Measuring Blood Pressure and Pulse

Blood pressure us a measure of the force exerted by the blood on the wall of the arteries. Systolic pressure is the result of the contraction of the ventricles (normal 110-140). Diastolic pressure is measured during the ventricle relaxation period (normal 70-90). My average systolic pressure is 110 and my average diastolic pressure is 75, so my blood pressure is 110/75. The equipment we used to measure blood pressure was a sphygmonometer and a stethoscope. The equipment I used to measure pulse (heart rate) was my hand to measure the radial(wrist) and carotid(neck) pulse rate and the stethoscope to measure the the heart pulse on the chest. We cannot use the the thumb pulse because the thumb has its own pulse that can disturb the regular heart pulse.   A sphygmonometer can be used by tying the cuff around the upper arm and then pump the air bulb until you see on the gauge reads 150. Slowly let go of the air until it you can hear a swooch, that is your systolic pressure and then when you can hear nothing that is your diastolic pressure.