In choosing a blood pressure monitor the accuracy of the device should be the most important consideration. Secondly, the reliability of the readings should be considered. Thirdly, the ease of use of the device should be taken into account.
Accuracy refers to the degree to which the blood pressure readings obtained actually reflects the true pressure within the arteries at the time that readings are performed. Reliability on the other hand, refers to the degree to which blood pressure readings reflect the average arterial pressure within a 24-hour period of time.
The technique of the individual performing the measurements, the attributes of the measuring device, and arm selection are the main variables that determine accuracy. The frequency of readings, the recording of the readings and understanding the many factors that can affect blood pressure are the main variables that determine the reliability of the readings.
One of most common reasons for an inaccurate reading is malpositioning of the arm in relationship to the heart when a reading is being taken. If the reading is taken with the arm hanging down well below the level of the heart the reading is likely to be spuriously higher than the true pressure, and if the arm is positioned higher than the level the heart the reading is likely to be spuriously low. Parenthetically, if the arm is not supported by a stationary structure such as a stand or another person if someone else is performing the reading, but is held in position against gravity by the individual on whom reading is being performed, a certain degree of isometric exercise is being performed which can have an effect on the reading. If achieving proper arm positioning is a problem, a wrist monitor with the Omron patented advanced positioning sensor technology is a likely solution. The device will alert you with a characteristic beep signal and will not begin to read at all if the arm is not in proper position. It allows you to take readings sitting and lying, knowing that at the accuracy of your readings is not being compromised by improper arm position. Since sitting readings are performed with the arm flexed at the elbow and supported by the hand of the contralateral arm isometric exercise is not performed during the readings.
Another very common cause of an invalid blood pressure reading is an improper cuff size in relationship to the circumference of the upper arm. Generally, if the cuff size is too small relative to the upper arm circumference the reading will be higher than the true arterial pressure. Conversely, if the cuff size is too large for the circumference of the arm the reading will be lower than the true pressure. The cuffs used for upper arm measurements come in several adult sizes. There is no standardization of the sizes between manufacturers, but for the sake of practicality the primary sizes are adult, adult large and thigh. Some manufacturers also produce an extra large adult size which is the size in between adult large and thigh. To ensure use of the appropriate cuff size the American Heart Association recommends that you measure your upper arm circumference and select a cuff with a specified arm circumference range that includes your measurement. If your arm circumference exceeds that of the largest cuff available you should consider one of the wrist monitors which generally accommodate wrist circumferences between 13.5 cm to 21 cm or 5.25 inches to 8.5 inches.
If the cuff is not inflated high enough before deflation is begun the systolic reading might be lower than the true arterial pressure. If the inflation and deflation process is interrupted and repetitive the overall reading is likely to be inaccurate. To eliminate the inaccuracies associated with these technical flaws, an automated unit, particularly one with the IntelliSense technology is a likely solution. IntelliSense is an exclusive technology developed by Omron which allows monitors to automatically inflate and deflate at a level optimal for each individual user, thus assuring accuracy and comfort. It requires no adjustments.
There are generally a few and sometimes several point differences in blood pressure readings between arms. The dominant arm i.e. the right arm in a right-handed person and the left arm in a left-handed person usually has the higher reading, which is considered to be the reading most reflective of the pressure within the arteries of the body in general. Thus, that arm should be arm in which readings are taken. Some of the blood pressure devices, particularly the wrist monitors are designed to take readings from left arm or wrist respectively, which means that your readings might be invalid if your are right-handed. A likely solution to this problem, even if you are left-handed but have higher readings in the right arm would be one of the units that can be adjusted to take readings from the desired arm or wrist.
If you are visually impaired and have difficulty reading the screen of a blood pressure measuring device there are some quality talking units that will give you an audio reading in addition to an LCD display.
