High blood pressure dangerously affects your heart and body and can lead to other heart diseases. You might go to the doctor or a pharmacy to monitor your blood pressure daily, but have you ever thought about how to accurately measure blood pressure at home? You can monitor your blood pressure at home, but you must buy a blood pressure monitor. The advantage of buying a blood pressure monitor is that you do not need to go to the doctor daily, and you can monitor your BP daily at home.
Monitoring your blood pressure helps you know your blood pressure readings, which is why you should be concerned about it. Here you will read how you can check your Blood Pressure Norms while sitting at home and manage your health conditions.
Chart of Blood Pressure Readings
| Category | Normal | Elevated | Hypertension Stage 1(High blood pressure) | Hypertension Stage 2(High blood pressure) | Hypertensive crisis (call the emergency services) |
| Systolic | Less than 120 | 120-129 | 130-139 | 140 or higher | Higher than 180 |
| Diastolic | Less than 80 | Less than 80 | 80-89 | 90 or higher | Higher than 120 |
How to Monitor Blood Pressure at Home?
There are various ways to measure blood pressure at home but always trust a valuable resource to learn about how you can monitor your BP at home. If you manually check your blood pressure, you will need an aneroid monitor, a blood pressure cuff that contains a squeezable balloon (sphygmomanometer), and a stethoscope.
Below is the procedure on how to accurately measure blood pressure at home.
- Relax and put your arm straight on the table in a position where your palm is facing up.
- Fix the cuff accurately on your arm and inflate the cuff by squeezing the balloon.
- Inflate the cuff depending on the mentioned numbers on the aneroid monitor and inflate it above 20-30 mmHg over normal blood pressure.
Tip: Ask your doctor how much you should inflate your cuff if you do not know about your normal blood pressure.
- Inside your elbow bend, place the stethoscope in a flat side-down position once you inflate the cuff. Ensure that the stethoscope is working properly and you can hear your beat. This can be tested by tapping on the stethoscope.
- Start listening to the stethoscope and deflate the balloon. Record the number when you hear the whoosh of your blood pressure flow. It is referred to as systolic blood pressure.
- Keep the balloon slowly deflating, and you will also hear your pulse. Allow the balloon to reduce until the rhythm stops; do not forget to record that measurement. This is referred to as your diastolic blood pressure.
- Record your complete diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
Note: If you are using an automatic or digital blood pressure monitor, you need to press the start button on the machine after fixing the cuff. Otherwise, the remaining process is similar.
What Should You Keep in Mind Before Using the Blood Pressure Cuff
Various things should be remembered when you measure blood pressure. Below are the things that you must consider before monitoring your blood pressure.
Cuff size: blood pressure monitors come in different sizes, and buy the one that best fits your wrist.
Do not smoke or drink: smoking and drinking are harmful to health, and you should not drink, smoke, or exercise at least 30 minutes before to measure your blood pressure.
Measure blood pressure on time times a day: make a proper chart of your blood pressure records and record all the readings of different measurements per day. It will help you know when your blood pressure gets higher.
Body posture: body posture is an important thing to be considered before measuring your blood pressure. Sit straight and do not lean; place your feet on the floor, and they must not be crossed.
Give yourself some rest: allow your body to rest for at least 3 to 5 minutes, as it will make you more active, and you can take accurate blood pressure readings.
Do not give yourself stress: do not panic when you check your blood pressure, as it increases the possibility of wrong blood pressure readings because your blood pressure can increase anxiety.
Blood pressure measurement at different times: measure blood pressure at other times a day to make a proper blood pressure chart to share with your doctor.
Take at least two readings at a time: take at least two readings, one after another, as it will ensure that you are taking the right blood pressure reading.
Check your blood pressure monitor: Check your blood pressure monitor to ensure it works properly. The best way to do so is to take your blood pressure monitor to the doctor and let him check.
What Are a Few Tips for Measuring Your Blood Pressure Accurately
Following are a few tips for measuring blood pressure at home accurately.
- Always use the same arm (most recommended left arm)
- Measure blood pressure for both arms at the start
- Record the measurements in the way they are displayed on the monitor’s screen
- Keep the same time of measuring blood pressure daily
- Do not be frightened if your blood pressure is higher than average; instead, reach your doctor asap.
- Check blood pressure daily if you have a problem with high blood pressure.
- Keep using your blood pressure medications until and unless your healthcare provider asks you to stop them.
- Reach out to your doctor immediately in an emergency.
Conclusion
It’s not difficult to measure your blood pressure at home if you know how to measure it properly. You can check your blood pressure manually or on an automated monitor. Both are considered good for blood pressure measurements. You must care about how to measure blood pressure accurately, as it becomes a major concern when it comes to high blood pressure. Follow the appropriate instructions before taking the readings, and keep a record of all the readings when you monitor blood pressure daily. Talk to the doctor if you are worried about your constant high blood pressure problem.
