How To Take My Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure And Older Adults

On this page:

• Tips for taking blood pressure medication

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major health problem that is common in older adults. Your bodys network of blood vessels, known as the vascular system, changes with age. Arteries get stiffer, causing blood pressure to go up. This can be true even for people who have heart-healthy habits and feel just fine. High blood pressure, sometimes called “the silent killer,” often does not cause signs of illness that you can see or feel. Though it affects nearly half of all adults, many may not even be aware they have it.

If high blood pressure isn’t controlled with lifestyle changes and medication, it can lead to serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and stroke, vascular dementia, eye problems, and kidney disease. The good news is that blood pressure can be controlled in most people.

When Should You Check Your Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure changes throughout the day. Generally, it will be lowest when you first wake up and will get higher as you do daily activities.

Since your blood pressure changes throughout the day, its a good idea to take it at least twice. Taking your blood pressure multiple times throughout the day ensures youre getting an accurate reading.

Before You Measure Your Blood Pressure

• Avoid things that can raise your blood pressure in the short term. Dont measure your blood pressure within half an hour of eating, smoking, drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, or exercising. These can all raise your blood pressure temporarily. If you need to use the toilet, go before you measure your blood pressure.
• Wear loose-fitting clothes. Wear a short-sleeved t-shirt or something with sleeves you can push up easily, nothing tight. This is so that you can fit the cuff around your arm.
• Rest for five minutes before you take your reading. Sit down somewhere quiet, ideally at a desk or table. Have your back supported with your arm resting on a firm surface and your feet flat on the floor. Stay in this position while you take your blood pressure.
• Make sure your arm is supported and at the same level as your heart. Position yourself so that your arm is resting on a surface and is at the same height as your heart. Keep your arm and hand relaxed, not tensed.
• Make sure you are relaxed and comfortable. If you are anxious or uncomfortable, your blood pressure will rise temporarily.

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How Do I Take My Bp

You can take your BP at home with a digital BP monitor. Read the instructions that came with your BP monitor. The monitor comes with an adjustable cuff. Ask your healthcare provider if your cuff is the correct size.

• Do not eat, drink, smoke, or exercise for 30 minutes before you take your BP.
• Rest quietly for 5 minutes before you take your BP.
• Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your back against a chair.
• Extend your arm and support it on a flat surface. Your arm should be at the same level as your heart.
• Make sure all of the air is out of the cuff. Place the BP cuff against your bare skin about 1 inch above your elbow. Wrap the cuff snugly around your arm. The BP reading may not be correct if the cuff is too loose.
• If you are using a wrist cuff, wrap the cuff snugly around your wrist. Hold your wrist at the same level as your heart.
• Turn on the BP monitor and follow the directions.
• Write down your BP, the date, the time, and which arm you used to take the BP. Take your BP 2 times and write down both readings. Use the same arm each time. These BP readings can be 1 minute apart.

How Blood Pressure Is Tested

Blood pressure machines vary, but they’re all a type of measuring device, which often have an arm cuff attached to it.

The cuff is usually wrapped around your upper arm and filled with air until it feels tight. This can feel uncomfortable but it only lasts a few seconds.

It’s important to relax and not talk during this time, because this is when your blood pressure is measured.

If a healthcare professional is doing this for you, they may also use a stethoscope to record your blood pressure.

An automatic device usually picks up the measurements from sensors in the arm cuff, which are sent to a digital display.

You should get the results straight away.

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At Your Local Pharmacy

Public blood pressure machines, such as those found in pharmacies, may provide helpful information about your blood pressure, but they may also have some limitations. The accuracy of these machines depends upon several factors, such as a correct cuff size and proper use of the machines. Ask your health care provider for advice on using public blood pressure machines.

Variations In Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure changes to meet your bodys needs. If a reading is high, your doctor may measure your blood pressure again on several separate occasions to confirm the level.

Your doctor may also recommend that you measure your blood pressure at home or have a 24-hour recording with a monitoring device.

