The pressure on the hand on the leg - what should it be?

You can measure blood pressure (BP) not only on the shoulder, but also on the leg. Pressure indicators will be no less reliable, but you need to know how to correctly interpret the results obtained. Blood pressure levels in the upper and lower extremities may be approximately the same or different. Since the limits of the norm are quite wide, a moderate increase does not always indicate problems.

Characteristics of blood pressure

Blood pressure level is directly related to the pumping function of the heart muscle and vascular elasticity.

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Pressure is present in the arteries to ensure that the body's organs receive the oxygen and nutrients they need. Upper pressure (systolic) is determined at the moment when muscle contraction occurs. After contraction, the heart relaxes until the next pumping of blood. This provokes a decrease in blood pressure. During the period when blood pressure reaches a minimum value, the lower pressure (diastolic) is determined. Blood pressure is measured in special units - millimeters of mercury. When measuring blood pressure, the highest value is noted first.

Normal pressure for the upper limbs

The limits of blood pressure changes can change throughout a person’s life and depending on past or congenital diseases. The average value for a healthy adult is 120/80 mmHg. Art. The table shows the limits of normal values ​​for different age categories and representatives of both sexes. It is noteworthy that blood pressure increases with age in both men and women.

Normal pressure for lower extremities

In a healthy person, blood pressure in the leg is higher than in the arm. This is a normal state of affairs. But it is important to remember that the pressure reading on the leg should not be more than 20 mmHg higher than the reading from the forearm. Art. If the patient has a narrowing of the main arteries of the legs, the pressure in the legs will be lower. The indicator may differ by 30-50% from that obtained when measured on the hand.

Foot pain

Gout

Arthritis

Diabetes

38548 05 March

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Foot pain: causes, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

The foot consists of 26 bones, which, when connected to each other, form several joints, held together by numerous elastic muscles and strong ligaments. It bears the entire weight of the human body, so pain in the foot causes not only discomfort, but in many cases limits motor activity.

Foot pain is a common symptom that can be caused by a variety of reasons.

In some cases, when collecting anamnesis, the doctor needs only such characteristics of pain in the foot as its location and conditions of occurrence, as well as the presence of concomitant diseases and other symptoms that accompany this pain (numbness of the foot, itchy skin, etc.). In others, finding the cause of pain requires a thorough laboratory and instrumental examination.

Types of foot pain
Based on duration, they are distinguished:

1. Acute
   pain in the foot - this phenomenon is most often associated with injuries - bone fractures, ruptured or sprained ligaments, severe bruises.
2. Chronic
   pain that bothers the patient for a long time, in some cases, in the absence of proper treatment, a person develops a forced type of gait, which is associated with attempts to maintain the function of movement, while sparing the affected limb. The causes of this condition can be both diseases of the foot itself and pathologies of various body systems.

According to localization they distinguish:

1. Diffuse
   pain – affects the entire foot.
2. Local
   pain – clearly limited to a specific area.

Possible causes of pain in the foot
One of the main causes of pain is
traumatic injuries to the foot
(bruises, sprains, bone fractures). With fractures, the pain is sharp, and swelling is rapidly increasing. In many cases, the supporting function of the foot is lost. Bruises and sprains are characterized by moderate pain, swelling and hematomas. Support is preserved, sometimes limited.

The next reason is inflammatory processes

affecting the joints of the foot. These include gout, chondrocalcinosis (pseudogout), rheumatoid arthritis.

Gout is a disease that occurs due to a disorder in the metabolism of uric acid. The deposition of uric acid salts in the joints is called gouty arthritis. With this disease, the first metatarsophalangeal joint is most often affected, which is manifested by a severe attack of pain, redness of this joint, swelling, and fever. Typically, an exacerbation of gouty arthritis lasts 6–7 days.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that also affects the joints of the feet and hands. Characterized by morning stiffness and pain in the hands and feet.

Pain in the foot can be a symptom
of pathology of bone structures
. In this case, we can talk about diseases such as osteomyelitis, osteoporosis, bursitis of the metatarsal head, etc.

Osteomyelitis can result from open fractures, infected wounds, or surgical interventions on the foot. It manifests itself as an increase in pain and a deterioration in general condition. The pain is throbbing, bursting, intensifying with any movement.

In osteoporosis, bone strength is compromised due to decreased bone density. This condition is promoted by hormonal changes in women during menopause and during pregnancy, some endocrine diseases, insufficient supply of calcium and phosphorus from the outside, as well as excessive stress on the musculoskeletal system.

