17. Blood Pressure



1.

A: Have you been having any problems lately?

B: No, but the nurse at school says that I should have my blood pressure checked.

A: Do you have a history of high blood pressure?

B: No, I have never been told that I have high blood pressure.

A: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it hardly ever has symptoms.

B: How do you check for high blood pressure?

A: We are going to use this cuff here, and it will give me a reading.

B: What do the numbers mean?

A: They tell me how much your heart is working at rest and when pumping blood.

B: Good. That will help me know how I am doing.



2.

A: How have you been feeling lately?

B: I've been feeling a little light-headed lately.

A: Has your blood pressure been high before?

B: If I have high blood pressure, it is news to me.

A: Usually people with high blood pressure have no symptoms, so we call it the silent killer.

B: What do you use to check for high blood pressure?

A: I am going to put a cuff on you to get a reading.

B: What does the reading tell you?

A: I get an idea of the pressure in your arteries when your heart is pumping blood versus at rest.

B: I hope that the test results show me to be really healthy.



3.

A: Have you been feeling OK lately?

B: My coach wants you to check my blood pressure.

A: Has anyone ever told you that you had high blood pressure?

B: I don't have any symptoms of high blood pressure.

A: People with high blood pressure seldom know they have it, which is why we call it the silent killer.

B: What test do you do for high blood pressure?

A: We will pump air into this cuff to get a reading.

B: When you get the reading, what information does it give you?

A: It tells me how hard your heart pumps blood and how much your arteries relax at rest.

B: I am hoping that this test goes well for me.



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