App to measure blood pressure

The technology is constantly in great development, thus bringing improvements to assist and facilitate the health monitoring process. With the Covid-19 pandemic, it is increasingly common, and coherent, to stay at home and only go out for reasons of urgency. 

Therefore, linking technologies to our daily lives with health issues, some applications have emerged with the aim of monitoring people's blood pressure. Unfortunately, hypertension affects much of the world's population. 

However, technology can be a great ally to maintain the health of the population and consequently avoid heart problems.

Follow the article to discover 4 apps that will make it possible to measure your blood pressure at home, or anywhere else, as well as understand a little more about what blood pressure is and its importance.

What, after all, is blood pressure?

The expression arterial pressure refers to the pressure exerted by the blood against the inner wall of the arteries during its passage. This force is defined by the beating of the heart, the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout our body. 

Blood pressure, as well as that of the entire circulatory system, is normally a little above atmospheric pressure, and the difference in pressures is responsible for keeping arteries and other vessels from collapsing.

It is possible to carry out a blood pressure measurement which, when it has altered values, can result in problems such as hypertension. In practice, blood pressure is composed of systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Being them:

• Systolic pressure is the pressure when blood is pumped, it marks the contraction of the heart muscle;
• Diastolic pressure is when the heart relaxes between beats, in which the vessels remain open for blood to pass through.

Values are measured in millimeters of mercury. The mmHg is a long-established unit of measurement. The normal is that it is with 120/80 mmHg or, popularly, 12 for 8. The values can vary according to the age, for example. 

Or even depending on the person's lifestyle. Also, people with kidney problems or diabetes should be concerned about keeping their blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg. When the value reaches 140/90mmHg, the person is considered hypertensive.

Precautions before measuring your blood pressure

Some recommendations are essential before measuring the pressure are fundamental, as they can influence the numbers, leading to false results. Therefore, always remember to follow this step by step when taking your blood pressure at home.

1. Sit down
   Sit up straight on a chair or bed so that your legs form a 90 degree angle.
2. stay relaxed
   While the device takes your pressure to take the measurement, try to remain relaxed, not moving and breathing calmly.
3. Keep an eye on the results
   The results should appear on your device's screen. The first number is what indicates the systolic pressure, that is, when the heart makes the immediate force for the blood to travel through the body, also called maximum pressure. The second number represents diastolic pressure, also called minimum pressure. 

Apps that will help you measure your blood pressure at home

Health Mate

The Health Mate app is not just used to measure blood pressure. It seeks to take care of all the user's health. It helps with weight loss, controls sleep, blood pressure and helps you exercise more.

It has several functions that optimize its use. It has features that include help with weight control and a pressure gauge to measure pressure when needed.

iCare

iCare measures blood pressure by pressing one finger on the screen and another finger on the camera for a few seconds. It also measures heart rate, vision, hearing, lung capacity, color blindness and respiratory rate.

It also has a step meter. It is always important to maintain healthy habits and not neglect our health so that we do not have future problems, just as it is important to always be alert to your pressure and the like.

BP Monitor App

The BP Monitor App is used to measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as pulse rate.

As mentioned earlier, the systolic pressure, or maximum, is the one that marks the contraction of the heart muscle, when it pumps blood to the body. The diastolic, in turn, is the moment of rest, in which the vessels remain open for the blood to pass.

Blood Pressure (bpresso)

Available on Android, the app helps you collect and analyze your measurements and all related activities like heart rate, medication, exercise and weight.

The differential of this application is the generation of graphs and statistics that allow you to follow the results and continuously monitor your blood pressure. The app is only used to record blood pressure measurement values and related parameters.

Final considerations

As much as we have the technology to help us monitor heart disease, we can't help but prevent it.

It is always important to maintain healthy habits and not neglect our health so that we do not have future problems.

Healthy habits range from the practice of physical activities and exercises, to the search for a correct and adequate diet for your body. 

It is also worth mentioning that the applications do not replace the consultation of a specialized doctor.

Seeking a doctor for periodic examinations should be a recurring custom not only for people with health problems, but also for those who tend to have them, according to their family history.