Find out which is the best app to measure blood pressure

Measuring blood pressure is essential for people who suffer from high blood pressure, understanding the most appropriate application for measuring blood pressure can help a lot in this regard.

A National Health Survey, carried out by IBGE in 2019, stated that the country has an average of 38.1 million people who suffer from high blood pressure. Cases of the disease have been growing increasingly in the country since 2013 and, according to the study, the occurrence of hypertension increases as the population ages.

People over the age of 75, for example, cases of high blood pressure are recorded in 62.1% of the population. These references are very worrying and show the need for health care, monitoring and quality information so that these people can have access to full control of the disease.

A practical and simple way to measure blood pressure is using applications aimed at the health sector. Therefore, technology is increasingly present in people's daily lives and it is a way of increasing practice and making hypertension monitoring more relaxed, dynamic and functional.

What are health apps?

These are apps to help with self-care and recording health data. Nowadays there are many types of applications with various functions, which may vary according to the developers' intention or the users' main focus.

Among the most popular applications are:

° Medication Control;
° Vaccines;
° Menstrual cycle and fertile period;
° Diet and nutrient intake;
° Water consumption;
° Anxiety control;
° Training and physical exercises;
° Health agreements and plans.

What are the benefits of health apps?

The number of users of health applications is increasing. With current technology, they have become great allies in prevention and health care measures. These applications have many functions and provide several advantages that justify their use every day.

See the main benefits:

1-Proximity: Using technology, the distance between people ends up decreasing. Using applications is no different: people can contact doctors, issue exams and receive reports, in addition to having access to safe and reliable information, all in a secure way.
2-Information storage: one of the main functions, which most applications have, is the option to save records. This way, it is possible to have health monitoring in a simpler way, which ends up encouraging patients to be more concerned about quality of life and well-being.
3-Ease: the easy way and the various functions of the applications are other highlights. In applications, the language is simple, less technical, and this ends up being a great advantage for people. It happens because applications are created with UX (User Experience) concepts, the area responsible for making technology more accessible for everyone.

What is blood pressure?

It is the pressure that the blood has on the inside of the arteries as it passes through. This force is made by the heartbeat, the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout our body.

It is possible to measure blood pressure when it presents altered values, it may cause problems such as hypertension. Therefore, blood pressure is made up of two numbers:

Systolic pressure: which is the pressure when blood is pumped;
Diastolic pressure: when the heart relaxes between beats.

Values are measured with millimeters of mercury. Consider 120/80 mmHg or, popularly, 12 by 8 to be adequate. Values may vary depending on age, for example. Furthermore, people who have kidney disease or diabetes should be careful to keep their blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg. When the value reaches 140/90mmHg, you are considered hypertensive.

How to measure blood pressure?

Having control of the pressure value is essential, both for those who have blood pressure problems and for those who have no changes. In prenatal care, for example, pregnant women tend to undergo frequent monitoring.

But, after all, what is the method of measuring blood pressure? There are two main devices for measuring pressure: the mechanical sphygmomanometer and the digital sphygmomanometer. Both have the same function, the first performs manual measurement, while the second performs digital measurement, allowing the user to measure their pressure alone.

To measure correctly, without running the risk of causing any change, some tips can be essential:

° If possible, take your blood pressure measurement in the morning and, if possible, while still fasting;
° If you need to urinate, do so before measuring;
° Don't lift too much weight or make too much physical effort. If you do, wait at least five minutes before measuring;
° Smoking cigarettes or drinking alcoholic beverages should not be done in the thirty minutes before the measurement;
° Do not cross your legs to avoid causing venous delay, forcing the heart to work harder and the pressure to rise;
° Avoid talking while taking your blood pressure.

Check out some tips for measuring with a mechanical sphygmomanometer below:

° Place the device cuff approximately 3 cm above the bend of the arm;
° Find the pulse and place the “head” of the stethoscope over the location;
° Keep the valve closed and place the stethoscope in your ear;
° Fill the cuff up to 180 mmHg, opening the valve slowly;
° Observe the pointers and interpret the sounds: the strongest is the maximum pressure and the last is the minimum.

Applications for measuring blood pressure: which is the best?

Applications to monitor your health are being increasingly used. They help in measuring blood pressure. Through photoelectric components, for example, it is possible for applications to recognize the user's heart rate and measure the user's pressure.

In most applications, data is archived very simply. In any case, it is possible to analyze and monitor it in a much easier way.

There are many application options, both for cell phones with Android and iOS operating systems. Some applications use a connection with smart watches, which can measure blood pressure and emit electrocardiogram signals. The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorizes and ensures the effectiveness of these applications.

Two good options are the BP Monitor App, which measures systolic and diastolic blood pressure, in addition to pulse rate; and the iCare Health Monitor, which analyzes blood pressure and heart rate. It is very important to highlight that, despite being very useful, apps are not the only option for controlling blood pressure, especially for those who already suffer from high blood pressure.

The apps are a form of support, but they do not replace periodic visits to the doctor and health check-ups. The focus is that these tools are used as sources of information that help and complement the monitoring of specialist doctors.

The Zello app brings together your entire history of medical appointments and exams.