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Can I Take A Blood Pressure Reading Measurement During Exercise

Omron blood pressure monitors are NOT intended for use during exercise or activity. We recommend that you avoid eating, drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages, smoking, bathing and exercising for at least 30 minutes before taking a measurement. It is also best to rest for 15 minutes before starting the measurement.

Why Do I Need To Take My Bp

You may not have any signs or symptoms of high BP. You may need to take your BP regularly to know how often your BP is high. High BP increases your risk for a stroke, heart attack, or kidney disease. You may need to take medicine to keep your BP at a normal level. Write down and keep a log of your BP. Your healthcare provider can use the BP results in your log to see if your BP medicines are working.

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What Can I Do To Help Better Manage My Blood Pressure

Managing your blood pressure doesnt have to take a lot of work. In fact, small improvements to your lifestyle can help.

• Exercise: Just be a little more active. Walk instead of drive take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.
• Eat Smart: Try to find low-fat, low-sodium substituted that also taste great. Potassium found in bananas and carrots is natures best medicine for your heart.
• Kick the Habits: Minimize your alcohol and cigarette intake.
• Stifle Your Stress: Stress is a normal part of life. But too much can increase the risk of heart disease. Relax by doing things you enjoy and your heart can benefit.
• Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home: Monitoring your blood pressure at home on a regular basis provides you and your doctor with the information to best manage your blood pressure.

These are just some examples. Discuss with your doctor on other ways how you can better your heart.

How Do I Make Sure I Am Taking A Good Reading

Now that weve gotten the background information out of the way, its time to get started!

• Sit with your back straight, your legs uncrossed, and your feet flat on the floor.
• Place the cuff on your left arm or wrist .
• For upper arm monitors, wrap the cuff around the middle of your bare upper arm, about ½ above the elbow. It should be fastened snugly, but you should be able to slide two fingers underneath the cuff. Place the air hose on the inside of the arm near the crook of your elbow so that the artery position mark is aligned with your brachial artery.
• For wrist monitors, with the palm facing upwards, attach the monitor to the inside of your wrist. Fasten securely with the top edge of the cuff aligned with the crease of your wrist.

Rest your arm on a table so cuff is at heart level.

For upper arm monitors, the cuff around your upper arm should be even with your heart. Your hand should rest on the table, palm up.

For wrist monitors, youll need to bend your elbow to bring your wrist to heart level. Positioning your wrist at heart level is critical for an accurate measurement.

Press start. During your measurement, do not talk, move, or eat. Any one of these things can impact your measurement.

Thats all there is to it!

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What Is The Difference Between Monitoring Blood Pressure Using A Home Digital Monitor As Opposed To Getting My Reading When I See My Doctor

Digital monitors measure blood pressure oscillometrically rather than by auscultation. In auscultation, stethoscopes are used to take blood pressure by listening for specific heartbeat sounds which the doctor then uses to determine systolic and diastolic pressures. Oscillometric technology measures the vibration of blood traveling through the arteries and converts the movement into digital readings.

Omron digital blood pressure monitors use the oscillometric method of blood pressure measurement. An oscillometric monitor does not need a stethoscope so the monitor is simple to use.

It is also important to note that Home Blood Pressure monitoring allows you to monitor frequently and share the results with your doctor if you desire.

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Tips For Taking Blood Pressure Medication

Untreated high blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health problems. If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure, remember:

• If you take blood pressure medication and your blood pressure goes down, it means medication and lifestyle changes are working. If another doctor asks if you have high blood pressure, the answer is, “Yes, but it is being treated.”
• Healthy lifestyle changes may help lower the dosage you need.
• Get up slowly from a seated or lying position and stand for a bit before walking. This lets your blood pressure adjust before walking to prevent lightheadedness and falls.
• Tell your doctor about all the drugs you take. Don’t forget to mention over-the-counter drugs, including vitamins and supplements. They may affect your blood pressure. They also can change how well your blood pressure medication works.
• Blood pressure medication should be taken at the same time each day as part of your daily routine. For example, take it in the morning with breakfast or in the evening before brushing your teeth. If you miss a dose, do not double the dose the next day.
• Remember to refill your medication before you run out and bring it with you when traveling. Its important to keep taking your medication unless your doctor tells you to stop.
• Before having surgery, ask your doctor if you should take your blood pressure medication on the day of your operation.

