- Manual tracker: manual tracker has 2 parts, one is a cuff that is wound around the artery of the upper arm for measuring pressure and is attached to a measuring device while the other part is used to hear fluctuation in the pressure. Reading appears on the measuring device and can be noted down separately to keep a record. This type of tracker can only be used by professionals because it requires precision.
- Digital tracker: digital blood pressure trackers have made their mark for a long because of the ease they provide while measuring blood pressure. Unlike manual trackers, digital trackers provide an exact reading in numbers and also provide the option of saving readings within the device for future use. These trackers can be used by everyone and are enabled to measure heart rate and other features as well. The results of the digital tracker can be shared with others via Bluetooth.
- Mobile applications: certain mobile applications can also be used as a tracker but these applications are not accurate and can be false-negative.
Indicator
A blood pressure tracker is considered useful because of the following reasons,
- It can be an early indicator of heart disease or stroke because high blood pressure is related to a troubled heart.
- Blood pressure alterations directly affect heart rate therefore, mediation is prescribed based on the condition of the heart.
- Trends or patterns that appeared after measuring blood pressure for a specific period of time can help in identifying a culprit.
