How to Calibrate a Wrist Blood Pressure Cuff

A wrist blood pressure cuff can be a good way to monitor your blood pressure in between doctor visits, especially for people with pre-hypertension and hypertension. But, you should know, at least according to the Mayo Clinic, that these devices don't necessarily give a person the correct reading. The problem is that they are tremendously sensitive to not just the position of the body, but to the body temperature of the person as well. To get a correct reading, it is highly recommended that the cuff be taken into the doctor's office to ensure that you are getting the appropriate measurement of your blood pressure.

Things You'll Need

• Wrist blood pressure cuff Batteries Chair

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Instructions

Taking Your Blood Pressure

• 1

  Insert the batteries into the receptacle. Most cuffs require two triple-A batteries, but check the instructions for further details.

• 2

  Sit in a chair near a table or counter. Since the wrist blood pressure cuffs are exceedingly sensitive, make sure that your wrist is at the same level as your heart.

• 3

  Take a few minutes to relax before you take the actual reading; between five and 10 minutes is advisable.

• 4

  Wrap the cuff around your left wrist, place your palm up and hit "Start."

• 5

  Record the reading. Once the cuff has taken the measurement, it will display both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. To make sure you've got an accurate read, you should continue to take your blood pressure at the same time (or times) each day.

Getting a Wrong Reading

• 6

  Remove the batteries and place them (or new pair) back in the receptacle. Many wrist cuffs simply need to be "rebooted" in this fashion to calibrate the device.

• 7

  Readjust the cuff, as it may not be correctly fastened to your wrist. This is one of the main reasons a wrist cuff has displayed a reading that is either too high or too low. Now, take your measurement again.

• 8

  Make sure you don't move (even refrain from talking). This is another of the reasons a wrist cuff has displayed an incorrect measurement.

• 9

  Make sure the position of your wrist is in line (at the same level) with your heart. This is yet another reason a wrist cuff has given the wrong blood pressure reading.

• 10

  Take the cuff with you on your next doctor visit. It is at this time that the measurements can be perfectly compared.

• 11

  Have the cuff serviced at least once a year. It is not recommended that you try to internally recalibrate the wrist cuff yourself, as you may damage the device.