How to choose a tonometer for home use?

Tonometer is today the most convenient and indispensable assistant for measuring pressure.

This device should be in every home where there are people with hypertensive problems. But even if such diseases have not been noticed, it will not be superfluous in your home. Which is better to choose a tonometer: mechanical or carpal, fully automatic or semi-automatic, consider below.

Buy an instrument and learn how to use it easily, it is important to take the rule of regularly measuring the pressure and monitor performance. But how to choose a tonometer for home use, so that it is comfortable and lasted long? With this now and understand.

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What is pressure?

Before choosing a tonometer for home use, it is necessary to find out what is the blood pressure.

Blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of the vital activity of the body. This is the power with which the blood acts on the vessels through which it flows. There is pressure capillary, arterial, venous and others.

Important! Blood pressure indicates how much blood the heart pumps during a certain period of time, as well as the resistance that the vessels exert:

• Upper pressure - means the force with which the heart ejects blood into the body.
• Lower pressure is the force with which the vessels resist the flow of blood.

To determine the upper and lower limits of blood pressure help tonometers.

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Who needs a tonometer?

If you want to monitor the pressure indicators at home, the tonometer becomes a necessary device. At home, the device allows:

• to avoid unjustified by the disease jumps of indicators, for example, from the excitement of meeting with a doctor;
• monitor the effects of prescription medication prescribed for pressure problems;
• to study the performance of athletes and people leading a healthy lifestyle.

Important! You can buy the device in pharmacies, specialized stores of medical equipment and other points of sale. Everyone who purchased a tonometer, it is important not only to study its action and functions, but also to take it as a rule to use it regularly.

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Selection criteria

For the home appliance, the following parameters are important, if you are puzzled how to choose a tonometer:

• type of instrument;
• the size of the cuff;
• display convenience;
• accuracy of readings.

Before choosing a tonometer, you should pay attention to the size of its cuff.

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Cuff

This is an important part of any tonometer. When selecting the wrong size - the device will not be able to specify reliable data. In order to understand which cuff is right for you, it is enough to measure the circumference of your forearm.

Cuffs are available in three sizes:

• S - small cuffs, circumference - 19-22 cm;
• M - medium size, circumference - 21-31 cm;
• L - large cuffs, circumference - 32-45 cm.

Important! This is an approximate size range, and it can vary depending on the brand of the device.

Most often you can find tonometers with an average cuff size. If this is not your option, most manufacturers produce individual cuffs other than the standard size, which can be ordered separately or, if available, purchased immediately.

Important! The material of the outer part of the cuff is represented by a nylon covering, and its fastener is fastened to the velcro. The inner part is made of medical rubber and when the cuff is filled with air - this material compresses the hand and creates the necessary conditions for measuring the pressure.

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Device Selection - Types of Tonometer

Today, the manufacturers represent an extensive range of devices, among which:

• Mechanical - the cuff is worn on the forearm, and the air swings by hand using a pear.
• Semiautomats - combine the functions of mechanics and automaton.
• Automatic models - they themselves pump the air and measure the pulse. With proper use, they give more accurate results than their predecessors.

Important! The very first tonometer was mechanical, and was presented to the public in 1905 by the famous researcher and military doctor Nikolai Korotkov.

It is much more convenient to choose a tonometer for home use of an automatic or semi-automatic type.

Important! The device with the electronic version will help to measure not only the pressure, but also the pulse, as well as some other indicators of the body.

Advantages and disadvantages of

Automation The main advantage of the automatic variant is its ease of use. Such a device pumps the air into the cuff itself, it will determine the arterial pressure. Indeed, it is convenient: you do not need to listen and recognize signals, and even pump up the air - the electronics will do everything for you.

Along with this great advantage, such models have significant drawbacks. They must be taken into account before choosing a tonometer:

• the price of such tonometers is an order of magnitude higher than that of semiautomatic devices of the same brand;
• low precision devices that are attached to the wrists and fingers;
• fragility.

Important! The simpler the design of the tonometer, the longer it will last. In this regard, the electric version loses to the mechanics and semiautomatic machines. The power of the device comes from a small battery, but it spends a lot of energy in order to fill the cuff with air. That is why the electric motors of such devices are more likely than others to wear out. In this respect, the automatics are still losing to semi-automatic models in terms of price-quality ratio.

Semiautomatic devices

The only difference between these devices and the machines is that the person pumps the air into the cuff himself. The rest is made by electronics: it determines the pulse, pressure, other parameters and displays them on the display of the device.

Among the advantages of these tonometers are:

• high accuracy of the devices, using a cuff attached to the forearm;
• is the most acceptable combination of price and quality of the device;
• great practicality in comparison with automatic models.

Important! If the automation is fairly intuitive control, then to use the semi-automatic device you will have to work a little, and study the instruction manual. But usually devices make the most convenient for use, so learning the instructions should not be difficult.

