Blood Pressure Monitors: Step-By-Step Guide To Check Your BP at Home

Maintaining good health is vital to leading a healthy life. Several indicators, like sugar levels, heart rate, temperature, etc., help determine the underlying health condition. Among these, blood pressure numbers are primarily used by doctors to monitor the readings, know about the individual's health and provide proper treatment.

Moreover, blood pressure readings tend to vary throughout the day. They depend on factors such as stress, hydration, etc. The measurement range indicates if the number is low, high or normal, along with evaluating other factors.

This article is a detailed guide for checking blood pressure manually at home and understanding the readings.

What is Blood Pressure?

Age, location, gender and work are all factors that affect blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries that determines if an individual suffers from high BP or low BP. In simpler words, blood pressure is the force-carrying blood from arteries to other parts of the human body to deliver nutrients and oxygen.

Ideally, one's blood pressure keeps rising and falling throughout the day based on activity and bodily conditions. However, even a slight change in BP shows different symptoms. It is vital for patients and senior citizens, which may specify an underlying condition. Thus, it is essential to monitor blood pressure at home using a BP machine to prevent risks.

How to check your BP at home? Types of Blood Pressure Monitors

One way to check BP is through a home blood pressure monitor. There are two types of blood pressure monitors: digital and manual:

Manual BP machine

• A manual blood pressure machine, also called a sphygmomanometer, is used widely in medical setups.
• It includes a cuff tied around the individual's arm, an inflation bulb and a reading scale.
• This type of machine requires a stethoscope to evaluate the values.

Furthermore, manual BP machines are of two types: mercury sphygmomanometers and aneroid sphygmomanometers. The former contains mercury, while the latter includes a round gauge for measuring BP.

Digital BP machine

• A digital machine is widely used at homes to monitor BP. It is easy to use and is called self-measured BP monitoring or SMBP.
• It includes a monitor and cuff to interpret ambulatory blood pressure.
• The ambulatory evaluation comprises checking BP at set intervals for which the person must keep wearing the cuff for 24 hours.
• BP is accurately monitored with a digital machine unless the individual suffers from arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, etc.

Normal blood pressure is calculated based on systolic pressure at 120 and diastolic pressure at 80. BP numbers are important indicators; it is essential to monitor them with age. Failing to monitor BP may increase the risk of premature death.

Benefits of using Blood Pressure Monitors at Home

Prevention is better than cure. Technological and scientific advancements have made it easier for individuals to monitor BP at home. Having a BP machine at home poses a myriad of benefits. These include:

• BP monitors help to avert any sudden heart risks such as stroke or heart failure
• Reduces episodes of anxiety on visiting health centres and episodes of white coat hypertension (increase in BP due to anxiety)
• Beneficial for senior citizens, patients, and pregnant women who may not be able to visit a doctor regularly
• They are compact and can be carried along anywhere
• Helps in checking ambulatory BP throughout the day to diagnose masked hypertension
• Mitigates the risk of organ damage due to increased BP.

What is Meant by Blood Pressure Readings?

Blood pressure reading includes two important components, which are systolic and diastolic measures.

• Systolic blood pressure: It determines the force of blood exerted against artery walls. It is calculated when the heart contracts and pumps extra blood into the circulatory system.
• Diastolic blood pressure: It determines the force of blood within the system when the heart is at rest or relaxed.

In short, the blood pressure is high during a heartbeat or systolic pressure and lowest when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure).

What is Normal Blood Pressure?

Normal blood pressure is a term used to indicate the smooth flow of blood from the arteries. It means the blood vessels and heart are not overworking to exert force on the walls of the vessels. The blood pressure range tends to differ depending on the individual's age, race, gender, lifestyle, etc., yet falls within the normal range. While the normal BP falls in the range of 120/80, pressure lower than the measurement is also considered normal. The treatment will, however, vary depending on co-morbidities and age.

Blood Pressure Numbers by Age

Furthermore, a change in range signifies different stages of BP category from normal, elevated to high BP.

Also Read : What is the normal blood pressure by age?

Things to Remember While Measuring Blood Pressure at Home

Before you measure blood pressure, it is necessary to know the numbers about systolic and diastolic measures. It is important to remember a few things when measuring blood pressure at home. Read below:

• Avoid any activity that may raise your BP. Activities like smoking, exercising, eating food or drinking caffeinated drinks like coffee increase BP temporarily. Do not measure BP at least half an hour after these activities.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothes. Recommended to wear a short-sleeved dress or t-shirt which can be pushed up easily
• Sit with your back supported and your arm resting on the surface. Place your feet on a flat floor. Stay steady in this position until your blood pressure is checked.
• Keep calm. Getting anxious or stressed will temporarily raise blood pressure.
• Position your arm on a firm surface that is the same height as your heart. Avoid being tense.

