If you or your loved ones are recommended to keep a close eye on their blood pressure, instead of visiting a clinic every day, you can buy a blood pressure monitor to check at home. Once you have purchased a blood pressure monitor, it’s important to learn how to use it because you may be using it all wrong and taking incorrect measurements all this while. Though every blood pressure monitor comes with a manual, you can read for easy instructions.
The right way to take readings at home using a blood pressure monitor:
Before you begin with the machine, sit quietly for 5 minutes in order to get ready to take your blood pressure. Sit on a chair and make sure your feet are flat on the floor and place your arm on a tabletop at the heart level. Lean on the back of the chair. With your palm upward, stretch out your hand.
Now, wear the blood pressure machine cuff in your arm. the cuff should be on your bare upper arm, place it about one inch above the elbow bend. The tubing has sensors in it that will monitor your blood pressure. So, Make sure the tubing is placed in the front center of your arm. Pull the cuff properly to remove any bends so that it’s evenly wrapped around your upper arm. Tighten the cuff to leave only two finger space under the cuff. Make sure when the cuff inflates, it does not pinch your skin. If it does, adjust the cuff and start again.
Wait for a moment and then press the start button. As the machine is measuring, you are required to sit still and quiet. The cuff will start to inflate slowly, stop, and then deflate. The whole process takes 2-3 minutes. When the cuff deflates, it means reading is complete and the monitor will display your blood pressure and pulse on the screen.
If the machine does not show any readings, you need to adjust the cuff and take the reading again.
Some blood pressure monitors have built-in memory to record the readings. But if your blood pressure monitor doesn’t have one, you should record it manually.
*Additional tip: always take multiple readings when you are checking.
These are some tips to use a basic digital blood pressure monitor. You can even plan to bring your monitor to the doctor to see if you are using it correctly.
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