Pain in the feet with this disease is constant and intensifies with movement.

Bursitis of the metatarsal heads is a change in the articular capsules of the foot joints, associated with their increased trauma due to age-related thinning of the fatty layers that protect them. It manifests itself by the appearance of painful “bumps” in the projection of the joints of the feet.

To diseases of the ligamentous apparatus

foot pain syndromes include, for example, plantar fasciitis. The calcaneal fascia is a plate of connective tissue that starts from the heel bone and ends with attachment to the heads of the metatarsal bones. With increased loads, excess weight, and flat feet, the fascia is stretched and injured, which causes inflammation to develop in it. This condition is called plantar fasciitis and causes pain in the instep and sides of the foot.

A distinctive feature of this disease is also that the pain occurs in the morning, after a night's rest, intensifies with exercise, and in some situations can lead to lameness.

A condition where the fascia ossifies where it attaches to the heel bone and causes severe pain in the heel when walking is called a heel spur.

Diabetes may be a cause of foot pain

– a disease in which the microvasculature also suffers due to impaired glucose metabolism. Diabetic osteoarthropathy (a type of diabetic foot) primarily affects the metatarsal joints. The pain in the feet is not intense at first, but as the pathological process develops it becomes prolonged, appears even at rest, and severe deformation of the feet develops.

In the neuropathic form of diabetic foot, zones with hyperkeratosis are formed, and painful ulcers and cracks form in their place.

The ischemic form of diabetic foot is characterized by pain when walking, persistent swelling of the feet, and weakened pulsation of the arteries.

Diabetic foot with the development of gangrene, along with obliterating atherosclerosis and endarteritis, is one of the most serious complications of diabetes.

Flat feet

characterized by a change in the shape of the arch of the foot, which leads both to a redistribution of the load on the bones and muscles of the foot, and to compression of the vessels and nerves passing through that part of the sole that is not normally involved in the act of walking. The reasons for the development of flat feet include rickets suffered in childhood, wearing incorrectly selected uncomfortable shoes, weightlifting, congenital weakness of connective tissue, congenital difference in leg length, etc.

Inflammatory processes in the soft tissues of the foot

also cause pain. If infection gets into small wounds during a pedicure or the skin of the toes is injured, panaritium (purulent inflammation of the periungual tissues) may develop.

Panaritium is characterized by shooting pain in the affected finger, disturbing sleep, discharge of pus from the wound, redness and swelling of the finger.

An ingrown nail (onychocryptosis) is the ingrowth of the nail plate into the lateral edge of the nail fold. This condition manifests itself as jerking pain in the affected finger, swelling; a possible complication in the form of infection.

Which doctors should I consult for foot pain?

Pain in the foot brings significant discomfort and often makes it difficult to move, so you should decide in advance which doctor to see in order to avoid long standing in lines and unnecessary trips to the clinic. As a rule, an orthopedist is involved in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with deforming or traumatic damage to bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments of the musculoskeletal system. However, patients with diabetes first need to make an appointment with, and with vascular problems - with a phlebologist. Rheumatologists treat diseases associated with chronic connective tissue lesions. A traumatologist consults patients with foot injuries. If symptoms appear that resemble an ingrown toenail, osteomyelitis or panaritium, you should consult a surgeon.

In most cases, assistance can be provided on an outpatient basis, but sometimes hospitalization is required.
Diagnostics and examinations for foot pain The diagnosis of “Osteoporosis” is made on the basis of x-rays of bones and blood tests for calcium, phosphorus and other necessary indicators.

Why are pressure measurements taken in the leg area?

Blood pressure readings are taken on the legs for diagnostic purposes. If the doctor suspects that the patient has a narrowing of the vessels of the lower extremities, the patient undergoes such a study. Measuring blood pressure in the legs is considered a fairly effective method because it immediately reflects changes in the patient's blood flow. In addition, the ratio of blood pressure readings in the legs and arms is calculated - the ankle-brachial index. The index is used to assess the severity of arterial damage in the legs. In addition, by calculating the index value, the doctor can monitor the development of detected arterial disease.

What is edema?

