Tips to Ensure Your Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Is Accurate

Do you know how to take the most accurate blood pressure measurement at home? Read more to learn how.

Health care at home is more common and easier than ever to access since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people discovered the convenience of handling routine vital signs monitoring in the comfort of home. For instance, those who need regular blood pressure monitoring can often take their own readings and report them to the doctor.

Yet while it seems simple and straightforward, it’s critically important to understand exactly how to perform the test, what the numbers represent, and how to determine if your blood pressure is within the range it needs to be.

For a short definition, Harvard Health describes that the top number (systolic pressure) measures artery pressure at the moment the heart beats (whenever your heart contracts), while the bottom number (diastolic pressure) monitors the pressure in between heartbeats (when the heart is resting). The American Heart Association’s recommendations for normal and high blood pressure are as follows:

Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg: Make healthy lifestyle choices and check blood pressure annually.

Elevated: Systolic between 120-129 and diastolic less than 80: Make healthy lifestyle changes and reassess in three to six months.

High Blood Pressure – Stage 1: Systolic between 130-139 or diastolic between 80-89: Have a 10-year heart disease and stroke risk assessment. If your risk is lower than 10%, make healthy lifestyle changes and reassess in three to six months. If the risk is above 10%, make healthy lifestyle changes, begin medication and monthly assessments until blood pressure levels are controlled.

High Blood Pressure – Stage 2: Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90 mm Hg: Make healthy lifestyle changes, begin taking two different classes of medications and monthly assessments until blood pressure levels are controlled.

To ensure your blood pressure readings are as accurate as possible, Harmony Home Health & Hospice, providers of top-rated elderly care in Salt Lake City, UT and the surrounding areas, suggests the following seven tips:

• Be sure to take readings at the same time every day.
• 30 minutes before each reading, make sure the person does not smoke, consume any caffeine, or exercise. Have the person empty their bladder during this time, as a full bladder can affect systolic pressure.
• For five minutes before each reading, the person should sit still.
• Have the person sit with their back straight and supported and feet flat on the floor; crossing the legs can negatively impact the reading. Put the person’s arm on a flat surface, with the upper arm at the level of her heart.
• Be sure the middle of the cuff is situated directly over the person’s brachial artery and fits properly. To find the brachial artery, with the person’s arm stretched out palm facing up, trace a line from the outside of her thumb, up the outer arm to the elbow’s bend. At that bend is the brachial artery.
• Wait one minute, and take another blood pressure reading. Find the average of the two readings and record the results in a log.
• Bring the device to the doctor’s office annually to confirm its accuracy.

Consumer Reports offers a helpful blood pressure monitor buying guide that shares what you should look for in a good home blood pressure monitor.

If you or a loved one is challenged by maintaining healthy blood pressure, Harmony Home Health & Hospice can help. Our skilled nurses and home health aides can check blood pressure and other vital signs along with a wide range of other in-home care services. We provide specialized elderly care in Salt Lake City, UT and the surrounding communities, and are always on hand to help your loved one maintain a healthy life. To learn more contact us today at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322).