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Choosing the Best Blood Pressure Monitor

If you have high blood pressure, you may want to monitor it at home. You can do that with a blood-pressure monitor made for home use. There are a few different types you can buy, each with advantages and disadvantages.

  1. Types

    • There are three types of blood-pressure monitors: mercury, aneroid and digital. Mercury monitors are not available for home use. These are considered to be the most accurate and are used in hospitals. These monitors roll around on stands or are attached to the wall and have long tubes filled with mercury that measure pressure. Aneroid monitors are also very accurate and are used by doctors and other health professionals. These monitors work by measuring pressure on a dial gauge. Digital monitors are being used more in recent years. They provide a digital reading to display blood-pressure results. Digital monitors that take your blood pressure over the brachial artery in your arm are considered to be accurate as long as you don't move while the reading is being taken. Digital monitors that take blood pressure on your finger or wrist are considered the least accurate.

    Best Home Monitor

    • The American Heart Association recommends using a cuff-style automatic digital monitor that measures blood pressure on your upper arm, which is much easier to use than a traditional aneroid monitor, especially if you're taking your own blood pressure. Just slip your arm into the cuff and relax. The cuff inflates automatically and your results will be displayed as a digital reading on the monitor. A digital blood-pressure monitor can also store your results for you so you can track readings between doctor visits.

    Consistent Use

    • To get the best results from your blood-pressure monitor you should use it properly. Your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day and activity and stress can affect the reading. To get a clear picture of your blood pressure it's important that you're consistent in the way you take your reading. Take it at the same time each day. Rest for at least 15 minutes before taking a reading. If you're sick or feeling anxious, be sure to make a note in your blood-pressure diary to account for the change in your results.

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