Part 1: Preparing for blood pressure monitoring
1. Understand the purpose of monitoring your blood pressure at home. In addition to regular blood pressure monitoring at a medical service center, doctors often recommend that patients have a blood pressure monitor at home. Believe it or not, the benefits of monitoring blood pressure at home outweigh even those of monitoring it in the hospital, including: Reduced mismeasurements. Many people get a little nervous in front of the doctor - and that's normal. However, nervousness can increase heart rate and blood pressure, leading to incorrect measurements (also known as the "lab coat effect"). Measuring blood pressure at home can be done in as relaxed and natural a way as possible.
Record a long-term profile. Unless you go to the hospital "every day" to have your blood pressure monitored, your blood pressure data at the doctor's office is more like a stand-alone piece of data without the integrity. Monitoring your blood pressure at home allows you to record it more frequently (and more easily), giving you continuous data that can be summarized over time.
Early detection of problems. Monitor your blood pressure regularly at home so that you can learn about high blood pressure early, before you go to the hospital. Testing your blood at home can be a big help if you're taking a new medication that can cause unstable blood pressure.
2. Know when it's best to monitor your blood pressure at home. Monitoring your blood pressure at home isn't necessary -- if you're not sure if you need to, you should consult your doctor. According to the American Heart Association, your doctor will usually recommend monitoring your blood pressure at home if one of the following applies to you: You've just started a new antihypertensive medication and need to know if it's working.
You develop some kind of health problem that requires you to monitor your blood pressure more closely than an occasional test (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
During pregnancy (as appropriate).
High blood pressure always occurs when measured in the hospital (to rule out the white coat effect).
Elderly people.
Suspecting that you have occult hypertension (especially since, contrary to the white coat effect, you will always have low blood pressure when in hospital).
3. Learn how to measure your blood pressure. Every type of sphygmomanometer records two numbers - your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Regardless of the type of sphygmomanometer, it's usually the same principle of measurement: a cuff wrapped around your arm that inflates to block blood flow, and a stethoscope (or electronic listening device) to hear the sound of blood flow. When your blood flow can be heard (like a pulse), the cuff is slowly deflated until the blood flow returns to normal. Your systolic and diastolic blood pressures are determined based on the pressure in the cuff and how long your blood flow can be heard. Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, (as the name implies, "millimeters of mercury"), and there's more information below: systolic blood pressure is the pressure at which your pulse can be heard for the first time during the measurement - that is, the highest value of pressure.
Systolic pressure is the pressure at which the pulse was last heard at the time of measurement.
4. Choose the sphygmomanometer you want to use. There are two basic types of sphygmomanometers: manual (mercury sphygmomanometers) and electronic. Both measure blood pressure by inflating a cuff. The type of sphygmomanometer you choose depends on your doctor's recommendation and your own preferences. Electronic sphygmomanometers inflate the cuff automatically (occasionally manually) and display the blood pressure value on a small screen. If the electronic sphygmomanometer is fully automatic, all you have to do is put your arm in the cuff and press the button to start the measurement. Electronic sphygmomanometers are a good choice because of their portability and simplicity.
A manual sphygmomanometer is the one you see doctors use. The sphygmomanometer has a graduated measuring dial with a pointer attached to a cuff. You wrap the cuff around your upper arm, squeeze a rubber ball to inflate the cuff, and listen to your pulse with a stethoscope to measure your blood pressure. Manual sphygmomanometers are a little more complicated than electronic sphygmomanometers, but they are relatively easy to use with some practice.
In rare cases, your doctor may recommend an ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM), a device that stays on your arm (usually worn for 1-2 days) and automatically measures and records your blood pressure on a regular basis. Because this device is used very sparingly and the patient doesn't need to do anything with it, its use is not covered in this article.
5. Preparation before blood pressure measurement. Regardless of the type of sphygmomanometer, in order to also ensure that the measurement is taken in a relaxed state, in order to make the blood pressure value as low as possible, there are some small steps before the measurement. Read the following before taking the measurement: Do not engage in any physical activity 30 minutes before the measurement.
Don't eat or drink anything 1 hour before the measurement. Food affects metabolism and cold water lowers body temperature, leading to inaccurate measurements.
Go to the restroom. Believe it or not, you can't relax while holding your urine.
Sit in a chair next to a table. Sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair and your legs uncrossed.
Put your arms on the table with your elbows at the level of your heart and your palms up.
Bare your upper arms. You can roll up your sleeves or take off your jacket if it's too tight.
Part 2: Taking Blood Pressure
1. Wrap the cuff above the brachial artery. The artery's beating point is just inside the elbow, so wrap the cuff just above the elbow, but below the deltoid muscle.
2. Flip the switch to inflate the cuff. Automatic cuffs may start inflating immediately, or you may need to press the inflate button. For some electronics, you may also need to inflate the cuff with a rubber ball.
3. Be patient. The sphygmomanometer automatically listens to your pulse to accurately monitor your blood pressure, so stay quiet and wait until the cuff reduces pressure and takes a reading. Any movement will increase your pulse and cause your blood pressure to rise. Systolic and diastolic pressures are shown on the display screen.
4. Squeeze the air out of the cuff. Some electronic sphygmomanometers automatically bleed off the gas in them when they're done measuring, others may want you to press a certain button or open a small vent hole to bleed off the gas. When the cuff has finished deflating, you can take your arm out.
5. Record your blood pressure. Any blood pressure monitoring done at home is designed to get a broad range of data to help you spot the whole trend of blood pressure changes. Record all your data in a special book or computer file so you can compare them.
With a manual sphygmomanometer
1. Wrap a cuff around your bare upper arm. Most manual sphygmomanometers have a magic patch to hold the cuff in place; make sure it's the right amount of elastic and not too tight before inflating.
2. Put on the stethoscope. Place the earplugs of the stethoscope into your ears, then place the membrane of the stethoscope on the inside of your elbow. If necessary, turn the head of the stethoscope around and listen to it upright.
3. Inflate the cuff. Inflate the cuff by quickly squeezing the rubber bulb to a pressure about 40 above your last measured systolic pressure. You should feel the cuff tighten.
4. Deflate the cuff slowly and listen carefully. Using the deflation switch in the device, deflate at a rate of no more than 3 mmHg per second. Stop when you hear a beat and look at the blood pressure value - this is the systolic pressure.
5. Continue deflating. Stop when you hear exactly no pulsation and take a reading - this is the diastolic pressure. Now you're done - you can deflate and remove the cuff.
6. Record the reading. Like above, record blood pressure values in a special book or electronic file for quick review and comparison of results.
WarningsDon't exercise, smoke, be nervous, drink coffee, stay in cold weather, or take certain medications within 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure; all of these factors can temporarily raise your blood pressure.