How to measure blood pressure at home correctly

Measurement conditions

— Before measuring blood pressure, you must rest for at least 5 minutes.

— At least 30 minutes before measuring blood pressure, you must refrain from smoking and drinking caffeine (coffee, cola, tea).

During the measurement, you need to sit, leaning on the back of a chair, and your motionless hand should lie comfortably on the table.

— You should not talk during the measurement.

- The cuff should be wrapped around the forearm with the center of the inflatable bag directly over the brachial artery, and the bottom edge of the cuff should be about 2-3 cm above the elbow.

— The inflatable bag of the cuff must be at heart level during measurement.

— Legs should not be crossed when measuring.

- Feet should be on the floor.

— The bladder must be emptied before measuring blood pressure.

— The shoulder should not be compressed by clothing (even more so, measuring through clothing is unacceptable).

Failure to comply with these conditions may lead to high blood pressure:

after drinking coffee - by 11/5 mm Hg. Art.

alcohol by - 8/8 mm Hg. Art.

smoking at - 6/5 mm Hg. Art.

with a full bladder - by 15/10 mm Hg. Art.

in the absence of back support - systolic at 6-10 mm Hg. Art.

in the absence of support for the arm - by 7/11 mm Hg. Art.

Do you still think that it is difficult to cure hypertension?

Deviation of normal indicators is observed in 20-30% of the adult population. As age increases, the numbers increase, the disease progresses and high blood pressure is observed in 50-65% of the population.

High blood pressure is accompanied by consequences that are the result of irreversible damage to organs. With a prolonged illness, movement coordination is impaired, the lower and upper limbs weaken, vision decreases, a person experiences loss of memory and intelligence, and stroke often occurs.

But all this can be prevented if you consult a doctor in time and start treatment. Hypertension, like other diseases, is treatable. There are many medications that can eliminate the disease.

Which blood pressure monitors are best to use?

For home blood pressure measurement, there are several types of devices that are available in the market: - Auscultatory method: Mercury devices, aneroid (“dial”) and electronic (“hybrid”) blood pressure devices are used simultaneously with a stethoscope.

— Electronic automated devices for measuring blood pressure at the level of the shoulder, wrist and fingers.

Electronic blood pressure monitors at shoulder level, whether semi-automatic (manual cuffs inflated by squeezing a bulb) or automatic (battery-powered or mains-powered), are preferred for self-measuring blood pressure at home. These devices are easy to use, require minimal training, and many are available at a reasonable price. Preferred blood pressure monitors are those with memory, which automatically store each measurement (with date and time) and the average of all measurements until the doctor's visit. Wrist-worn devices are less accurate and are not recommended unless brachial blood pressure measurement is impossible or very difficult. Finger devices are not recommended. Mercury blood pressure monitors require extensive training and have been banned in some countries for environmental reasons. Aneroid devices also require preparation and regular calibration. The use of these devices should be limited to patients in whom automated measurements are impossible or inaccurate. Not all home blood pressure monitors available on the market have been properly tested. Up-to-date information about device testing should be provided by your physician. Important for accurate measurements is the selection of the appropriate cuff, the size of which must fit the patient's arm. The inflatable bag of the cuff should cover 80-100% of the upper arm circumference. The use of small cuffs may lead to an overestimation of blood pressure, while the use of large cuffs may lead to an underestimation of blood pressure. Therefore, if your arm circumference is <24cm or >32cm, please ensure that the device is equipped with a small or large cuff accordingly.

About pressure

Blood pressure indicators are a digital assessment of the force with which circulating blood presses on the inner wall of the vessel. The upper value is recorded at the moment of systole (contraction of the heart muscle), the lower value at the moment of diastole (relaxation of the myocardium). The systolic indicator reflects the strength of muscle tension at the moment of blood ejection, the diastolic indicator reflects the tone of the blood vessels. A decrease, and more often an increase in blood pressure, occurs:

due to physical and nervous overload;
against the background of chronic diseases;
due to age-related changes in the body.

In a healthy person, a compensatory mechanism can cope with the “jump” in blood pressure in half an hour. People with heart and vascular diseases require medication assistance, so they need to measure their blood pressure twice a day. Elderly relatives living separately should be taught self-control skills. If a person cannot use a blood pressure monitor for health reasons, a specially trained caregiver can be hired.

How often should you measure your blood pressure at home?

