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Blood Pressure & Heart

Changes in blood pressure are indicators of our health and should allert you to potential health problems and the need to seek medical opinion. Home use devices, such as blood pressure monitors and hand held EGG monitors can assist you in monitoring important health parameters and share them with your doctor, when needed. AED Defibrillators can even save your life!

Hearts.Monitoring Blood Pressure and Heart

Blood Pressure Monitors

Blood Pressure Monitors

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Background to Blood Pressure

Blood transports the nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body through a network of blood vessels (i.e. veins, arteries and capillaries).

Blood pressure depends on factors, such as the amount of circulating blood, pumping strength of the heart, diameter of the vessels and any resistance to the blood flow within the vessels (i.e. obstructions and narrowing). Balanced and normal blood pressure helps to facilitate correct flow of the blood within the body. Excessively low blood pressure may prevent the blood reaching the extremities, thus starving them of oxygen and nutrients. Raised or high blood pressure can precipitate damage to the blood vessels walls and to the heart muscle. If high blood pressure is not discovered and treated appropriately, it can contribute and lead to dangerous life threatening events. Amongst these are heart disease and strokes. 

Changes in blood pressure are indicators of the overall state of health. Changed blood pressure may signal a presence of an underlying health conditions that need treatment. Inappropriate blood pressure can manifest an unhealthy lifestyle that requires modification. In general, blood pressure should alert you to forthcoming potential health problems that may be avoided or prevented, if prompt medical advice is sought and appropriate action taken.

Heart measuring blood pressure.

High blood pressure - hypertension – can damage your health! Hypertension can kill!

Hypertension is especially dangerous, when the sufferers are unaware of the changes in blood pressure and without treatments to control the high blood pressure. Controlling blood pressure often involves management of underlying conditions that cause the blood pressure to rise.

Hypertension is often a silent problem that can go undetected for many years. If undetected and untreated, hypertension causes great damage to health. The longer the high pressure is untreated, the greater the damage it can cause.
 
Medical professionals, patients groups and charities alike, all contribute significantly to the understanding and awareness of high blood pressure, its symptoms, assessment methods and diagnosis, available treatments and long term management.

Morning Hypertension

Morning Hypertension is defined as the weekly average for morning blood pressure readings (blood pressure measured within 1 - 2 hours after awakening from night sleep) in excess of 135/85 mm Hg.

There are two types of morning hypertension:

1.    Patients either have consistently high blood pressure through the night or experience blood pressure increases while asleep.
2.    Patients experience extreme dips in blood pressure at night and extreme surges in blood pressure in the morning.

In either case, it is very difficult to detect morning hypertension. By the time patients are seen by a doctor, their blood pressure may have already decreased, thus making the condition very difficult or virtually impossible to diagnose. This why doctors often recommend monitoring blood pressure at home.

There are important reasons why patients are being encouraged to differentiate between general hypertension and morning hypertension. It is common knowledge that cardiovascular events and stroke are more common in the morning, and both appear to be linked to morning hypertension. Organ damage and diabetic complications also seem to correlate with morning blood pressure surges.

Low blood pressure - hypotension - is seldom serious.

Most low blood pressure problems arise, when blood pressure drops very suddenly, depriving the brain of adequate blood supply. This causes dizziness, light-headedness and unsteadiness. In some people, postural hypotension can occur, when suddenly rising up from a sitting or lying down position. Postural hypotension is simply pooling of the blood in lower limbs. Postural hypotension can cause falls and lead to fall related injuries, which can be gravely serious - especially in the frail elderly people.    
 
People should be aware of their own blood pressure and alert to the dangers posed by untreated high blood pressure. Medical guidance is essential to the long term welfare of people with blood pressure problems. This is especially important, when high blood pressure is the problem.

There are many factors that play a part in the increased risk of high blood pressure. These include age, family history and gender. Many underlying conditions or diseases, such as pregnancy, hormonal disturbances, diabetes or kidney disorders can cause hypertension or exacerbate it. Lifestyle habits, such as diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and poor level of fitness (i.e. regular exercising) also play important roles in the management of blood pressure.
 
Advances in medical sciences make it possible to effectively correct and control blood pressure. There are many different drug treatments available. Basic lifestyle changes, namely stopping smoking, eating healthier diet and exercising can also make a significant difference.

