Figures taken from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, suggest the following guidelines when considering your blood pressure:

Digital Home Blood Pressure Monitors

When your doctor measures your blood pressure, a cuff is inflated around your upper arm, and then slowly deflated while the doctor listens with a stethoscope for the appearance and then subsequent disappearance of “tapping noises”.   These will tell your doctor your blood pressure, with a high level of accuracy.  Unfortunately some people suffer from white coat syndrome which means that at the doctor’s office, their blood pressure might be higher than normal.  I myself suffer this problem, and have found that a home meter gives me an accurate measurement, while eliminating the stress of the doctor’s office.

Two types of home blood pressure monitors

• Wrist meters where the cuff goes around your wrist.
• Upper arm cuff meters.

I have tried both and find the upper arm cuff monitors to be the most accurate.

Where to Buy Blood Pressure monitors

With these personal monitors being relatively cheap and yet highly accurate, we recommend you buy one to use at home. This will prevent “White Coat Syndrome” where your blood pressure is elevated just because you visit the doctors. However, when you get your, you must visit your doctor to check its accuracy.

Note: When taking your own blood pressure

1. Do not wear tight fitting clothes on your arm. When you fit the cuff, your rolled up sleeve should not be constricting your arm at all. If in doubt, take off your top.
2. Empty your bladder before sitting down to take a reading.
3. Don’t drink coffee for at least an hour before measuring your blood pressure.
4. Don’t smoke for at least 1 hour before.
5. Sit for at least 5 minutes with your back supported and your feet flat on the ground prior to taking your blood pressure. Also support your arm on a table at heart height.
6. Take 2 readings no less than two minutes apart, and find the average.

Our recommended supplier of blood pressure monitors usually has the following blood pressure monitors & accessories in stock:

Upper Arm Cuff Monitors

Amazon.com have a wide range of upper arm blood pressure monitors.  Look for those with a good number of positive reviews – Click here to check out Upper Arm Blood Pressure monitors on Amazon.

Wrist Monitors

While I don’t personally recommend a wrist monitor, you can get one from Amazon if you are interested.  Click here to check out Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors on Amazon.

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