The American Heart Association recognizes certain blood pressure monitors as approved, tested and validated by The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, the British medical Society and The International Protocol for the Validation of Automated Blood Pressure Measuring Devices. A list of validated monitors is available at the Dabl Educational Trust Web site* and the British Hypertension Society Web site*.
The fact that a particular brand or model monitor is not on the list means that it either did past the tests or has never been subjected to the approval and validation testing protocol, which is the case with many of the newer devices which have been launched since the last lists were generated in 2008. Based on my experience with blood pressure monitors, the low-end priced units, i.e. $24.99- $39.99 range tend to be somewhat erratic in their readings whereas units that began at the intermediate $50 price range tend to be much more accurate and consistent. The higher-priced units are not necessarily any more accurate than the medium priced units but do provide some of the aforementioned benefits as well as the benefit described in the following paragraph.
The sine qua non for reliable blood pressure readings is performing multiple readings in a 24-hour period which is the basis for experts’ in the field of hypertension current recommendation to perform three readings in rapid succession in the morning and three readings in rapid succession at night. There are monitoring machines that will do this, average the readings, and allow downloading of the information into an accompanying software program installed on your PC. The information can then be presented to your doctor for analysis and proper integration into your treatment course.
In summary, you should take into account various factors relating to technique, anatomy, and attributes of the monitoring device which affect the accuracy of readings, as well as the ease of use, particularly with respect to obtaining reliable readings in choosing a blood pressure monitor.
About The Author
I have been a principal investigator in several hypertension studies including ALLHAT and have several years of experience treating high blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure and home monitoring, and to make an informed choice and a wise investment visit my website.
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.bpmonitoroutlet.com
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Take Charge of Your Health Keep Track of Everything by Megan Oltman
One of the simplest and most powerful ways to take charge of your health is to keep track of everything related to your Migraines. A good headache specialist will want to see a Migraine diary, which should include dates and duration of your Migraines, severity of pain, other symptoms, triggers you are aware of, could also include amount, times and quality of sleep, foods eaten, medications used. Your doctor cannot know if treatments are effective without this kind of information. Keeping a migraine diary is as important for you as it is for your doctor. Knowledge is power, remember? The knowledge you have about your own body, your own processes, gives you power.
By tracking Migraine triggers, you can notice new triggers and learn to avoid and eliminate some of them. Gaining some control over your Migraines is a process that will take time – if you have a 5% improvement per month, in a year you would have only 56% of the migraines you have now. Think what you could do with all those pain-free days! But how will you know if you’ve had a 5% improvement if you haven’t kept track? We need something objective to measure against, rather than just our feelings. Your own Migraine brain is unique, and your triggers, combination of triggers, Migraine patterns, and what is effective to treat them, will not be exactly like anyone else’s. You must be the master of that information.
There is another reason to keep track not only of your Migraines and the factors that affect them, but also of the effect they have on your life. If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to apply for disability, this information becomes very important. You will need to show that you have been unable to work, or unable to perform functions of daily life, for a certain period of time, and the more documentation you have of that, the better. If your doctor doesn’t ask you about it, be sure you tell your doctor how many days of work you miss due to Migraines, and ask him or her to put that information in your medical records. If you are asking either an insurance company or a government benefits program to grant you disability and you don’t have this kind of documentation, you will have a very hard time. You will be in the best position if you have medical records of your disability as well as your own records of your disability.
How should you do it? There are a number of migraine diaries available online. I use a form I’ve created that let’s me see both the calendar and specifics for each day. Use anything that has enough flexibility to put in additional factors as you develop the need to track them. What’s most important is to develop a habit of recording everything. Start with the basics – Keep track of Migraine:
* dates
* time of onset
* severity (use a 1 – 10 pain scale or create one for yourself)
* duration
* aura if you have it
* any other symptoms that come before the migraine
* triggers you are aware of
* your sleep patterns
* hanges you make in medications
* diet
* nutritional supplements
* supportive therapies such as acupuncture, massage, exercise, stretching, yoga or meditation.
