At Ocean we monitor and take blood pressure reading every morning for all our patients. Here is the tips from our nurse to take bp reading correctly in your daily hectic life….
To determine whether you have hypertension, a medical professional will take a blood pressure reading. How you prepare for the test, the position of your arm, and other factors can change a blood pressure reading by 10% or more. That could be enough to hide high blood pressure, start you on a drug you don’t really need, or lead your doctor to incorrectly adjust your medications.
Here’s what you can do to ensure a correct reading:
• Don’t drink a caffeinated beverage or smoke during the 30 minutes before the test.
• Sit quietly for five minutes before the test begins.
• During the measurement, sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and your arm supported so your elbow is at about heart level.
• The inflatable part of the cuff should completely cover at least 80% of your upper arm, and the cuff should be placed on bare skin, not over a shirt.
• Don’t talk during the measurement.
• Have your blood pressure measured twice, with a brief break in between. If the readings are different by 5 points or more, have it done a third time.
There are times to break these rules. If you sometimes feel lightheaded when getting out of bed in the morning or when you stand after sitting, you should have your blood pressure checked while seated and then while standing.
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