What Should You Do if You Suspect an Incorrect Digital Blood Pressure Reading

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If you or someone you know is at gamble for high or low claret pressure level, y'all may want to invest in a transmission blood force per unit area kit for home apply. Learning how to have your blood pressure manually may take a little do, merely it is actually quite easy one time you learn how. Yous'll need to know what to wear, when to take your blood pressure, how to take information technology accurately, and how to interpret the results. With a fiddling do you'll know how to find your systolic and diastolic pressure readings and what those numbers actually hateful.

1. ane

   Verify that y'all have the right cuff size. ^[1] A standard size blood force per unit area cuff purchased from a drugstore will fit around the arm of most adults. However, if you have an particularly narrow or wide arm, or if you plan to take the claret pressure level of a child, yous may need a unlike size.

   • Bank check the size of a cuff before buying it. Look at the "index" line. This is the range line on the cuff that tells you if it fits.^[ii] In one case it is on the patient'southward arm it will tell you lot whether or not the circumference of your arm fits within the "range" area of the cuff.
   • If you do not utilise the proper cuff size, you may end upwards with an inaccurate measurement.

2. 2

   Avert factors that can increase blood pressure. Certain atmospheric condition can crusade claret force per unit area to spike temporarily. In lodge to get an accurate measurement, you or your patient should avoid these conditions before taking your blood force per unit area.

   • Factors that tin can touch claret force per unit area include: stress, smoking, exercise, cold temperatures, a full breadbasket, a full bladder, caffeine, and some medications. ^[iii]
   • Blood pressure can change throughout the course of the day. If you need to check the patient's blood pressure regularly, try to do and so at the aforementioned approximate time each mean solar day.^[4]

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3. 3

   Detect a quiet identify. You will demand to listen your, or your patient'south heartbeat, so a placidity setting is platonic. A quiet room is besides a calm room, and so someone who rests in a quiet room while checking his or her blood force per unit area is more likely to experience relaxed, rather than stressed. Therefore you are more likely to get an accurate reading.

4. 4

   Get comfortable. Since physical stress can affect a blood force per unit area reading, you or the patient whose reading y'all take, should get comfortable. For example, use the bathroom before you accept your blood pressure taken. Information technology's also a expert idea to keep yourself warm. Find a warm room, or if the room is chilly, wear an extra layer of clothing to keep warm.

   • In addition, if yous have a headache or body anguish, effort to reduce or salve the pain before taking your blood pressure.

5. 5

   Remove tight sleeves. Ringlet up your left sleeve or, amend all the same, alter into a shirt that exposes your upper arm. Blood pressure should be measured from the left arm, so the sleeve should be removed from the upper left arm.^[five]

6. vi

   Rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Resting volition assure that your heart rate and blood pressure take the chance to stabilize before the measurement is taken.^[6]

7. 7

   Notice a comfortable and advisable location to take your blood pressure. Sit down in a chair next to a table. Balance your left forearm on the table. Position your left arm so that it rests at about heart level. Proceed the palm of your hand facing up.

   • Sit up straight. Your back should exist against the back of the chair and your legs should exist uncrossed.

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1. 1

   Locate your pulse. ^[vii] Place your index and middle fingers over the inside centre of your inner elbow. When y'all press lightly you should be able to feel the pulse of your brachial artery from this position.

   • If yous have difficultly locating your pulse, identify the head of the stethoscope (the circular slice at the stop of the tube) in the same general expanse and mind until you tin hear your heartbeat.

2. ii

   Wrap the gage around your arm. Tuck the cuff end through the metal loop and slide it onto your upper arm. The cuff should be roughly ane inch (2.five cm) higher up the bend of your elbow and should be evenly tight effectually your arm.

   • Make sure that your pare is non pinched past the cuff as you wrap it deeply. The cuff should have heavy duty velcro on it, which will concur the cuff airtight.

3. 3

   Check the tightness of the cuff by slipping two fingertips underneath. If you can jerk the ii fingertips under the tiptop border but cannot wedge your full fingers beneath the gage, the cuff is tight enough. If you can wedge your full fingers nether the cuff then you need to open up up the cuff and pull it tighter before closing it over again.^[8]

4. iv

   Slide the head of the stethoscope under the cuff. The caput should exist face down, with the wide part of the chest piece in contact with the pare. It should be positioned direct over the pulse of your brachial artery that yous found before.^[ix]

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

5. 5

   Position the gauge and the pump. The gauge needs to be positioned where you lot can see it.^[10] Hold the gauge lightly in the palm of your left hand if taking your own blood pressure level. If taking someone else's blood pressure level, you tin can hold the estimate in any position y'all want every bit long equally you can see the face of the gauge clearly. You lot should hold the pump in your right hand.