Edema is the accumulation of fluid in tissues.
Many believe that the main mechanism for the occurrence of edema is the “accumulation of salts” in tissues that attract water. However, in reality, the formation of edema in detail looks somewhat more complicated. Edema can occur due to the following disorders:

• disturbances in the permeability of cell membranes. In this case, the cells seem to begin to “release” more fluid outward than normal.
• protein metabolism disorders. Not only salts, but also protein molecules have the ability to attract water. That is why a violation of their metabolism (for example, with an unbalanced diet) can lead to edema.
• pressure gradient changes. The hydrostatic processes occurring in the body are quite complex. Therefore, the fact that our ankles are swollen may mean that the correct difference in fluid pressure in the vessels and in the surrounding tissues has been disrupted.
• blockage of small vessels, most often capillaries. This leads to the fact that the normal circulation of blood or lymph is disrupted, and we complain of swelling of the ankles.

All these mechanisms can be triggered in various diseases and conditions. Below we list the main ones.

How to measure blood pressure in the lower extremities?

Methodology of the procedure

It is difficult to take readings on your feet on your own, so it is recommended to seek help from a medical institution.

To obtain data, you will need an electronic tonometer with a wide cuff (7-7.5 cm). The patient will be asked to lie down on the couch. The legs are straightened and positioned at the same level as the heart. Arms and legs should not be lifted up or moved, as this may distort the results. The person is given 5-10 minutes to calm down and relax before the procedure.

The cuff is placed on the ankle 2-3 centimeters from the back of the foot. There is no need to overtighten the cuff; there should be enough space between it and the skin for your finger. Air tubes are placed over the artery in which the pressure is measured. Next, the pulse is felt in the posterior tibial artery - below the bone on the inside of the ankle. After turning on the tonometer, it is necessary to inject air into the cuff and continue inflation until the pulsation disappears at the above point. Air is admitted another 20 mmHg. Art. and then gradually descends. It is necessary to release 2 mmHg. Art. air per second. The tonometer screen will show the recorded readings. You need to measure blood pressure in this way twice or thrice, and then calculate the arithmetic mean from the obtained numbers. On the second leg, blood pressure must be measured in the same way.

How to get an accurate result?

In order for the research results to be reliable, 1.5-2 hours before the procedure it is prohibited:

• eat;
• smoke;
• drink alcoholic and tonic drinks;
• take medications that act on alpha and beta adrenergic receptors;
• play sports.

What to do if your ankles are swollen?

Of course, if you notice that your legs are regularly swelling, you should consult a doctor.

Swelling in your feet and ankles may indicate overuse of your legs during the day, or it may be a sign of a serious medical condition such as varicose veins or lymphedema. What is the true cause of edema can only be determined by a specialist. And by following all his recommendations, you will be able to maintain the beauty and health of your feet for as long as possible.

And some traditional medicine recipes can help quickly relieve an unpleasant condition:

• take a contrast shower or bath. Sometimes such activation of blood circulation is enough to relieve swelling, especially if it is caused by tired legs.
• A compress with blue clay helps improve the condition of your feet. Dilute blue clay (it is sold at the pharmacy) with water to the consistency of sour cream and apply to the area of ​​swelling. Let dry and leave for about an hour. You can wrap your leg in film so that the clay does not crumble when it dries.
• baths with sea salt, mint, birch and juniper leaves relieve tired legs and help reduce swelling.

If swelling is constantly observed, introduce into your diet foods that have a diuretic effect: watermelon, cucumbers, parsley, it is also recommended to drink pumpkin juice.

Reasons for the differences

Only a doctor can determine the exact cause of the difference in pressure in the two arms. But there are some signs that you can analyze yourself:

• On one arm the pressure is normal, on the other it is increased - this may be due to vegetative-vascular dystonia or individual characteristics of the structure of the arteries;
• On one hand the pressure is increased, on the other - even higher - such manifestations are caused by constant stress, lack of sleep, hypertension, vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• On one arm the pressure is low, on the other – within the normal range or high – there is a possibility of obstruction of the arteries and problems with the blood supply to the arm.

Problems with arterial patency are caused by compression of large vessels, which narrows or blocks the lumen.

Arterial obstruction develops against the background of:

• Atherosclerosis - cholesterol deposits inside the vessels create plaques that block the lumen;
• Thrombosis, thromboembolism - blood clots are called blood clots that form inside the vessels and impede blood flow;
• Aneurysms - sac-like expansions appear on the blood vessels, preventing normal blood flow;
• Aorto-arteritis – inflammation of the vascular walls, causing thickening of the membranes;
• Scalenus syndrome – the subclavian artery is surrounded by muscles that can harden and compress the arteries.

The causes of obstruction of large vessels can be injuries, surgical operations, the appearance of malignant or benign neoplasms in the soft and bone tissues of the chest or shoulder.