Monitoring Blood Pressure at Home: Tips and Techniques for Accuracy

Monitoring your blood pressure improves your cardiovascular health and lowers your chance of developing heart disease. Accurate blood pressure monitoring enables you to know when to call your physician for assistance. This article will teach you how to take your blood pressure at home and what tools are used for the job. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.

How can you measure your blood pressure with a home monitor?

Here are the steps you should follow to measure blood pressure with a home monitor:

  • Follow the instructions mentioned in the manual:Put the cuff around the arm as described in the instructions.
  • Place the arm cuff above the elbow: You should put the cuff about 2 cmabove your elbow to ensure that it can detect the artery in your arm under the skin.
  • Keep still and quiet while you take reading: Activities like moving, chewing, talking, and laughing can impact your reading even if you shouldn’tcross your legs because it raises your reading too.
  • Take 2 or 3 readings, each one should be 1 or 2 minutes apart:If your first reading comes higher than the next, ignore it and take another one. Once you have 2 to 2 readings, you can find the average.
  • Keep a record of your measurements:Record all your readings on your computer, phone, or paper- whichever you prefer. Write the exact reading that appears on the screen.

Tips to measure your blood pressure at home

Here are some tips that help you measure your blood pressure at home, including:

  1. Measure your blood pressure in both arms when you start:This may give you slightly different readings but help you choose the arm that gives you the higher reading each time.
  2. Always use the same arm:After choosing the arm, avoid switching to another one. Even tell your doctor or nurse to use the same arm to measure your blood pressure.
  3. Take readings at the same time each day: Avoid taking the reading first thing in the morning but ensure that you take the reading at the same time of the day because your blood pressure can change throughout the day with different activities and not give you the right comparison with previous readings. So, you select a time to measure your blood pressure (like measuring your blood pressure before breakfast).
  4. Don’t round your measurements up and down:Record your readings as it is shown in the display because it could affect the treatment you’re
  5. Don’t worry about unexpectedly high readings:A one-off high reading is nothing you should worry about, rest for 5 minutes and then do the reading again. If it’s still high, measure it again another day. If it remains high for around 2 to 3 weeks, then visit your doctor.
  6. Don’t worry about slight changes: It’s normal to notice minor changes in your blood pressure.
  7. Avoid checking blood pressure too often:Some people may become worried or stressed about small changes in their readings, so they check blood pressure too often. But understand that worrying too much can also raise your blood pressure in the short term, which makes your reading higher than it should be.
  8. Don’t stop taking your medications if your blood pressure falls:Without consulting with your doctor you shouldn’t stop your medications, even if your blood pressure gets dropped to healthy levels according to your home monitor.

If you have doubts or concerns about your reading at home, then you should talk with your doctor or nurse to clear your doubts.

Monitoring blood pressure at home allows you to manage your blood pressure efficiently. It also helps you keep a record of the reading which helps to improve your treatment plan to manage your blood pressure. Over time your blood pressure can easily maintain healthy levels.

If you need help with blood pressure or heart problems, visit our cardiology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us on +1(347) 384-5690. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Heart Specialist Brooklyn can greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.