Question

The blood pressure is taken on a patient who has just undergone vigorous physical exercise.

Answer 1

Blood pressure is basicallly the pressure which is exerted by the flow of blood in blood vessels on the vessel wall. Blood pressure is measured usually in left upper arm above the elbow by using an instrument called sphygmomanometer. In routine cases blood pressure is measured when the patient is at rest and the sphygmnomanometer is kept facing away from the patient as even small amounts of anxiety can cause increase in the readings.

In measurement of blood pressure we listen to what is called koratkoff sounds which sounds like tapping. The sounds are heard with the help of a stethoscope while the cuff of the instrument is tied on the patients upper arm.we raise the pressure to the point till the sound disappears and then slowly decrease it till we hear the first sound and that is the systolic value ie the numerator value and we keep on deflating the cuff till the last sound is heard and thats the denominator value ie the diastolic pressure. A cut off 120/80 is considered normal in healthy young adults.

It is said that the systolic blood pressure increases during exercise . as you exercise more and more blood passes rapidly through your blood vessles to provide oxygen and meet the demands of the body so more blood is being circulated that too at a high speed therefore the blood pressure ries during exercise and the rise is more in systolic blood pressure compared to diastolic which might remain unchanged also.

After You are done with the exercise the blood prssure slowly recovers as the blood flow normalises. a certain amount of vasodilation ie broadening of the blood vessels also occurs during exercise so after exercise that also recovers slowly.