Using an At-Home Blood Pressure Monitor

The American Heart Association (AHA) has created a helpful guide to help you learn to use your at-Home Blood Pressure Monitor. The most important things to remember are that you should act the same way as if you were at the doctor`s office- sit up straight, feet on the floor, and breathe normally, relaxed. Many monitors have an easy push-button that starts to inflate the wrist cuff, and others will begin to inflate automatically when the monitor is in the correct position. The AHA notes that many times, a reading will be high and it might be a good idea to recheck before panicking at your results. If after waiting for five minutes your levels are over 180/120, or are followed by shortness of breath or chest pains, then you should reach out to your healthcare team or call 911.

Personal blood pressure monitors all have their own qualities, but generally, they are able to store readings for a period of time so you can track your results and share them with your health providers, in addition to being more informed about your own health. Some monitors can store data for more than one user, and other monitors connect to smartphone apps or via Bluetooth to help make tracking your BP results, heart rate, and other health information easier. Simply bring your monitor with you to your doctor`s appointments, and talk about your results. Your doctor can also help you verify that your at-home monitor is as accurate as the readings they are taking in the office.

Your blood pressure can be a sensitive issue with your body, and it is extremely important that your blood pressure measurement tools are accurate and in perfect working order, especially when you need to keep track of your BP. If your monitor has bad batteries, for example, inaccurate results could lead to serious health risks for you. Make sure to keep fresh batteries in your monitor at all times, and keep spare batteries with the instruction manual so that you know how to fix any issues with your device. Keep reading to see our choices for 2020`s best wrist blood pressure monitors, and learn more about the monitors to figure out which one is best for your lifestyle.