Back in the days when modern medicine was still taking shape with bulky and impractical devices and instruments, measuring blood pressure required a person to go to the doctor or at least a practitioner trained in operating sometimes complex equipment for even the simplest of measurements and tests.
What’s on this page?
Today, measuring your blood pressure is easier than ever. The devices used for this measurement are small, compact and easy to use. However, their accuracy can vary somewhat, so if you plan to monitor your blood pressure by yourself, you should make sure that your device has been approved by the British Hypertension Society.
Home blood pressure measuring devices – how do they work?
The devices developed for home measuring of blood pressure work exactly the same way as the devices used in a clinical setting. The monitor consists of a digital interface and a cuff which is secured around the upper left arm. Once the device is activated, the cuff will inflate, thus applying pressure to the brachial artery in the arm, temporarily stopping the blood from flowing through the artery.
After a couple of seconds have passed, the cuff will deflate, allowing the blood to immediately flood the artery. The cuff will use this opportunity to detect the vibrations of the blood vessel, thus taking a reading of the force with which the blood pushes through. In this way, the systolic reading is completed.
Next, the cuff will deflate and take another measurement once the blood flow within the artery has stabilised and regained its consistency. Finally, both systolic and diastolic readings will be presented on the display of the device. Note that measuring your blood pressure is the only way to know for sure if you are affected since hypertension is otherwise asymptomatic.
Checking blood pressure at home – what should you know?
While the device used for measuring blood pressure is relatively simple to use and you are sure to get the hang of it after first couple of attempts, there are certain considerations that you should keep in mind. Most importantly:
- You shouldn’t measure your blood pressure within half an hour of drinking coffee, smoking or eating a large meal as this will distort the readings
- Go to the toilet before measuring
- Always take measurement on the same arm, ideally left
- Rest for at least five minutes before taking a reading
- Make sure your arm is resting on a hard surface and that your feet are placed firmly on the floor
If you fail to follow these directions, there are chances that the final reading will be distorted. In addition to this, you should also read through the manual provided with the blood pressure measuring device and contact your doctor if you have any additional questions.
It is also worth mentioning that most medical experts advise people not to measure their blood pressure too often since small variations are to be expected. However, in some individuals, this might be enough to cause additional stress and further increase the blood pressure. Similarly to this, for the most precise results, you should take two to three readings within a couple of minutes and calculate the average.
I want to buy blood pressure monitor – how much does it cost?
As is the case with many other products, you can find numerous models and brands in the modern market so the price will, of course, vary significantly. The most affordable blood pressure measuring devices that have been validated by the British Hypertension Society will cost somewhere around £20, but for some brands, the price can reach as high as £150. The more expensive devices will come with certain bonus features such as memory bank for easy and reliable storage of your measurements history.
However, even the £20 devices can work perfectly fine as long as they provide the user with accurate readings. So, if you don’t want to spend too much money on your blood pressure monitor, you can compensate for the lack of memory bank very simply – with pen and paper, of course!
At which stores can I buy blood pressure monitors?
Blood pressure measuring devices are no rare commodity. They can be bought in numerous stores from high street pharmacies like Lloyds or Boots, to catalogue shops akin to Argos and even supermarket and large online stores such as Amazon. However, it is still recommended to buy your blood pressure monitor from a seller that is specialised in healthcare items, so pharmacy is still the number one option.
What should I keep in mind when buying blood pressure measurement device?
First and single most important thing you should pay attention to is that you are buying your monitor from a legitimate retailer – only buy from sellers that are recognisable and trustworthy.
Secondly, it is always better to buy a new device, as opposed to buying second-hand since they need to be recalibrated every two years and for some models even less. As manufacturer usually charges this service, the money saved by buying second-hand device will most likely end up being spent on recalibration.
However, as is mentioned, the single most important thing you should keep in mind is that the device must be validated by the British Hypertension Society or, alternatively, has been tested and proved to be of equivalent standard. You can find the list of approved devices on the BIHS page.1
References:
