Introduction:
Monitoring your blood pressure at home on a regular basis will help diagnose hypertension early on and prevent other lifestyle conditions. It can also be used to adjust your dosage if you are taking BP (blood pressure) medications.
How to Monitor Blood Pressure at Home?
Blood pressure monitoring at home is recommended for most people who are suspected of having high blood pressure or are at high risk. The doctor would not be able to correctly say that you are hypertensive with only one reading of the blood pressure. The guidelines say that at-least three readings have to be taken at different time points in a day to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension. The readings taken while people are going about their daily lives are more accurate than those taken in a clinic. These readings would also give your doctor information about how the medication is working. The ideal method - ambulatory blood pressure monitoring - uses a portable recorder.
Researches recommend regular blood pressure monitoring for the following persons:
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Hypertensive patients on medication.
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Patients where frequent monitoring of BP is required and is not possible to come to the clinic many times a day.
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Elderly people with high risk.
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Coronary heart disease patients.
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Diabetics.
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Patients with kidney diseases.
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Pregnant women.
What to Look for When Buying a Blood Pressure Monitoring Device?
These days this task is very easy as digital blood pressure monitors are available on the market. They measure your blood pressure and store the readings also with the time stamp. These devices are very user-friendly, and there is no dependency on any other person for measuring. There are 2 types of devices, and they are a wrist blood pressure monitor and an arm blood pressure monitor. It was found that arm blood pressure monitors are more reliable.
As there are many blood pressure monitoring devices available on the market, it is very important that you choose the right one for your needs.
The following aspects are to be considered when buying the device:
Validation: Validation essentially means an accurate monitor. Please check whether it is clinically validated before you buy.
Cuff Size That Fits Your Arm: Only when you have the correct cuff size, the readings will be accurate.
Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor Cuff Sizes -
Measurement (cm) |
Measurement (inches) |
Cuff size |
18-22 cm |
7.1-8.7” |
Small |
22-32 cm |
8.8-12.8” |
Medium |
32-45 cm |
12.8-18” |
Large |
What Tips Should Be Followed for Measuring Blood Pressure at Home?
The following tips can be followed prior to measuring your blood pressure at home:
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Avoid things that can raise your blood pressure temporarily. Do not measure your blood pressure prior to or after half an hour of eating, smoking, having caffeinated drinks like coffee, or exercising. If you feel the urge to use the toilet, do that before you monitor your blood pressure.
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Wear loose-fitting attires. Wear a t-shirt or top with short sleeves so that you can easily push them up. This gives access to you to fit the cuff around your arm.
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Rest for some time before you take the reading. Sit down at a place quietly with your back supported and your arm resting on a hard surface, and your feet touching the floor flatly. This position should be maintained while taking the blood pressure.
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Make sure your arm is at the same level as your heart. The arm and hand should be kept relaxed, not tensed.
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Remain calm, relaxed, and comfortable. Anxiety or apprehension can shoot the blood pressure temporarily.
The tips to be followed while measuring your blood pressure at home:
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At first, measure your blood pressure in both arms. There will be a slight difference in readings. Then, use the arm that had the higher reading each time.
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Always measure the reading in the same arm. Try to use the arm that your doctor or nurse uses to monitor your blood pressure.
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Try to take readings each day at the same time. The blood pressure varies throughout the day and with different activities, so it is good to have a schedule for measuring your blood pressure.
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Do not round off your measurements yourself and note the exact readings as they can affect the treatment that you will be prescribed.
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Do not bother about the minute changes. It is normal to have them.
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Do not monitor your blood pressure frequently. Worrying or anxiety raises blood pressure within a short span of time.
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Do not stop taking or alter your dosage of medications yourself. If you notice any change, always consult your doctor.
How Frequently Should You Measure Your Blood Pressure?
When and how frequently you should take your readings depends on your condition and your doctor’s advice. Initially, it can be essential to monitor your blood pressure at regular intervals.
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First, check your blood pressure in the morning and evening daily for a week.
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Take three readings at a time, one to two minutes apart, and have a record of them. Take their average, but do not consider the first reading if it is much higher than the other two.
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You can ignore the first day’s record completely because the readings might not be accurate as you were not familiar with your monitoring device yet.
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At the end of the week, you will have a clear picture of your blood pressure.
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After the first week, you can record readings less frequently, like once in one or two weeks. Your doctor or nurse will advise you about this, there may be no need to check it too often.
However, there might be circumstances when you would want to measure your blood pressure more frequently. For example, when a new medicine or an altered dose of medicine is given to you, to look for the effect of the change. It is also helpful to maintain the record for four days to a week before your next appointment.
Conclusion:
Blood pressure can be easily monitored at home. But, it requires knowledge of all the critical information about the device and the method to be followed. It helps in giving a clue of the present condition at the moment and also aids in keeping the record for a period of time.