For the initial assessment of hypertension and the effects of antihypertensive medications, home blood pressure should be measured for at least 3 and preferably 7 days. Daily blood pressure measurements should be taken both in the first half of the day (immediately after waking up and before taking the drug during treatment) and in the evening. In each case, a repeat measurement must be taken 1 minute later. The average of all measurements must be calculated after discarding the first day's measurements. This 7-day schedule should be followed before each subsequent doctor's visit. For long-term follow-up, it is advisable to take home measurements less frequently. Measurement under stressful conditions can be misleading and should be avoided. Excessive use of home blood pressure measurements to make self-medication changes (take extra pills or change dose) should be avoided. Results should be logged immediately after each measurement, unless the device stores blood pressure readings with the date and time of each measurement or has a built-in data transmission system.

How to measure blood pressure correctly

According to statistics, about 40 percent of the adult population of Russia suffer from high blood pressure. Among people over 65 years of age, this figure is even higher and is more than 55%. Research shows that the disease, hypertension, is getting younger and is now being diagnosed in teenagers.

The insidiousness of this disease is that at first it often does not affect one’s well-being in any way - it is not without reason that hypertension is called the “silent killer”.

The patient has no complaints, and if it is possible to accidentally detect an increase in blood pressure, he does not attach serious importance to it - “I don’t have any pain, I feel great.” And he does nothing. And hypertension increases, undermines the condition of blood vessels and then the health of other so-called target organs (heart, kidneys, retina, brain). After some time, the state of health actually worsens, and complaints appear - but the disease has already gone too far, and its development could have been restrained by regular medication.

A prolonged increase in blood pressure without appropriate ongoing therapy leads to heart and kidney failure, serious visual impairment, heart attacks and strokes.

In the case of hypertension, more than with any other disease, collaboration between doctor and patient is extremely important. The patient’s compliance, that is, his willingness to strictly follow the doctor’s requirements, recommendations and prescriptions, is half the success in curbing the progression of this dangerous pathology. At the same time, a significant proportion of people with hypertension not only do not receive any treatment because they do not go to the doctor - they do not even know how to measure their blood pressure.

A threat to health and, at the same time, an asymptomatic course - this is the answer to the question of why measure blood pressure. Periodic monitoring of blood pressure is necessary for all people over 35 years of age. Blood pressure is very unstable: its level changes many times during the day, in addition, it can be influenced by a huge number of factors.

How to measure blood pressure correctly? What should be the measurement procedure for the readings to be correct? Here are some rules:

Take the measurement in a calm environment, not while running. Before the procedure, you need to sit quietly for about five minutes.
Ideally, take the measurement on an empty stomach, or in extreme cases, no earlier than two hours after eating.
To perform the procedure, sit at a table, the tonometer (if it has a shoulder cuff) should be on the table, the distance between the seat and the surface of the table should be about 25-30 cm (this means that measuring the pressure at a coffee table, sitting sideways, in a chair, pointless). The back should be straight, supported by the back of the chair. If you are using the wrist version of a digital blood pressure monitor, you can take measurements off the table, but your wrist should be at heart level. Please note: a wrist tonometer is not a good option for older patients; they are better off using a device with a brachial cuff.
During the measurement, you cannot move or talk - this will affect the readings.
Sometimes it is recommended to take two or three measurements - if on one hand, then with a break of 7-10 minutes, if on different ones, 2 minutes is enough.
On which hand to measure the pressure: during the first measurement, you need to take readings on both hands. In the future, continue to measure the pressure on the arm where the readings were higher. The difference in numbers on different hands is normal; on the “leading” hand the pressure will be slightly higher.

Important:

The readings may be affected by stress suffered the day before, drinking coffee, alcoholic or tonic drinks, or smoking.
If you keep a diary of self-monitoring of blood pressure, measure your blood pressure twice a day at the same time. Ideally, 20 minutes after waking up and before going to bed.

If your blood pressure does not exceed 140/90 (in patients with diabetes, the limit should be 130/80), there is no reason to worry - your blood pressure is within the normal range.

If hypertension is detected for the first time or if the patient is being selected for medications for hypertension and their dosages, the cardiologist may refer the patient for daily blood pressure monitoring. During the day, a special device attached to the patient’s body will measure pressure: every 15 minutes during the day, every half hour at night. The patient will be required to keep a diary of his activity on this day and record what he was doing at one time or another in order to compare his actions with the readings of the device. Based on the indications, conclusions are drawn about the correctness of therapy, and adjustments are made to the patient’s daily routine. Daily blood pressure monitoring may also be required for a pregnant patient with high blood pressure, and is prescribed to representatives of certain professions associated with risk.

