Reviewed by: Huang Zhaoqi (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University)
You don't always have to go to the doctor's office to measure your blood pressure, you can monitor your own blood pressure at home. Self-measurement is especially important if doctors recommend regular monitoring of blood pressure.
First, the tip of measuring blood pressure by yourself
Some factors can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure, usually due to the following reasons, such as:
pressure.
smoking.
Cold temperatures.
motion.
Intake of caffeine.
Take certain medications.
When measuring blood pressure, avoid the above influencing factors as much as possible. Also, try to measure blood pressure at roughly the same time every day. The doctor may ask to measure blood pressure multiple times during the day to assess whether blood pressure fluctuates.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
Second, the preparation before measuring blood pressure by yourself
Look for a quiet place to check your blood pressure, as you need to concentrate on listening to the arterial pulsations.
Make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed, and empty your bladder (a full bladder can affect blood pressure readings).
Roll up your sleeves and take off your tight clothes.
Rest in a chair at the table for 5-10 minutes. The arm should be comfortably placed at the same level as the heart. Sit straight with your back to the chair and your legs not crossed. Place palms facing up on the table.
If you purchased a manual or digital sphygmomanometer, read the instructions carefully.
The following steps outline how to measure left arm blood pressure using a manual or digital sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure in the right arm can be measured by simply changing to the right.
1. Look for a pulse
Gently press your index and middle fingers against the medial center of the elbow fossa (where the brachial artery is located) to find your own arterial impulse. If the arterial impulse cannot be found, place the stethoscope's earpiece (for a manual sphygmomanometer) or a cuff (for a digital sphygmomanometer) in this area.
2. Fix the cuff
Put the cuff over your arm and make sure the earpiece of the stethoscope is located above the artery (using a manual sphygmomanometer). The cuff can be marked with arrows to show the position of the stethoscope earpiece. The lower edge of the cuff should be about 2.5 cm above the elbow socket. Use a fabric buckle strap to make the cuff fit the arm, but not too tightly.
Place the stethoscope in your ear. Tilt the ear fittings slightly forward for optimal sound.
3. Inflate and deflate the cuff
If you are using a manual sphygmomanometer, follow the steps below.
4. Manual sphygmomanometer operation steps
Hold the pressure gauge with your left hand and the rubber ball with your right hand.
Turn the screw clockwise to close the airflow valve on the rubber ball.
Squeeze the rubber ball with your right hand to inflate the cuff. You can hear the arterial pulsation in the stethoscope.
Observe the manometer. Continue to inflate the cuff until the manometer reading is approximately 30 mmHg higher than the expected systolic blood pressure. At this time, the sound of arterial pulsation should not be heard in the stethoscope.
Keep an eye on the gauge and open the airflow valve counterclockwise to slowly release the gas in the cuff. With each arterial pulse, the manometer reading should drop only 2-3 mm Hg (you may need to practice slowly rotating the valve yourself).
5. Use a manual sphygmomanometer and listen to the pulse sound
Listen carefully for the first arterial pulsation. Once heard, make a note of the reading on the manometer. This reading is systolic blood pressure (the force of blood on the arterial wall as the heart beats).
Continue to deflate the cuff slowly.
Listen carefully until the arterial pulsations disappear. Once you can no longer hear the arterial pulsation, make a note of the reading on the manometer, which is diastolic blood pressure (blood pressure between heart beats).
Completely deflate the cuff.
Keep your arms straight to get the most accurate readings.
If the pressure is released too quickly or the arterial pulsation cannot be heard, do not inflate the cuff again immediately. Wait 1 minute before repeating the measurement. You should start by re-tying the cuffs.
6. Digital sphygmomanometer operation steps
Follow the steps below.
Hold the rubber ball with your right hand.
Press the power button and all display symbols will be displayed briefly, then zeros will be displayed. This indicates that the sphygmomanometer is ready.
Squeeze the rubber ball with your right hand to inflate the cuff. If the sphygmomanometer has a cuff auto-inflating function, press the start button.
7. Observation manometer
Continue to inflate the cuff until the manometer reading is approximately 30 mmHg higher than the expected systolic blood pressure.
Sit quietly and observe the sphygmomanometer. The pressure reading will be displayed on the screen. For some devices, the numeric value may appear on the left and then on the right.
Wait for a long "beep" sound, which means that the measurement is complete. Notice the pressure shown on the screen, systolic blood pressure (the pressure that blood acts on the arterial wall when the heart beats) appears on the left, and diastolic pressure (the pressure of blood acting on the arterial wall between heart beats) appears on the right. Pulses may also be shown between or after these two readings.
8. Deflate the cuff
If you do not get an accurate reading, do not immediately inflate the cuff again, wait 1 minute before repeating the measurement. You should start by re-tying the cuffs.
9. Record blood pressure
Follow your doctor's advice on the timing and frequency of measuring blood pressure. Record the date, time, systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured. Any special circumstances, such as recent exercise, meals, or stress events, should also be recorded.
10. The best replacement time
At least once a year (especially after the initial purchase of a sphygmomanometer), take the sphygmomanometer to the doctor's office to check its accuracy and compare your own sphygmomanometer readings with the doctor's office sphygmomanometer readings.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Code, unauthorized media reprinting is prohibited, and illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.
* Welcome to WeChat search and pay attention to the public account "Tencent Medical Code" to get more health science knowledge.