Millions worldwide suffer from hypertension, often known as high blood pressure. If not treated, elevated blood pressure may give rise to serious health concerns such as stroke and coronary artery disease. Managing your illness and avoiding possible health risks can be accomplished with home blood pressure monitoring.
Below are a few suggestions for monitoring your blood pressure at home.
How to Choose the Correct Equipment
Pick a Good BP Monitor
A good monitor for blood pressure is vital for reliable readings. Choose a device verified by a credible body, like the American Heart Association. You can also discuss which monitor is ideal with your healthcare practitioner.
Choose the Correct Cuff Size
Getting correct readings of blood pressure requires using the proper cuff size. Measure your arm and select a cuff that fits comfortably yet not too tightly. Incorrect readings might result from an incorrectly sized cuff.
Consider a Smart Blood Pressure Monitor
Smart heart rate monitors can connect to your mobile device and provide real-time information and patterns. This might be useful for tracking blood pressure fluctuations over time and exchanging data with your healthcare physician.
How to Read Your Blood Pressure
Analyzing and reporting your blood pressure findings is important in home blood pressure monitoring. Knowing your readings can assist you in identifying trends or patterns, and discussing your data with your healthcare professional can assist them in assessing your condition and making treatment suggestions as needed.
Recognize Your Numbers
- Systolic And Diastolic Blood Pressure Levels: When you take your blood pressure, you will usually get two digits: systolic and diastolic. The force in your veins while your heart beats is measured as systolic pressure, while the stress in your vessels between beats is measured as diastolic pressure.
- Standard Blood Pressure Range: The average blood pressure is often defined as 120/80 or less. You may have high blood pressure if your systolic reading is continuously around 120-129 and your diastolic reading is less than 80.
- High Blood Pressure Levels: A high blood pressure level is characterized as readings of 130/80 or above. If your heart rate is chronically high, your doctor may advise you to make lifestyle changes or use medication to decrease it.
Keep Track of Your Readings
It is critical to record your blood pressure readings and keep a journal of your findings. This allows you to monitor shifts in time and find patterns or trends. To record your numbers, you can employ blood pressure activity tracking, a calendar, or a paper notebook to provide these readings to your remote patient monitoring consultant for advice.
Keep an Eye Out for Trends
Studying your blood pressure readings over time might help you spot trends, such as whether your blood pressure is greater in the early or late afternoon or if it varies according to your nutrition or stress levels.
How to Prepare for BP Reading
Avoid Cigarettes and Nicotine
Refraining from ingesting caffeine and nicotine before taking your readings is advised because these chemicals temporarily raise blood pressure.
Get Your Body Ready
Use the toilet before taking measures because a full bladder can impact your blood pressure results.
Relax and Sleep
Before taking your readings:
- Relax and rest for a short while.
- Before taking your measures, stay still for at least five minutes.
- Try to refrain from chatting or moving about while taking the measurements.
Create A Routine
Checking your BP at the same time each day will help you establish a routine and prevent forgetting to take measurements. This also ensures consistency in the measurement taken. BP levels are different after having food and after you’ve done some exercise. Be sure to keep a consistent routine for accuracy.
Conclusion
Finally, checking your blood pressure at home is important to staying healthy. You may get accurate and dependable blood pressure measures from the comfort of your own home if you follow the guidelines in this article. Remember to take numerous readings, measure at the exact same time each day, and carefully follow directions to ensure reliable results.
You can lower your chance of acquiring hypertension and other related health concerns by maintaining regular monitoring and good management. If you are experiencing any questions about your blood pressure or general health, speak with your healthcare professional for specific advice.
