Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects over a third of American adults, according to MedlinePlus. Taking your blood pressure at home allows you to see how it varies throughout a day, and it is also a way to monitor the effects of weight loss, exercise and medications. The most important factor in selecting and using a blood pressure system, or a sphygmomanometer, is finding the correct cuff size. The American Heart Association notes that using the wrong cuff size accounts for 88 percent of errors in blood pressure management.
Step 1
Measure your upper arm halfway between your shoulder and your elbow in centimeters. If this measurement is 27 to 34 cm, the cuff should be the standard adult size; between 35 to 44 cm, the cuff should be the large adult size; and if your arm circumference is 45 to 52 cm, the adult thigh-size cuff is required for an accurate reading. Choose a blood pressure machine with the size of cuff you require. Automated blood pressure machines are the only ones you can accurately use to take you own blood pressure, and are increasingly used on doctor's offices and hospitals because they eliminate the errors associated with having to listen to sounds with a stethoscope.
Step 2
Relax in preparation for taking your blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends 5 minutes of sitting and relaxing, without talking, before taking your blood pressure. This will give you an accurate assessment of your blood pressure. To relax more completely, use these 5 minutes to practice deep yoga breathing through your nose, with your eyes closed. Breathe in for 5 slow counts, pause, then breathe out for 5 equally slow counts. Researchers from the Medical College of Nepal, reporting in the March 2009 issue of the "Journal of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine," found that 5 minutes of this breathing pattern was associated with a significant reduction in blood pressure.
Step 3
Position your arm correctly. Bend your non-dominant arm and rest your forearm on a flat surface with your palm facing upwards. Position the cuff with the tubing over the center of the inner part of your elbow where the brachial artery runs close to the surface. Wrap the cuff firmly, though you should still be able to fit two fingers inside the top of the cuff in the uninflated state. Press the "Start" button to inflate the cuff and the machine will do the rest of the work. Simply note and record the resulting blood pressure in your journal.
Things You'll Need
- Blood pressure monitoring system
- Journal
- Pen
- Tape measure
- Bathroom scale
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Who Can Develop High Blood Pressure
- "Circulation"; Recommendations for Blood Pressure Measurement; Thomas G. Pickering, M.D.; 2005
- "Journal of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine"; Immediate Effect of Slow Pace Bhastrika Pranayama on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate; Tapas Pramanik, M.D., et al.; March 2009
- MedlinePlus: Malignant Hypertension
