Checking your blood pressure with a home blood pressure monitor is important if you are on medication or alternative treatments and want to be proactive in helping to manage your own health care. If you have hypertension, it is a good idea to use a home blood pressure monitor in your daily routine to be certain your medications and other treatments are working effectively. This gives you the chance to alert your health care practitioner to potential problems.
Step 1
Check to make sure the cuff size is adequate at the time of purchase. Place it on your arm in the appropriate place, either upper arm or wrist. Fasten it with the Velcro strip to ensure its fit. It should wrap around comfortably, leaving a bit of extra length at the end. If you buy it online, ask for the measurements of the cuff and compare them to your arm measurement. Also, examine the display to make sure it is easily readable and large enough for you to see. Remember to check the controls to be sure they are easy for you to work.
Step 2
Take the cuff to your doctor's office before using it the first time. It will help you in the accuracy of your home readings. You should compare the accuracy of your new blood pressure monitor against the doctor's blood pressure cuff, recommends the Life Clinic website.
Step 3
Sit calmly for a few minutes before taking a blood pressure reading. Your feet should be flat on the floor with legs uncrossed. The arm you use to take your blood pressure from needs a place where it can rest comfortably at heart level. A table or pillow works great.
Step 4
Wrap the cuff around your left arm where it is meant to be placed and on the bare skin. The cuff should fit firmly but not too tightly. One finger should be able to slide under the cuff, suggests the Family Doctor website. Avoid speaking or moving around while taking your reading. The Family Doctor website goes on to say, after the first reading is complete, to deflate the cuff and wait a few minutes before taking a second reading to confirm the monitor's accuracy.
Step 5
Record the readings you get each time you take them in a booklet or journal so you can show them to your physician. If your machine gives a reading for your pulse, write that in the log, too.
Step 6
Measure your blood pressure two or three times a day, suggests the Mayo Clinic. The first measurement should be taken early in the morning, before you take your medication. Doing this provides a good range throughout the day. Blood pressure changes according to the time of day, whether you have eaten beforehand, how you are feeling and other environmental stimuli.
Step 7
Notify your doctor if the readings vary greatly, suggests the Life Clinic website. Ask the doctor what reading is normal for you and what level your blood pressure should be. This will help you know what changes to report to your doctor immediately. Write these at the beginning of the log to remind yourself.
Tips and Warnings
- Check at the Dabl Educational Trust and the British Hypertension Society online for a list of blood pressure monitors that have been validated and shown to be accurate through repeated uses. Continue to have your blood pressure machine rechecked several times a year to ensure its accuracy. Oversized cuffs are available for people whose arms are larger than average and small sized cuffs are available not only for children but for adults with smaller arms. Wrist cuffs are generally one-size-fits-all.
Things You'll Need
- Home blood pressure monitor