Convenient contact with a medical center in Rostov-on-Don is all forms of service provision. At the Heratsi Clinic, where experienced therapists and cardiologists work, who will help you clearly and correctly carry out diagnostic measures and develop an effective treatment plan, you can get advice both in the clinic and at home or online.

The center periodically offers promotions, discounts, and medical services on special terms.

Make an appointment with a cardiologist (Rostov-on-Don) by calling the 24-hour hotline +7. The cost of medical center services can be found by phone or in the “Price” section.

Interpretation of blood pressure measurements

An average of several home blood pressure measurements over several days complements the doctor's office measurements and helps the doctor make an accurate diagnosis. Home blood pressure measurements may vary significantly from measurement to measurement. Blood pressure can be quite high, especially during a stressful situation, panic, severe pain, etc., or quite low, for example, after a long rest or after intense exercise. "One-time" measurements are of little value and cannot provide an indication of "usual" home blood pressure levels. High blood pressure on one reading should not be a cause for alarm unless very high values persist after a sufficient period of rest or are accompanied by severe symptoms (eg, shortness of breath, chest pain, weakness in an arm or leg, difficulty speaking). Increasing self-monitoring of blood pressure at home is not in itself an indication for treatment. Your doctor will advise you when and what treatment is indicated. In some cases, self-measured blood pressure at home may be significantly lower than the results obtained at a doctor's appointment. This phenomenon is not uncommon and is known as “white coat hypertension.” On the other hand, in some cases, blood pressure may be low in the doctor's office while self-measured blood pressure at home is high (hidden hypertension). These situations require careful medical evaluation. Additional tests and repeated monitoring of blood pressure at home or in an outpatient setting within 24 hours may be required to decide whether treatment is necessary.

Reasons for measuring pressure in the leg area?

Typically, measuring blood pressure in the lower extremities is used for therapeutic purposes. This study is usually carried out by specialists if they suspect narrowing of the blood vessels in the legs. One of the best diagnostic methods includes measuring blood pressure in the legs, this is due to changes in blood flow.

After the measurement, the ratio of the obtained lower and upper indicators is calculated - this is called the ankle-brachial index. It helps assess how damaged the arteries in the legs are. The calculation helps the doctor identify the disease and control its development.

Factors distorting indicators

When favorable conditions are created, pressure readings may change. Among them the following are highlighted:

Regular stress, physical activity, anxiety, and constipation cause an increase in blood pressure.
Blood pressure increases after consuming foods and drinks that contain tannin and caffeine.
Alcohol-containing substances uncontrollably expand and narrow arterial passages and disrupt general hemodynamics.
Sharp jumps in blood pressure are observed when air and water temperatures are too high or too low.

Simple and cheap method

For a hundred years, doctors have been using a popular diagnostic method: measuring blood pressure in the legs. Pathological changes in the cardiovascular system can be determined using modern hardware methods, but not all medical institutions can afford to purchase hardware diagnostics.

There is a reliable method that can be used by all patients, it helps to conduct further research on the disease. In case of emergency measures and urgent indications, it is necessary to measure blood pressure in the legs. This method is practically no different from modern methods and gives excellent results.

Setting up the tonometer

The main condition for taking measurements at home is the correct setup of the device. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to check the contents and make sure that everything is in place. Before starting work:

Please read the instructions for use carefully.
Insert a working battery into the slot provided for this purpose.
Press the power button and enter the date, time, etc., if provided by the functionality.
After this, put the cuff on your shoulder or wrist and take several control measurements to make sure the tonometer is working properly.

If you buy a device in a store or pharmacy, then the tonometer can be checked on the spot - in this case, you will be convinced of its functionality “without leaving the cash register.” When purchasing online, a reliable way is to choose a trusted supplier. The German company Beurer is one of the leaders in the global market, and their beauty and health products have received awards at international exhibitions.

What is the error of an electronic tonometer?

Electronic tonometer

- This is an automatic or semi-automatic battery-powered device. In the first case, the entire process is automated; in the second, air is pumped into the cuff manually. Although doctors consider electronic devices to be less accurate, their accuracy also depends on many factors. Officially, manufacturers set the possible difference to be no more than 3 mmHg. Art. However, depending on the degree of correctness of use of the device, it may increase:

Up to ±5 mm Hg. Art. – with a systematic component of measurement error.
Up to ±8 mm Hg. Art. – if the error component is random.

If we take into account that the mechanical method of measuring pressure is influenced no less (and in some cases more) by external and internal factors, then confidence in the superiority of mechanical tonometers no longer looks so solid.