Blood Pressure Review

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Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

If you have a BP monitor at home, you can tell us your results, which helps us to see if your treatment is working well for you. It is common to find that BP readings taken at home are lower than BP readings taken in places like hospitals or GP practices.

There are many BP monitors to buy online, or in supermarkets or pharmacies. They are usually around £20. There is no need to purchase more expensive models but do ensure that your machine is accredited by the British Hypertension Society. Examples of good BP monitors include:

• Omron M2 Basic Upper Arm BP Monitor. Around £25
• Boots Upper Arm BP Monitor. Around £19.99.
• A and D UA-611 Upper Arm BP Monitor. Around £19.99.

If you have an irregular heartbeat, the home monitors might not work very well. Instead, you would need to have your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional.

Please ensure you have the correct sized cuff. If the cuff is too small the machine will give a reading that is higher than it should be.

How to check your blood pressure at home:

1. Take your blood pressure only when you are resting and feeling relaxed.
2. Sit upright in a chair with your legs uncrossed and your feet flat on the floor.
3. Your arm should be rested on a table ideally.
4. Put the cuff on your upper arm, with the tube leading down the centre of the arm. You will be able to see a picture of this in the manual. Make sure it fits well, snug to the arm with space to slide two fingertips underneath. Most monitors come with a medium sized cuff, and you might need to buy a separate cuff if it doesn’t fit.
5. Press the start button and continue to relax, without talking. The cuff will inflate and it might feel tight for a few moments. It will then deflate. If it feels too uncomfortable just press the stop button so it deflates quickly.
6. The monitor will show your reading. Take a note of your blood pressure reading and your pulse rate too.
7. It is best to check your blood pressure three times in a row and keep a record of the lowest reading.