The key blood pressure management messages are:

  • When in doubt, consult your doctor or a nurse
  • Follow medical advice and recommendations
  • Improve your understanding of blood pressure
  • Know the contributory risk factors
  • Maintain healthy lifestyle - stop smoking, don't drink alcohol excessively, eat healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, reduce your intake of fat and salt, lose weight and exercise regularly
  • Check and monitor your blood pressure frequently
  • Keep track of your blood pressure! If your blood pressure is higher than your doctor advises, seek further help
  • Remember to always consult your healthcare professional - a doctor or a nurse -  if you are worriArm blood pressure monitor cartoon.ed about your blood pressure, experience any unusual symptoms or are worried about any aspects of your health

Blood Pressure Monitoring at home

Doctors, physician assistants, nurses and other healthcare professionals recommend blood pressure monitoring at home for various reasons, including person's ability to:

  • Be constantly aware of your personal blood pressure as a vital indicator of your overall health
  • Provide your doctor with important information enabling to better understand and manage your high blood pressure
  • See how you are responding to medication

Many types of hypertension can only be detected by monitoring your blood pressure at home, including:

  1. White-coat Hypertension: blood pressure reading is high in doctor's surgery, but lower at home
  2. Masked Hypertension: blood pressure reading is low in doctor's surgery, but higher at home

Additionally, many factors can affect your blood pressure, including physical exertion, emotional fluctuations, medications and stress, so it's important to regularly monitor your blood pressure at home.

Monitoring your blood pressure at home allows you to more easily get to a relaxed state and the flexibility to take your measurements at various times during the day. By keeping track of your home blood pressure readings, you can provide your healthcare professional with a log of blood pressure measurements over time, which can help them evaluate the effectiveness of your treatment.

Blood Pressure Monitors for home and professional use

New age technology based on the revolutionary principles of Fuzzy Logic * makes it possible for people to check and monitor their blood pressure frequently, conveniently, anytime and anywhere. Fully automatic upper arm blood pressure monitors and wrist type blood pressure monitors are affordable, simple to use and give accurate and clear measurements of the following parameters:

  1. systolic blood pressure (blood pressure on the heart muscle contraction - the higher reading)
  2. diastolic blood pressure (blood pressure at the time of the heart muscle relaxation - the lower reading) 
    pulse rate      
      
    * Fuzzy Logic is also used in computer programming; expert systems such as used by doctors for diagnostic purposes; digital cameras; spelling checkers and other applications of artificial intelligence.

The most popular brand of blood pressure monitors used worldwide is OMRON, closely followed by the Beurer brand of blood pressure monitors.

Omron Healthcare is a renowned Japanese manufacturer of high quality medical equipment and health monitoring devices with long standing leading position in the healthcare. Omron's continuous research into blood pressure puts them into ideal position of designing blood pressure monitors for use at healthcare settings - blood pressure monitors for professional use - are developed in cooperation of professionals for use by professionals. Omron also manufacture a comprehensive range of blood pressure monitors, both wrist blood pressure monitors and upper arm blood pressure monitors. Omron are number one supplier of blood pressure monitors in the world. Omron blood pressure monitors are extensively tested and validated to deliver precision and reliability in blood pressure monitoring.

Beurer is a German manufacturer of a variety pf healthcare products, including wrist blood pressure monitors and upper arm blood pressure monitors. Beurer blood pressure monitors are accurate, whilst affordable. Beurer is clasely involved with German Blood Pressure Society that tests and validates Beurer blood pressure monitors.   

You can find both the OMRON blood pressure monitors and the BEURER blood pressure monitors on Win Health website.

Blood Pressure Monitors for Professional use

Blood Pressure Monitors for Home Use

Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors

Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitors

Questions often asked about Blood Pressure

  • What is blood pressure?

The heart is a small but very powerful pump that beats steadily. The pressure created by the heart to pump the blood through the blood vessels is called blood pressure.

When the heart muscle contracts, the blood surges through the arteries - this is when the systolic (upper) blood pressure value occurs. The diastolic (lower) value is the resting pressure before the heart contracts again. Your blood pressure reading should be below 140/85 mm Hg.

  • What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

The trouble with high blood pressure is that usually, there are no symptoms. The best idea is to ask your doctor for a check-up and use a personal blood pressure monitor to monitor it between the formal check ups by your doctor.

  • What are the long term risks of high blood pressure?

Without treatment, high blood pressure can lead to numerous health problems, such as heart attacks, circulatory problems and kidney failure. High blood pressure is also one of the most common causes of strokes.

  • What causes high blood pressure?

Many factors linked to modern living. Among the most common are obesity, high consumption of alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise and the stress of modern life. High blood pressure can also be hereditary.

  • What can I do to lower my blood pressure?

Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, fresh vegetables, potatoes and rice. Avoid animal fats and use less salt. Try to drink less alcohol and exercise more. If you smoke, stop. If needed, your doctor can prescribe suitable medication.

  • How accurate are personal blood pressure monitors?

Extremely accurate, assuming they have been correctly calibrated and clinically validated.

Most OMRON blood pressure monitors are clinically validated by independent doctors according to predetermined protocol. This means that you can rest assured about accuracy of the measurements from validated blood pressure monitors.  

  • Upper arm or wrist type monitor?

