I was shocked when my doctor said I had dangerously high blood pressure and recommended home monitoring.
Your doctor may have recommended the same for you.
What kind of cuff should you buy? The American Heart Association (AHA) discusses the types in a Website article, "Blood Pressure -- Buying and Caring for Home Equipment.
" Three kinds of monitors -- mercury, aneroid and automatic -- are available.
According to the association, the mercury monitor is the standard measurement.
However, this type can be bulky to carry and the mercury could spill.
The AHA describes the aneroid monitor as inexpensive and lightweight.
But it is also delicate and needs to be checked at least once a year, or more often.
The third type -- automatic -- is the one my husband and I have.
It is moderately priced and easy to use.
You can put the cuff on your wrist or arm.
Special cuffs are available for children and overweight people.
Mayo Clinic discusses the features of various cuffs in its article, "Get the Most out of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring.
" "All monitors hve the same basic components," notes Mayo, "an inflatable cuff or strap, a gauge for readouts and sometimes a stethoscope.
" For home use, you have the choice of a manual or digital device.
Many people get nervous when their blood pressure is taken.
This nervousness is called "white coat hypertension" and can spike readings.
As a friend of mine commented, "My blood pressure is always higher in the doctor's office and lower at home.
" While free hypertension monitors are available at drug stores, their reliability is questionable.
The American Heart Association recommends home monitoring for people with suspected or diagnosed hypertension, those who have just started to use prescribed blood pressure medication, people with coronary heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, pregnant women, senior citizens, those with the white coat response, and those with masked hypertension.
Before you spend your hard-earned money, discuss the pros and cons of monitors with your doctor.
First, you want a monitor that is easy to use.
Chances are you want a monitor you can use by yourself.
Finally, you want one that fits your budget.
So how do you use it? 1.
Sit in a comfortable chair near an electrical socket.
Plug in the machine.
2.
Rest your arm on a table or chest of drawers.
Your arm level should be at your heart level.
3.
Roll up your sleeve and fasten the monitor to the top of your bare arm.
4.
Point the arrow to the crease on the inside of your elbow.
5.
Unclench your fist and relax.
6.
Start diaphragm breathing and turn on the machine.
7.
Take at least three readings.
Allow three minutes between each one.
8.
Write the average reading in a diary or small pad.
Share this information with your doctor.
Hypertension is a silent killer.
Home monitoring will give you a clearer picture or your pressure, but the rest is up to you.
If you take your medicine as prescribed, exercise regularly, eat a low-salt, low-fat diet, and maintain a healthy weight, hypertension can usually be controlled.
Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson
Your doctor may have recommended the same for you.
What kind of cuff should you buy? The American Heart Association (AHA) discusses the types in a Website article, "Blood Pressure -- Buying and Caring for Home Equipment.
" Three kinds of monitors -- mercury, aneroid and automatic -- are available.
According to the association, the mercury monitor is the standard measurement.
However, this type can be bulky to carry and the mercury could spill.
The AHA describes the aneroid monitor as inexpensive and lightweight.
But it is also delicate and needs to be checked at least once a year, or more often.
The third type -- automatic -- is the one my husband and I have.
It is moderately priced and easy to use.
You can put the cuff on your wrist or arm.
Special cuffs are available for children and overweight people.
Mayo Clinic discusses the features of various cuffs in its article, "Get the Most out of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring.
" "All monitors hve the same basic components," notes Mayo, "an inflatable cuff or strap, a gauge for readouts and sometimes a stethoscope.
" For home use, you have the choice of a manual or digital device.
Many people get nervous when their blood pressure is taken.
This nervousness is called "white coat hypertension" and can spike readings.
As a friend of mine commented, "My blood pressure is always higher in the doctor's office and lower at home.
" While free hypertension monitors are available at drug stores, their reliability is questionable.
The American Heart Association recommends home monitoring for people with suspected or diagnosed hypertension, those who have just started to use prescribed blood pressure medication, people with coronary heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, pregnant women, senior citizens, those with the white coat response, and those with masked hypertension.
Before you spend your hard-earned money, discuss the pros and cons of monitors with your doctor.
First, you want a monitor that is easy to use.
Chances are you want a monitor you can use by yourself.
Finally, you want one that fits your budget.
So how do you use it? 1.
Sit in a comfortable chair near an electrical socket.
Plug in the machine.
2.
Rest your arm on a table or chest of drawers.
Your arm level should be at your heart level.
3.
Roll up your sleeve and fasten the monitor to the top of your bare arm.
4.
Point the arrow to the crease on the inside of your elbow.
5.
Unclench your fist and relax.
6.
Start diaphragm breathing and turn on the machine.
7.
Take at least three readings.
Allow three minutes between each one.
8.
Write the average reading in a diary or small pad.
Share this information with your doctor.
Hypertension is a silent killer.
Home monitoring will give you a clearer picture or your pressure, but the rest is up to you.
If you take your medicine as prescribed, exercise regularly, eat a low-salt, low-fat diet, and maintain a healthy weight, hypertension can usually be controlled.
Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson
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