Blood pressure monitors are becoming more user friendly so it is quite easy to check your blood pressure at home. If you have high blood pressure or other heart disease, tracking your blood pressure can be important to your health. Home blood pressure monitors are not very expensive, especially if you buy the manual rather than the digital kind.
Make sure you use the proper size cuff. If your arm is very large or very small, the standard size cuff normally supplied with blood pressure monitors may not give you an accurate reading. Choose an extra large cuff for big arms and a pediatric or extra small cuff for small arms.
Protect your monitor to keep it safe from damage. Store it in a protective case when not in use. Don’t let it get too hot like it might in a locked car on a hot day. If you drop the monitor, check it against another monitor to make sure it is still accurate. Check your cuff and tubing for cracks and leaks before each use. Be careful not to submerge your blood pressure monitor in water.
As a general rule you will be recording the resting blood pressure. The only exception would be if your doctor tells you to do something else. The reason for this is that stress and activities elevate your blood pressure and if you need to keep track of the readings, then the same conditions have to be ensured for each reading. You also should not smoke, eat or exercise a half hour before it is time to take the blood pressure reading. The best way to get good readings is to sit comfortably with your feet on the floor.
When using digital blood pressure monitors, it is important to sit still while the unit is in operation. If you move around during testing, the results might not be accurate. Using a cell phone while taking your blood pressure might cause an inaccurate reading with digital blood pressure monitors also.
When taking your blood pressure if for any reason it seems unusual or incorrect, then you should always retake it just to be on the safe side. Before you do, however, you have to wait a few minutes. When you do the test again also start over completely, which means you have to remove the arm cuff before you measure your blood pressure.
All blood pressure monitors should be checked periodically for accuracy. The best way to do that is to take your blood pressure monitor with you to the doctor’s office so your doctor can take your blood pressure with his equipment and yours at the same time so you can compare results.
It cannot be emphasized enough that you should be consistent in your routine when it comes to taking your blood pressure. Any changes such as climbing up the stairs can elevate the reading versus if you took it while resting. Your blood pressure does rise and fall throughout the day, but your activities can also affect the outcome of the reading.
Another way of assisting your doctor with his diagnosis and treatment of you is to keep a log or journal of your blood pressure readings. You should make a note of the conditions, such as if you were relaxed, feeling stressed or whatever the case may be, as well as record the time of day and any other pertinent information to help in your treatment.
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Posted under Heart Rate Monitor
This post was written by Assistant Editor on October 14, 2009
