Introduction to BP: The human body is a synchronized system of various organs, their functional orchestration, and a feedback mechanism controlled by the brain. One of the vital organs-heart functions as a pump to push blood in different parts of the body to supply oxygen and food. Blood moves through a closed network of blood vessels-arteries and veins and exerts pressure on their walls. This pressure is termed as “Blood Pressure” or simply- BP. In simpler words, it is the measure of how hard your heart is working to meet the needs of the body.

Why seniors need a home BP monitor? With age, the wear and tear of arteries happen, and they tend to become stiff, obstructing blood flow. Even with a healthy aged person, these conditions might come silently as no symptoms eventuate. The best way to keep a check on any such possibility is to keep a periodic log of BP at home. Seniors can keep a home BP monitor to measure BP, which will help them in many ways:

Keeping a track on BP or maintaining a log is easy when you have a home BP monitor. Taking consultation, remotely from a physician, is easy as they can prescribe better.What are the different types of home monitors? Based on the principles they use, the classification is done as- Manual and Digital or Automatic.

Manual: Uses auscultation principle and includes the inflatable Cuff, Mercury filled the vertical vessel, and the air inflating rubber ball. The air pressure in the inflated Cuff is slowly released and using the stethoscope, palpitating sounds are noticed. With the release of air pressure, the mercury in the tube drops and readings for SBP and DBP are noted. Trained medical practitioners use them, with accuracy, even in patients with high-risk. They are also termed as “Mercury Sphygmomanometer.”

Aneroid Sphygmomanometer: Has a gauge to measure the SBP and DBP.Automatic: The principle behind the automatic or the digital BP monitors is called- Oscillometric Method. It has an inflatable Cuff, which can be inflated either manually or automatically using a battery operating device. They are electronic devices and are easy to use, portable and are advisable for regular users. You do not need the training to use them.

Connected and app-based monitors: These are pipe-less or wireless devices which are compact in design and use the advanced technology of mobile applications. They have a Cuff, connected to Bluetooth of a smartphone. Patients can download the application associated with the device, and the cuff automatically measures the SBP and DBP once it is activated by the mobile application. They are accurate and clinically validated, simple to set up, easy to use, extremely portable, lightweight, and can display a range of evaluated data. They store huge data which can be interpretive in graphs, charts, and can also be shared with doctors through emails.