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

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1. 1

   Inflate the gage. ^[11] Chop-chop squeeze the pump seedling until you no longer hear the sound of your pulse through the stethoscope. End once the gauge reads 30 to twoscore mmHg above your normal blood pressure.

   • If y'all do not know your normal blood pressure, inflate the cuff until the gauge reads between 160 to 180 mmHg.

2. two

   Deflate the cuff. Open the airflow valve by twisting the screw counterclockwise. Let the gage deflate gradually.

   • The estimate should fall two mm, or two lines on the gauge, per 2nd.

3. 3

   Heed for the systolic reading. Note the measurement on your gauge at the precise moment you hear your heartbeat again. This measurement is your systolic reading.

   • Systolic claret pressure refers to the force your claret exerts against the avenue walls as your center pumps.^[12] This is the blood pressure created when your heart contracts.

4. 4

   Listen for the diastolic reading. Annotation the measurement on your gauge at the precise moment the audio of your heartbeat disappears. This measurement is your diastolic reading.

   • Diastolic blood pressure refers to your blood pressure in betwixt heartbeats.^[13]

5. 5

   Rest and repeat the test. Allow the gage completely deflate. After several minutes, follow the same steps to have another measurement. If your blood pressure is still high, consider comparing readings with the other arm.

   • Mistakes can happen while taking your claret pressure, especially if yous are non used to doing it. As such, it is important to double-check your findings by taking a 2d measurement.

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1. ane

   Know what normal blood pressure level should be. For an developed, the systolic blood pressure should be less than 120 mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure should be less than lxxx mmHg.^[xiv]

   • This range is considered "normal." Healthy behaviors, including diet and practise, should be maintained in lodge to maintain this blood pressure level range.

2. ii

   Catch signs of prehypertension. Prehypertension is not necessarily dangerous by itself, merely someone with prehypertension is at adventure of experiencing hypertension in the future. An developed in a state of prehypertension will take a systolic blood force per unit area between 120 and 139 mmHG and a diastolic blood force per unit area between 80 and 89 mmHg.^[15]

   • Talk to a health care professional nigh making changes to your diet and lifestyle in lodge to drop your blood pressure.

3. three

   Find signs of phase 1 hypertension. During state 1 hypertension, also known simply as loftier blood pressure, an adult'south systolic claret pressure is between 140 and 159 mmHg. The diastolic blood pressure is between 90 and 99 mmHg.^[16]

   • Hypertension requires professional medical care. Schedule an appointment with your md so that he or she may prescribe an appropriate hypertension medication.

4. four

   Assess whether you have stage 2 hypertension, also known as high claret pressure level. This is a serious status and requires prompt medical care. If your systolic blood pressure is at or above 160 mmHg and your diastolic blood pressure is at or above 100 mmHG, you have phase two hypertension.

5. 5

   Sympathise that blood pressure can also be too low. If your systolic claret pressure stays around 85 mmHg and your diastolic blood pressure remains around 55 mmHG, your blood force per unit area may be besides low.^[17] Symptoms of low claret pressure level include lightheadedness, fainting spells, dehydration, lack of concentration, vision issues, nausea, fatigue, low, rapid breathing, and damp peel.

   • Talk with your doctor to discuss possible reasons behind your drop in blood pressure and possible ways to raise it up to normal levels.

6. 6

   Consult a physician if y'all doubtable you take any phase of hypertension or low blood pressure. Your md will retest your blood pressure level to make certain your readings are accurate. If you do have hypertension, or prehypertension, your doctor volition make recommendations for lowering your blood pressure. This will include lifestyle changes, if you lot have prehypertension, in addition to medication if you take actual hypertension.

   • The doctor may also test for other conditions that hinder normal blood pressure, especially if the patient is already on medication.
   • If y'all are already on medication for your claret pressure, your doctor may suggest therapy or consider testing for additional wellness problems that prevent the medication from working properly.

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Things You'll Need

• Blood pressure level gage
• Fastened pump
• Gauge
• Stethoscope

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Article Summary X

If you want to manually take someone'south blood pressure, wrap the cuff effectually their arm and slide the head of your stethoscope under the cuff so yous can hear their pulse, then rapidly clasp the pump seedling until yous no longer hear the sound of their pulse. Open the airflow valve to deflate the cuff gradually, then note the measurement on the estimate at the precise moment you hear the heartbeat again. This is the systolic reading. Next, annotation the measurement on the guess at the moment y'all end hearing the heartbeat. This measurement is your diastolic reading. For tips from our medical reviewer on how to take your own claret pressure, keep reading!

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