If you have or are at risk for hypertension, investing in a blood pressure monitor is a wise decision. Because hypertension is often referred to as a silent killer, meaning that most times individuals do not even realize they have the symptoms, using a blood pressure monitor on a regular basis will help take care of this issue.
One thing you must remember though is that the reading will likely fluctuate from day to day depending on your activity levels, your posture, the temperature of the room you are in, any food you have eaten that day and what your physical and emotional state is like.
Therefore when using a blood pressure monitor, you will want to look for an overall trend in the readings rather than just being concerned with the absolute number.
You should consider writing down the various readings you get too and keeping track of them in a detailed book. Also write down how you are feeling at the time, what type of physical activity you have been doing in the past day or two and what your diet has been like. This will then help you to notice patterns in readings and you can potentially spot certain lifestyle choices of yours that provoke a higher than normal blood pressure.
Another advantage to doing this at home is that for some individuals, simply being in the doctor's office causes them to experience stress and will make the reading higher. When they are in the comfort of their own home they will likely get a more truer reading; one that is less influenced by an emotional state.
Be sure that you do not eat or smoke for about thirty minutes before you take the reading as this will definitely throw it off. Also try and avoid any strenuous exercise, but rather relax comfortably in a chair if possible.
Be sure to do the test for a total of three times to ensure accuracy. Wait about five to ten minutes in between each reading to allow for any bodily variations to settle (for example, nervousness to pass, etc). Make sure you also record both the systolic and diastolic pressures as both are important readings you will need.
So if hypertension is something you are dealing with or wish to avoid, consider investing in one of these for your home. You will be able to track your health much better and it will allow you to be more in the driver's seat in terms of spotting potential problems.