Whatever you use, be sure to keep all your important papers together. A loose-leaf notebook works well; you can get folders to put inside it to keep medical records and prescription forms in, diary pages. You can keep questions you have for your doctor, or instructions if you need to go to the emergency room, and take the notebook with you to any appointments. This way everything is always in one place.
When you track your Migraines this way you can see trends and patterns, you can see what your unique brain responds to, and you can make the changes that can reduce your Migraines
By tracking Migraine triggers, you can notice new triggers and learn to avoid and eliminate some of them. Gaining some control over your Migraines is a process that will take time – if you have a 5% improvement per month, in a year you would have only 56% of the migraines you have now. Think what you could do with all those pain-free days! But how will you know if you’ve had a 5% improvement if you haven’t kept track? We need something objective to measure against, rather than just our feelings. Your own Migraine brain is unique, and your triggers, combination of triggers, Migraine patterns, and what is effective to treat them, will not be exactly like anyone else’s. You must be the master of that information.
There is another reason to keep track not only of your Migraines and the factors that affect them, but also of the effect they have on your life. If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to apply for disability, this information becomes very important. You will need to show that you have been unable to work, or unable to perform functions of daily life, for a certain period of time, and the more documentation you have of that, the better. If your doctor doesn’t ask you about it, be sure you tell your doctor how many days of work you miss due to Migraines, and ask him or her to put that information in your medical records. If you are asking either an insurance company or a government benefits program to grant you disability and you don’t have this kind of documentation, you will have a very hard time. You will be in the best position if you have medical records of your disability as well as your own records of your disability.
How should you do it? There are a number of migraine diaries available online. I use a form I’ve created that let’s me see both the calendar and specifics for each day. Use anything that has enough flexibility to put in additional factors as you develop the need to track them. What’s most important is to develop a habit of recording everything. Start with the basics – Keep track of Migraine:
* dates
* time of onset
* severity (use a 1 – 10 pain scale or create one for yourself)
* duration
* aura if you have it
* any other symptoms that come before the migraine
* triggers you are aware of
* your sleep patterns
* hanges you make in medications
* diet
* nutritional supplements
* supportive therapies such as acupuncture, massage, exercise, stretching, yoga or meditation.
Whatever you use, be sure to keep all your important papers together. A loose-leaf notebook works well; you can get folders to put inside it to keep medical records and prescription forms in, diary pages. You can keep questions you have for your doctor, or instructions if you need to go to the emergency room, and take the notebook with you to any appointments. This way everything is always in one place.
When you track your Migraines this way you can see trends and patterns, you can see what your unique brain responds to, and you can make the changes that can reduce your Migraines
How to Maintain Your Income Stream If You Are Laid Off? by Nicole Reebi
How to Maintain Your Income Stream If You Are Laid Off?
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The world has entered into a recession, many corporations and companies had announced their job cutting news. If you are an employee for any of the companies that have plan to reduce their company's headcounts; then, your job will not be guaranteed. The question is how you are going to maintain your income stream just in case you are being laid off and unable to find a new job due to the job opportunities have been cutting down tremendously by most companies. It's time for you to think of setting up a second income source.
If you are thinking of getting a part-time job from other company, and go to work after your day job, then you probably will have a hard time find one in today's recession situation. Then, what other ways to source for income if you can't find a part-time job?
What if you create one for yourself? There are a few ways to make your own business without the need to investment a lot of money. By using the advantages of internet and online business features that allow you to work from home, here are the 2 common ways of earning money online:
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a business model that enables you to make money online without the need to have your own product. There are many online merchants looking for marketing outsourcing. They make their products available for online freelance agents, called affiliates who will be given commission based on their sales. You can set up a website to sell a few selected affiliate products. Your role as an affiliate is to drive web traffic to your website or directly to merchant's website through a unique link that will identify you as the affiliate who makes the sale.
