No matter what type of home blood pressure monitor you choose, proper use requires training and practice. Take the device to your health care provider to make sure the one you've chosen is the best fit for you.
No matter what type of home blood pressure monitor you choose, proper use requires training and practice. Take the device to your health care provider to make sure the one you've chosen is the best fit for you. Learn to use the monitor correctly. To help ensure accurate blood pressure monitoring: Measure your blood pressure twice a day. Ideally at the same time each day. Take the first measurement in the morning after you go to the bathroom but before you eat, exercise, drink anything caffeinated or take medication. Take the second measurement before dinner or least 30 minutes after consuming food, alcohol, caffeine or tobacco. Again, use the bathroom first, as a full bladder can slightly increase your blood pressure. Get comfortable. You should be seated in a chair, back supported with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor. Position your arm properly. Always use the same arm to take your blood pressure (If one arm tends to produce a higher reading, use that one). Rest it on a flat surface, such as a table, with your upper arm at heart level (prop it up with a pillow if it's too low). The cuff should be wrapped snugly, but not tight, around the bare skin of your upper arm, directly above the bend in your elbow. Sit quietly. Take five minutes to get calm and relaxed in this position. Try not to think about anything stressful. Take two to three readings. Keep your body in the same position and try not to talk while your device is taking a reading. If your device doesn't automatically record your result, write it down along with the time. Leave the cuff in place deflated, wait one to two minutes and then take another reading. Repeat this process a third time and then average the results. It's normal for your blood pressure to be about five points lower at home than at the doctor's office.
