Correct Measurement Of Blood Pressure At Home. 8 Tips
Correct measurement of blood pressure at home is an important issue. Many of us are used to regularly measuring our blood pressure in our own homes in order to prevent heart attacks and ischemia.
Doctors recommend that hypertensive patients measure their blood pressure at home. However, this simple precaution can cause a lot of worries and false alarms. In other words, misreading your blood pressure causes unnecessary emergencies.
To give you a helping hand, in today’s article we present you 8 tips for the correct measurement of blood pressure at home. Keep calm and pay attention to the signals observed.
Adopting an appropriate body posture
Some people simply lie on the bed, put on their sphygmomanometer and turn it on without taking into account body posture. But this is not the best way to perform a self-examination.
- The patient who measures his own blood pressure should stand upright, with his feet on the floor.
- It is essential that the patient’s back be supported by a backrest or similar surface.
The position of the hand is essential
Raising or lowering the arm or hand may change the results indicated by the sphygmomanometer. The same can happen if we put our arm to an effort during the measurement.
- For this reason, doctors recommend that we place our arm on a table or similar flat surface.
- The arm should be immobile and the patient should feel comfortable.
Do not move during the measurement
For some people, measuring blood pressure has become such a common practice that they tend to talk or move their arms while the sphygmomanometer is working.
- Loud talking and worrying thoughts can change your blood pressure in no time.
- Thus, if you want to get correct results, we advise you not to move at all during the self-examination.
Be careful what you eat and drink half an hour before measuring your blood pressure
Alcoholic and soft drinks automatically increase blood pressure. Smoking has the same effect. Therefore, it is best to avoid this type of product before and during the measurement.
- If, for example, you serve a soft drink, wait an hour before taking your blood pressure.
- Otherwise, you risk getting the wrong result and getting scared in vain.
Breaks between measurements
Elderly patients tend to measure their blood pressure several times a day. Most cardiologists warn us that this practice is not beneficial.
- Blood pressure should be measured twice a day: once in the morning, on an empty stomach, and again before dinner, when you should take two measurements with a one-minute break between them.
- It is advisable to measure your blood pressure in a comfortable place, and the temperature in the room should be moderate.
Purchase of appropriate devices
Some devices give measurement errors, which is why many people fail to know the exact value of blood pressure. Ideally, you should purchase a device approved by a national professional organization, such as the American Heart Association.
On the websites of these institutions you can find a list of criteria to choose a truly effective sphygmomanometer.
Forget about wrist devices
These unique devices for hypertensive patients are comfortable, practical and aesthetically pleasing. The problem is that due to the movement of the hands, the results obtained are not accurate.
Proper blood pressure measurement at home requires you to be as calm as possible
Another common mistake made by hypertensive patients is to measure blood pressure immediately after an argument or to overcome an obstacle. In this case, results will be obtained that will increase the level of anxiety.
Before measuring your blood pressure, calm down, take a deep breath and wait a while before using the sphygmomanometer. In fact, doctors always try to calm their patients before measuring their blood pressure to avoid the so-called “white robe hypertension”.
As you can see, excessive worries prevent the correct measurement of blood pressure at home. At the same time, they can cause certain health problems to get out of hand.
After all, the best way to avoid diseases associated with high blood pressure is moderation, proper management of emotions and the adoption of a healthy diet.