Positioning The Blood Pressure Cuff

1Locate your pulse.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source Place your index and middle fingers over the inside center of your inner elbow. When you press lightly you should be able to feel the pulse of your brachial artery from this position.

If you have difficultly locating your pulse, place the head of the stethoscope in the same general area and listen until you can hear your heartbeat.

2Wrap the cuff around your arm. Tuck the cuff end through the metal loop and slide it onto your upper arm. The cuff should be roughly 1 inch above the bend of your elbow and should be evenly tight around your arm.

Make sure that your skin is not pinched by the cuff as you wrap it securely. The cuff should have heavy duty velcro on it, which will hold the cuff closed.

3Check the tightness of the cuff by slipping two fingertips underneath. If you can wiggle the two fingertips under the top edge but cannot wedge your full fingers beneath the cuff, the cuff is tight enough. If you can wedge your full fingers under the cuff then you need to open up the cuff and pull it tighter before closing it again.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source

Also place the stethoscope earpieces in your ears. The earpieces should face forward and point toward the tip of your nose.

Turn the screw on the pump bulb clockwise to close the airflow valve, if necessary.

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Before Checking Your Blood Pressure

• Find a quiet place to check your blood pressure. You will need to listen for your heartbeat.
• Make sure that you are comfortable and relaxed with a recently emptied bladder .
• Roll up the sleeve on your arm or remove any tight-sleeved clothing.
• Rest in a chair next to a table for 5 to 10 minutes. Your arm should rest comfortably at heart level. Sit up straight with your back against the chair, legs uncrossed. Rest your forearm on the table with the palm of your hand facing up.

How To Take & Record Blood Pressure

• Wait for at least 30 minutes after drinking alcohol or caffeine, smoking or exercise before you take a reading.
• Rest for at least 5 minutes before you take a reading.
• Sit with your legs uncrossed, your back supported and your feet on the floor.
• Rest your arm at heart level on a table.
• Measure your blood pressure in both arms the first time you use a monitor.
• Use the arm with the highest reading to take future readings.
• Take your blood pressure twice a day for 7 days. Take 2-3 readings in the morning before taking your medicines, and in the evening. Each reading should be 2 minutes apart.
• Use a log to record your readings or print the numbers stored in your monitor.
• Always take your log or bring your monitor with stored readings to show your doctor or nurse.

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Whats A Normal Blood Pressure

For most patients, a normal blood pressure reading is less than 120 for systolic and less than 80 for diastolic .

At the doctors office, a systolic measurement of 120 to 139 and a diastolic of 80 to 89 are considered prehypertension for most patients. Anything above 140/90 is considered hypertension.

Away from the doctors office, a reading above 135/85 is considered to be high often, people are more relaxed during readings that dont occur at the doctors office.

Aside from white coat hypertension, other factors can cause your blood pressure to read higher at the doctors office. When a patient has to use the restroom, his/her blood pressure can increase slightly. Likewise, if a patient has to walk up a flight of stairs to reach the doctors office or is frustrated by a long wait to see the physician, his/her blood pressure may increase.

Consider monitoring your blood pressure at home if youre concerned that your regular check-ups dont provide an accurate view of your blood pressure.

If your at-home readings are higher than your target range, request an appointment with your doctor to make sure youre measuring correctly at home, and to rule out another health condition.

I Keep Getting Error Messages When I Try To Take A Reading What Should I Do

In the instruction manual that came with the unit, there is a section included on on the different types of error messages. Please review this section of the manual. You can locate electronic instruction manuals in our Product Support & Solutions Center.

If this does not fully resolve the issue, please contact the Omron consumer support line at or contact us.

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