[www.keralites.net] 120/80

A sphygmomanometer (pronounced /ˌsfɪɡmoʊməˈnɒmɨtər/ SFIG-moh-mə-NOM-i-tər) or blood pressure meter is a device used to measureblood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It is always used in conjunction with a means to determine at what pressure blood flow is just starting, and at what pressure it is unimpeded. Manual sphygmomanometers are used in conjunction with a stethoscope.

our heart is an amazing pump. It works reliably for decades, and it safely pumps blood -- one of the trickiest liquids around. In the same way, your blood vessels are pipes. They take the output from the pump and distribute it throughout the body. A blood pressure gauge is simply a way to measure the performance of the pump and the pipes.

There are two numbers in a blood pressure reading: systolic and diastolic. For example, a typical reading might be 120/80. When the doctor puts the cuff around your arm and pumps it up, what he/she is doing is cutting off the blood flow with the pressure exerted by the cuff. As the pressure in the cuff is released, blood starts flowing again and the doctor can hear the flow in the stethoscope. The number at which blood starts flowing (120) is the measure of the maximum output pressure of the heart (systolic reading). The doctor continues releasing the pressure on the cuff and listens until there is no sound. That number (80) indicates the pressure in the system when the heart is relaxed (diastolic reading).

Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood when the heart beats. This is the highest pressure exerted by the blood. On the other hand, diastolic pressure is the pressure of the blood when the heart rests between beats. This is the lowest pressure exerted by the blood.

You can measure your blood pressure in two different manners. That is, using the cuff or by measuring it digitally.

Courtesy : Kaumudi Daily, Wikipedia, blood-pressure-updates