Blood Pressure Monitoring at Home

[nomorepanic]

I know there have been a few posts on here about blood pressure and whether it should be monitored at home or not so I am adding this post.

I am on medication for high blood pressure so I am always having it monitored to ensure the drugs are working well.

Personally I have "white coat syndrome" so when I go to see the doc to get my blood pressure done it is always sky high so I do readings at home and take them in for the doctor. I am not obsessed about doing it - just 3 or 4 times a week for about 2 weeks and then I take the readings in for him to see.

Well a few weeks ago I went to see a different doctor for a repeat prescription and he took my blood pressure. It was really high (150/114) so he advised me to go back and see my usual doctor who was monitoring it.

I did this today and I took my own blood pressure montitor in so he could assure me I was using it correctly. The result was that my monitor showed a higher reading than his so he was happy that the readings I took were higher than they really were so he trusted my readings. If you are worried then you could do this too.

One thing that I didn't know is that you can take the blood pressure in both arms and it should be the same. I was always told that you should only do it in the left arm and the leaflet that comes with my monitor says this too.

One question (which I think Meg may answer) is what happens if the readings are different in each arm. One doctor said that this could mean a restricted blood flow as they should be the same but then another doctor told me that it was more accurate in the left arm.

Now I am confused a bit.

If they should be the same and they are different then is it something we should mention to the doctor or not. (I have no idea if mine are different or not as I have not tested it on both so far).

Just some thoughts anyway.



Nicola

"Nearly all happiness comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open"

[Piglet]

Nic - I got a little silly at the doctors last october about having my bp done, I have to go every 6 months as I am on the pill. Mine was high and I really felt this was cos I was so anxious. The nurse was lovely and gave me surgery moniter to take home and asked me to record it over a few days.

I got the same reading as them initially which was still high but within a couple of hours it had come right down to the normal levels and stayed pretty much around the 120/80 mark only varying slightly up or down from that. I felt much reassured by this and thought the nurse was super for suggesting it. The white coat syndrome is incredibly common and this is can be a way around it.

Perhaps if this is a worry for others they could mention it and their surgery might do the same.

Love Piglet

[Quirky]

Just found this old post and I'm interested in whether your bp should be the same in both arms. I just tried both arms and it was slightly higher in my right arm. The second time it was higher in the left. It's hard to say exactly though as even two readings in my left arm can vary from one minute to the next. Is it serious if the two arms bp don't agree. My monitor says use left arm too but my gp and cardiologist always use my right arm.

[paladin806]

Hi, blood pressure does vary from arm to arm, depending on which arm you use the most. It is not a big difference, but the flow is always stronger when it is restricted. Well...mine is.lol

"I heard someone calling my name one day, so i followed that voice down the lost highway"

[Quirky]

Hi,
What do you mean by restricted? Blocked or restricted by the bp cuff?
I'm getting worried now lol. Still if this was such a good indicator of problems I guess cardiologists and gp's would do it regularly to measure the differences. I've never had my bp taken in both arms and wouldn't even have thought of it had I not read it here. I've now tried it three times, 1st time right arm higher, 2nd time left arm higher, third time exactly the same.
Oh well time for bed.
LJ

[Piglet]

I haven't done mine in ages but will see if it varies from arm to arm.

I do know my pulse is higher when I am stood up as opposed to taking it sat down.

Love Piglet

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Meg]

Its not any problem which arm you sue if you're a basically healthy person.

The Left arm is traditionally used as it gets the blood fractionally earlier than the Right due to pure geography of where the aorta is located and thus is supposed to be a truer representation of the cardiac pressures.

It is also affected ever so slightly by whether your're L or R handed and whether either arm is more developed.

Unless you are known to have serious vascular insufficiency it doesn't matter.

Wrist monitors may show a slightly higher reading than a regular arm one.


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[angieb]

At the doctors over a six month period I could not get a BP reading lower than 150/110 [:O] Really added to my health concerns however by monitoring at home with a cuff monitor I have an average BP of 123/76 considerablt better.

Was a worthwhile investment as far as I can see for piece of mind. Aditionally changing my alcohol comsumption showed a not to be ignored improvement [:I]

[Piglet]

Angie,

I'm just the same - I feel a lot better now I occasionally do it at home (novelty for doing it a lot wears off very quickly) and know that like you its actually always around the 120/80 mark.

Love Piglet

[meatybuddy]

hmmmmmmm now that has me worried as my bp varies during the day and at nigh ttime as earlier mine was 110/52 is that low or should i go back to my gp and thats with a wrist moniter at home normally my bp is around teh 120/60ish which i was told is classed as normal


best wishes

darren

There is light at the end of the tunnel its just finding it thats the hard part