Affiliate marketing has been a good income source for many people either as the part-time job or a full-time income. You may consider to set up a second income source through affiliate marketing while you still with your day job. Invest some time and efforts to make it successful; it can become your main income source just in case you are being laid off.
2. Set up an online store
Unlike traditional business, you don't need to invest a lot of money to have your own business on internet. You can choose to become your own boss by opening an online store to sell physical or downloadable products. In addition, you don't need to own a product for an online business. There is a business called dropshipping where you can easily find the products you are interested in selling at your online store; buy it at wholesale price and sell it at retail price at your online store. Under the dropshipping business model, dropshippers will sell you their product at wholesale price for individual item and they will deliver the ordered items to your customers on your behalf.
You don't need to quit your day job to start an online business. In fact, you can do it in parallel and work it out for a success. The income from online store can replace your main income just in case you have lost your job due to being laid off.
Summary
Under the bad economy situation where companies are looking for potential cost cutting and headcounts reduction, no job is guaranteed. As a working individual, you need to start to think of how to maintain your income stream if you are hit by the recession wave. Internet can be the best source to set up an income online and be the back up income stream while you are still with your day job.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Arts: The Passing of a Pop Icon - NYTimes.com/Video
Michael Jackson, the legendary singer, songwriter and dancer, died in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Interview with Michael Cheney from Adsense Videos
Interview
with Michael Cheney from AdSense Videos
Q. So what made
you get started with AdSense?
A. I
was looking for a way to monetize some of my websites. AdSense
is such an easy thing to get started with the eye for it would
be a great way to start earning more money without actually putting
into much more effort. I think as soon as you see the first earnings
coming into your account you get addicted to AdSense. I know is
what happened to me and since then I've just spent time working
out how to earn more and more each day.
Q. How much do
you make with AdSense?
A. Some days I can earn
close to $1000 and others it's less than that. But it all comes
down to how much time and effort you devote to creating a quality
site that people like visiting. AdSense is not what my business
is based on by any means - but it is a great way to earn revenue
almost on autopilot.
Q. What is the
biggest mistake people making with AdSense?
A. Probably
the biggest mistake people make is thinking the AdSense earnings
are easy to achieve. It is very easy to get started but as I learned
it takes a lot of effort to increase your earnings. I got really
downhearted whenever I would log in to my account to see that
I had only made a few dollars. And that's when I decided to spend
months and months of my time learning everything I could about
AdSense.
I basically buried myself
away and devoured every single piece of AdSense information I
could find. I ran thousands of AdSense tests and started to see
a dramatic effect on my click through ratio and therefore on my
earnings.
This is why I'd decided
to record the videos - because I knew that it would help people
who were in my position to also increase their earnings. I've
read an absolute ton of AdSense e-book's but they take so long
to go through and always seem to keep information back.
With AdSense Videos I
knew that I had to tell the story exactly as it is and actually
show people and lead them by the hand through the exact techniques
that I use to generate large earnings from AdSense.
Q. In your videos
you show people how to increase their AdSense earnings - can you
give us a taster of this advice?
A. I
don't want to give away my biggest secrets as you can understand!
But some of the more basic things that you can do to increase
your revenues include using ads that blend in rather than stand
out from your content. Flat out the worst thing you can do with
an AdSense ad is make it look like the standard Google ad. What
you need to realise is that you will get more clicks if your ad
actually appears part of your site rather than something that's
just been dropped into the page.
Q. What would
you recommend that someone do right now to increase their AdSense
earnings?
A. I've
created a totally free AdSense minicourse that people can go through
to learn some of my techniques. It takes you through the four
cornerstone principles that I've used to build up my AdSense empire.
You can check it out, as well as all the AdSense Videos, here:
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEOS
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson Dead At 50: "R.I.P."
One Word... "Legend" "Which Michael Jackson song is Your ALL TIME FAV?"
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