Step-By-Step Guide To Check Your BP at Home Using Blood Pressure Monitors

• Step 1: Stay relaxed before you get your BP checked. For this, keep your arm straight, facing the palm up on the table
• Step 2: Tie the cuff on the bicep
• Step 3: Squeeze the balloon that will inflate the cuff
• Step 4: Inflate the cuff up to 20-30 mmHg over the normal pressure. You can take the assistance of a doctor to know the minimum range to inflate.
• Step 5: After inflating the cuff, place the stethoscope wherein the flat side is downwards on the elbow crease where the major artery is located.
• Step 6: Ensure the stethoscope is working properly
• Step 7: Now slowly deflate the level of ballon
• Step 8: You will hear the "Whoosh" noise of the blood flowing through the stethoscope.
• Step 9: Record the number which will be systolic blood pressure
• Step 10: You will continue to hear the blood pulsing and allow the balloon to deflate slowly until the rhythm stops
• Step 11: Now record the number when the rhythm has stopped, which will be the diastolic pressure
• Step 12: Note down the systolic and diastolic pressure by placing the former before the latter. For example, 120/80.

Best Available Blood Pressure Monitors in Qatar - Check BP at Home

You can buy blood pressure monitors online in Qatar from Care n Cure Pharmacy, a few of them are listed below:

Rossmax Blood Pressure Monitor (Arm) X1

Rossmax BP monitor is a well-designed digital BP machine available online at Care n Cure. Healthcare professionals recommend it for monitoring BP at home, wherein the measurement obtained is equivalent to those obtained using a cuff and stethoscope in the auscultation method. In addition, it matches the American National Standard for electronic or sphygmomanometers.

• Compact and can be used in a home setting
• Employs an oscillometric technique for detecting blood pressure
• Establishes a baseline cuff pressure that equals the air pressure
• Provides appropriate inflation level as per the pressure oscillations and cuff deflation
• Comprises of movement and cuff detection
• Assists indicate hypertension, irregular heartbeat (IHB)
• One-touch automatic operation
• Includes a latex-free patented universal cone cuff, LCD size (55 x 63 cm), adapter socket

Rossmax Deluxe Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor (Wrist) BQ705

Monitoring blood pressure is made easier with the Rossmax Delux automatic BP monitor, which provides reading equivalent to the auscultation method. This digital BP machine uses an oscillometric method to evaluate blood pressure and includes a wrist cuff for generating beat-to-beat pulsatile.

Features:

• Compact and easy to carry anywhere
• Uses baseline pressure to detect reading
• The deflation process enables the detection of pressure oscillations generated through beat-by-beat pulsatile.
• Utilizes smart sensor technology.
• Uses an electronic deflation valve to control the deflation rate.
• Monitors detection and analyses pulse signals.
• Detects movement, indicates the risk of hypertension and irregular heartbeat.
• Includes guest mode
• Jumbo size XL digit to get an accurate reading
• Provides an average of the last three readings.

Rossmax Blood Pressure Monitoring Talking Type (Arm) CF175f

Rossmax BP monitoring machine is a highly recommended BP machine that meets the standards set by the European Society of Hypertension and AAMI accuracy standards. It is a digital BP monitor that offers guidance related to blood pressure throughout the entire process.

Features:

• Includes talking function (EN, FR, RU, AR, TR, FA)
• Easy to switch off talking mode
• Detects movement by reminding users to stay still while checking BP
• Detects cuff
• Accurate fuzzy technology helps determine the ideal cuff pressure based on an individual's systolic pressure and arm size
• Indicates an underlying risk of hypertension, irregular heartbeat
• Calculates the average of the last three readings
• Includes one-touch automatic operation mode
• Consists of latex-free patented universal cone cuff and adapter socket

Rossmax Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor S150

Rossmax automatic blood pressure monitor is a wrist BP device that uses innovative technology to check accurate BP measurements. It includes the latest features, making assessing BP easier during different phases.

Features:

• Easy detection of movement
• Indicates underlying conditions like hypertension and irregular heartbeat
• Provides an average of the last three readings
• Uses smart sense technology
• Includes one-touch automatic operation
• Consists of a large LCD screen for better reading of digits

Conclusion

Monitoring blood pressure at home makes it easy to reduce the risk of low and high BP. That makes it possible for readers to monitor their blood pressure readings and immediately call a doctor if they are greater than 180/120 mm Hg with or without symptoms. While it is not always possible to visit a doctor considering the situation, a BP monitoring machine will always be useful to know the underlying issue and treat the patients in time to avoid further risks.

Purchase the best blood pressure machine to monitor BP from Care n Cure, an online e-commerce site to buy medical, health care products and high quality medical equipment for home usage. Visit the website now!