How to Diagnose High Blood Pressure

Diagnosing high blood pressure can be difficult, since blood pressure regularly fluctuates throughout the day. Factors that may affect blood pressure include physical activity, posture, temperature, diet, stress, drugs and even emotional state. Often, there are no symptoms in those suffering from high blood pressure, which has led many to refer to high blood pressure, or hypertension, as being a "silent disease." If left unchecked, high blood pressure may not be properly diagnosed until more serious medical conditions such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, loss of vision or a hardening of the arteries occur. Read on to learn how to regularly monitor your blood pressure and keep track of your readings.

Things You'll Need

• Blood pressure monitor

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Instructions

• 1

  Visit your health care provider and have your blood pressure measured. If your readings are considered high or above normal, you should also get checked for heart disease since high blood pressure can adversely affect your heart.

• 2

  Avoid eating, using tobacco products, taking medication or exercising for at least 30 minutes prior to taking your blood pressure. These activities temporarily elevate blood pressure and could lead to you being misdiagnosed.

• 3

  Monitor your blood pressure at home and keep a journal of your daily eating and exercise habits, your mood and your stress levels at the time of the reading.

• 4

  Determine your typical blood pressure reading value by measuring your blood pressure at different times while resting. One high reading does not mean you suffer from high blood pressure.

• 5

  Discuss with your doctor, in detail, your medical history and the medical history of your family. Assess your risk factors that could cause high blood pressure such as whether you smoke, or have diabetes or high cholesterol.

• 6

  Get a physical examination from your doctor annually. Your practitioner will listen to your heart with a stethoscope to check for abnormal sounds. She will also listen to your arteries for a swishing sound, called a bruit, which may indicate that an artery is partially blocked.

• 7

  Check your pulse in your arm or ankle to see if it is weak and hard to detect. A nearly absent pulse in these parts of the body is an additional method a doctor uses to diagnose high blood pressure.