How To Measure Blood Pressure Correctly – 8 Tips

Nowadays, it’s important to know how to properly measure your blood pressure at home. Many people do this on their own, for their own information, as well as preventative measures against heart attacks and ischemia.

Doctors recommend this method to people who are struggling with the problem of hypertension. However, some patients tend to turn this simple preventative measure into a source of worry and trouble.

This in turn can lead to a false alarm due to misinterpretation of the results. Therefore, we present 8 tips on how to correctly measure your blood pressure in your own home. Stay calm and pay attention to the instructions below.

How do I measure my blood pressure correctly?

Correct body posture

Some people simply lie down on the bed, put on the blood pressure monitor and start the procedure without considering the correct body posture. To tell the truth, this is not an appropriate method of self-examination.

• Correct posture is sitting with your back straight and your legs firmly on the floor.
• It is important that your back rests well against a chair, armchair or couch.

The shoulder position is important

Also, whether you make any effort to move your arm is another factor that may bias the result.

• Therefore, doctors recommend placing your hand on a table or other flat surface.
• The arm should remain still.

Measure blood pressure while still

Some people have so trivialized this practice in their home environment that they tend to speak and move their hands when measuring blood pressure.

• It is clear that any intense expression or negative thought can affect our blood pressure in a moment.
• For this reason, if you want a real result,  you should not make too sudden movements during the self-examination.

Pay attention to what you eat half an hour before measuring your blood pressure

So it is logical to avoid these types of products before and during pressure measurement.

• If you are drinking soda,  you should wait an hour before taking your blood pressure.
• Otherwise, your results may turn out to be incorrect. This, in turn, will add to unnecessary worry.

Intervals between measurements

Elderly people are getting used to measuring pressure at home to such an extent that they are able to do this even several times a day. In fact, according to most heart specialists. pressure should not be taken too often.

• It is important to measure twice a day. The first time in the morning on an empty stomach, and the second time an hour before lunch, the tests should be performed twice with an interval of one minute.
• It is recommended to perform this activity in a room with a moderate temperature, in which we feel comfortable.

Adequate equipment

Some blood pressure gauges (professionally called sphygmomanometers) may show inaccurate measurements, so many people are unable to read accurate blood pressure data. Ideally, you should get the equipment recommended by your GP.

Forget about wrist devices

The problem, however, is that they can show changes due to hand movements during the measurement.

Try to stay calm when measuring your blood pressure at home

Another mistake made by patients with high blood pressure is taking a measurement right after an argument or after overcoming some life obstacle. In this case, they will get an incorrect result due to the elevated values, and this will add to unnecessary worry.

Instead, you should relax and calm down, breathe deeply, and wait a while before using the device. In fact, even doctors use this method to reassure their patients before starting the measurement. This is to avoid the so-called “Pressure of the white coat.”

To sum up worrying, not only can it affect the readings taken at home, it can also cause health problems that can get out of hand.

After all, the best way to avoid hypertension-related diseases is to exercise moderation and emotional control, and to eat properly.