Mechanical version of

Such tonometers are more suitable for professionals, since they require certain skills to work with them. The air pressure in the mechanic cuff is created manually, using a special pear to certain values, which you need to monitor yourself. And with the help of a stethoscope, the pulse is listened, at the elbow bend, while slowly releasing the air from the cuff.

The principle of working with a mechanical tonometer is that it is necessary for the measuring device to hear certain noises, through which it is possible to determine the exact pressure.

To work with the device you need to acquire listening skills and proper inflation and descent. Otherwise, the received testimony may not correspond to reality. Therefore, most often such a device is used by employees of medical institutions.

If you take into account all the factors, then you can easily choose the type of such an important device as a tonometer. Which is better, how to choose and where to buy in the variety of brands and brands of manufacturers - this is the next question, which is important to understand.

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Popular manufacturers and models of

Of course, the decision on which type of tonometer to choose, each takes independently.

According to the professionals:

1. For home use a good option for the ratio of price and quality will be a semi-automatic model, with a cuff fastened on the forearm.
2. If the funds permit - you can purchase a quality automatic tonometer on good batteries.

Consider the most popular brands and models of devices that allow you to measure blood pressure at home:

Omron

This is a Japanese brand that creates industrial electronics of high quality. The main direction of the company is the creation of electronics, which allows to optimize the production processes. The brand not only produces, but also develops new devices based on its own research.

Important! The results of some studies have turned into advanced technologies, the technologies of which are patented today. For example, the company has created a technology through which it is possible to protect money from their counterfeiting. Technology is already being used by a single bank in the world and is called Omron Rings.

The production of devices that measure blood pressure is not the main business of the company, but it has been given a lot of time and research.

Important! The most popular model of this brand was the OMRON M6 tonometer with a high accuracy of the indications and a function that allows to detect arrhythmia. Cost of tonometers under the Omron brand, usually higher than competitive models with similar characteristics.

Microlife

The company is from Switzerland and is engaged in the production of medical equipment and equipment for the home and special institutions.

Unlike the previous brand, the production of devices that measure pressure is the main activity of the organization. Under its brand, the company also produces warmers, inhalers, electronic thermometers and other medical equipment.

Important! A distinctive feature of the organization is that under its brand for the first time mercury-free thermometers were released into mass sale.

The flagship of this brand is the Microlife BP 3AC1-1 device - it is a quality and convenient in home application technique, which thanks to modern technologies, allows you to determine the required medical indicators with high accuracy. It is practical and durable, and the cost of tonometers of this brand is lower than its Japanese competitor.

A & D Medical

This company has also brought in popularity high-quality tonometers for home use. The main office of the organization is in the USA.Due to its high quality, the brand has repeatedly been awarded high awards for the development and creation of medical electrical appliances for the home.

In addition to tonometers, the company's products include scales, electrothermometers, stethoscopes and other medical electronics for home and professional use. Tonometers brand acquired popularity in 1977.The company's pride is its development - oscillometry, due to which it became a pioneer in the field of electronic technology, which allows measuring blood pressure.

Important! Popular model A & D UA-777 - it is noted for a relatively small price, high quality indicators, and convenient functionality.

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How to buy?

The simplest options for purchasing equipment for home pressure monitoring - pharmacy and online stores:

1. The pharmacy does not have a very large selection of instruments, but you can see them live.
2. You can always find a lot of options on the Internet, but you'll have to study the work of the tonometer after its purchase. But the price of the device from the online store can be significantly lower than the analog tonometer when buying it at the pharmacy.

It is important to take into account the fact that online shops often take payment for the delivery of goods, so you can not unequivocally tell where it's more profitable to choose a tonometer. It is necessary to compare all the conditions.

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General recommendations

When choosing a device for measuring blood pressure, you should ask yourself a few questions, the answers to which will help to choose the most suitable option.

Key questions:

1. How often the instrument will be used - if it is necessary to use a tonometer daily, it is better to give preference to the automatic variant.
2. How many years the patient - for young people the variant of the wrist cuff is possible, the older generation is recommended to choose a tonometer with a cuff on the forearm.
3. Does the patient have cardiovascular disease - in the presence of such diseases, it is better to choose a device that can indicate the presence of arrhythmia.
4. What should be the price - mechanical tonometers are more accurate and budgetary, but require certain skills for use. Semiautomatic machines are more expensive, but much easier to operate, automatic models are the most expensive option for today.

It is important not to forget about the additional functions, which include most of the modern models:

• indicator of arrhythmia;
• average pressure calculation;
• quality control measurement;
• the ability to save data;
• timer;
• calendar;
• manufacturer's warranty;
• after-sales service.

Someone uses the device on the testimony of a doctor, someone for self-diagnosis. In any case, it is important to take into account all the nuances, and already after making the right choice.