Both types of blood pressure monitors give accurate and reliable results. Upper arm blood pressure monitors are more traditional and are perfect for home use. Wrist blood pressure monitors are compact and more practical for use during travel.  

Background on human heart and cardiovascular diseases

Our hearts are the most important organs in our bodies. Our hearts pump blood around our bodies through automatic rhythmic continuous contractions, delivering oxygen, nutrients and hormones to all parts of our bodies and returning oxygen depleted blood to the lungs for re-oxygenation throughout our entire lives. 
          
Human Heart.Human heart is a small muscular organ with 4 chambers. The 2 smaller upper chambers are referred to as 'atria' and the larger lower chambers are called 'ventricles'. On average, a human heart weighs only about 300 grams. The heart is a very responsive and a very hard working organ. It produces about 2.5 billion beats during the course of an average lifetime and pumps approximately 300 million litres of blood around human body. Human heart can respond very fast to the changing requirements of the body. It can increase its output from as little as 5 litres of blood per minute to as much as 35 litres per minute, thus delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the tissues at the time of greater needs (i.e. during increased physical efforts).

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for one in every three deaths. 17 million people die of cardiovascular diseases worldwide each year. By 2020, the WHO (World health organization) estimates that the death toll from cardiovascular diseases will rise to 25 million worldwide.

Obesity, physical inactivity, bad diet, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and other factors all contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. You can monitor your heart health on regular basis this may contribute to prevention of cardiovascular disease and enable you to live a healthy and long life.
 
Eat healthy food for healthy heart!It is important to be kind to your heart and look after it as best as possible. Leading healthy lifestyles with healthy diets, plenty of exercise and no smoking are crucial to our overall health, cardiac health, fitness and longevity. It is also important to be aware of any potential problems that our hearts could be developing and consult medical professionals immediately. Cardiac problems require early attention as delays in diagnosis and appropriate actions taken could lead to a cardiac damage.  
  
One of the most common methods of detecting heart problems is a painless procedure called electrocardiography or the ECG. The procedure is carried out on a machine - an electrocardiograph - that records and graphically presents the electrical impulses generated in the heart muscle each time the heart beats. The ECG aids doctors in diagnosing of heart arrhythmias and abnormalities (i.e. enlarged or stressed hearts) as well as detect the remaining signs of previously suffered heart attacks. 

  • InstantCheck is a compact portable ECG monitor for home use

    InstantCheck ECG.InstantCheck ECG records and displays ECG waveform in real time easily and clearly. You can monitor your health at anytime and anywhere. Simply place your thumbs on the uniquely designed dry conductive electrodes and in 30 seconds, InstantCheck shows and records important ECG data of your heart’s electrical activities.

InstantCheck ECG stores up to 100 measurements, which can be viewed directly on the large LCD panel or you can download data to your PC for further analysis and viewing. InstantCheck software helps you manage important ECG data and waveforms. You can print out your heart records for your physician to help detect cardiovascular disease.   

You can learn more about InstantCheck ECG on the InstantCheck ECG page.

Buy InstantCheck ECG @ £289.36 + VAT (£340.00) Buy InstantCheck ECG Online NOW! 

ReadMyHeart ECG.ReadMyHeart Handheld ECG Monitor for home use enables easy home monitoring of the heart at affordable price. ReadMyHeart ECG works in exactly the same way as the InstantCheck, but does not store so many measurements and does not pick up irregular heart beats.

You can store and analyse the readings using Analytical Software and you can also print or fax or e-mail them to your doctor for analysis.

You can learn more about ReadMyHeart ECG on the ReadMyHeart ECG Monitor page.

ReadMyHeart ECG costs £113.00 + VAT (£132.78) Buy ReadMyHeart ECG.

Visit VeinOPlus TENS EMS page for specially designed TENS EMS combo machine that relieves pain of varicose veins and reduces swelling in the legs and ankles in people with venous insufficiency, including pregnant women and people with venous ulcers (CVI).

Refer to The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Sally Bee for a home cookery book that will help you to prepare healthy and tasty heart friendly meals for you and your family. The Secret Ingredient cookbook by Sally Bee can contribute to the health of your heart!

Electronic Stethoscopes - the Spirit Electronic Stethoscopes are accurate, reliable and affordable. The Spirit Electronic Digital Stetoscopes present medical practitioners with quality electronic stethoscopes that can be used with or without analytic software that stores and analyses data for quantitative diagnosis and reference.

For a selection of high quality branded body thermometers (i.e. clinical thermometers, infrared ear thermometers, forehead thermometers). visit Body Thermometers page in the Health and Comfort section.  

Beurer Heart Rate Monitor Glove to monitor your heart during running and jogging is in the Beauty and Fitness section.

Return to Win Health home page or visit Win Health Online Shop. 

Your heart in your hands.  

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