Blood Pressure Monitors – What You Need To Know
You may have been told that you have either high blood pressure or low blood pressure. This is naturally going to be a concern for you and you may have decided to buy a blood pressure monitor so that you can keep a close eye on your own blood pressure. By using your own device you can closely monitor your own blood pressure on a daily basis and keep an accurate record of your progress. This will also save you money and time as you will not have to go to a medical practitioner each time to have a reading taken.
With technological advances, these monitors have become much easier to use and more importantly they are very accurate. This provides you with the peace of mind that the readings you will be taking on a daily basis will be accurate enough to pick up any problems between your doctor appointments which could be weeks or even months apart. There are a few items to keep in mind when looking for a new blood pressure monitor which will be covered within this article.
The most important factors to consider when buying a monitor for the first time is that it fits your arm properly, it is easy to operate, the display is easy to read, and that it provides you with an accurate reading. Each of these items is just as important and they all need to be on your list when you are looking for a new monitor.
For a comfortable fit, make sure you buy a device that simply fits around your arm and can be fitted to your arm size with the use of Velcro. Try to find a device that is able to fit any arm size between nine to seventeen inches in diameter. This means that not only will you be able to use the device, but so can your family and friends if you choose to. Also make sure that the cuff clearly indicates in which position it should be fitted around the arm. There should be a mark on the cuff indicating where it should be situated and the Velcro will keep the cuff in place when it automatically inflates.
The display needs to clearly show your blood pressure and allow enough time for you to read the numbers. Some devices even have a memory setting that will keep your previous readings so that you can go back to them. For a better option, you can buy monitors that connect to your computer. This can show you your history of readings with a graph chart showing each reading over a certain period of time. This will allow you to easily analyse certain times in the week or month when your blood pressure is too high or too low. This can also help you and your doctor understand the most dangerous times when your blood pressure is at a more dangerous level.
The monitor must be accurate enough otherwise it will be of no use to you or your doctor. Don’t just buy the cheapest model on the market simply because it is the most affordable option for you to buy. Digital readings are the most accurate and the device you should take three readings at one minute apart within each session.