Easy as pie explained

What is blood pressure?

Children usually want to know what the doctor is doing with the device that resembles a tube.

(Bild: africa-studio.com/stock.adobe.com)

"What do you do with it?" Many children ask these and similar questions when they see a blood pressure monitor. And what actually is "blood pressure"? In our "Easily explained for children" section, girls and boys can find out more about these exciting topics and how the doctor takes a measurement.

Your heart is like a pump that constantly sends blood through your body. This is ensured by the heart muscle, which alternately contracts and relaxes. This blood is very important because it carries oxygen and nutrients to all your organs so that they can work properly. The blood flow exerts pressure on the elastic walls of the blood vessels, which you can imagine as very thin tubes, like a torrential river. This pressure is called blood pressure and can be measured.

How is blood pressure measured?

To measure blood pressure, the doctor needs a special device - the blood pressure monitor. As a patient, you must first free one arm, i.e. pull your shirt up over your elbow. The doctor will then place a cuff around your upper arm. Think of this cuff as a wide belt that you can inflate. Two gray tubes hang from it, through which the doctor pumps air. This makes the cuff tighter and tighter until the blood temporarily stops flowing through the arm.

Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. Then the doctor slowly releases the air again - a bit like deflating an air mattress. At this point at the latest, you should no longer speak, cough or move, otherwise the measurement will not be correct. The doctor uses a second device, the stethoscope, to listen to the sounds of the blood in the crook of your arm and looks at the number scale on the measuring device at the other end of the tubes. The pointer on it moves counterclockwise. In this way, the doctor determines two values - the blood pressure.

Two numbers are enough
The first number indicates the pressure when your heart contracts and the blood is pumped into the blood vessels. This is the higher value, also known as systolic pressure. The second number indicates the pressure when your heart relaxes again and the blood flows back into the vessels after pumping. This is the lower value or diastolic pressure. 120/80 is considered normal blood pressure in adults, but is only a guide value. In children, both values are lower and depend on age, gender and height.

Why is blood pressure so important?
Blood pressure helps your body to function properly. If it is too high (this is called high blood pressure), too much pressure is exerted on the blood vessels. This can damage the heart and blood vessels. The doctor should therefore find out the cause in good time and recommend suitable treatment. On the other hand, if the blood pressure is considered too low, the blood may not flow fast enough to the organs, which can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, fainting or weakness. This is why you should regularly check your blood pressure yourself or have it checked by a doctor, especially as an adult.