I'm not a big fan of the electronic blood pressure cuffs either, they're overly sensitive and tend to vacillate wildly. If I have a patient in the ED who I'm about to either start pressors on or give medication to decrease BP, I always check a manual first. I'd say about 5-10% of the time it changes my next step, which is a surprisingly high number
That’s an excellent point. So many can’t even handle the Electronic blood pressure machines correctly. I presume that when you do it manually, it’s far more reliable.
I visited a new primary care doctor recently and my blood pressure was high in her office. She told me to buy a cuff and take readings morning and night for a couple of weeks and we’d revisit the topic then before deciding on any medication.
I did my own research and found a great video explaining the proper way to take your blood pressure (exactly as you described) and the readings were still high but much lower than in her office.
Then I also found out that your pressure can be different from one arm to the other and mine is consistently higher in my left (dominant) arm.
I decided to try lifestyle changes first, and eliminated alcohol and much of the salt from my diet. I started eating healthier and walking on a treadmill.
Over the course of two months I was able to get my numbers from consistently stage 2 hypertension down to normal range.
I had no idea before this that how the patient is seated, whether their legs are crossed, if their feet are touching the floor, and if they are talking can all affect the reading.
Thank you! Your comment is why I do this. While I can't give medical advice, I do suggest you tell your doctor about the consistent differences in your BP readings left arm vs. right arm. If they're significant (more than 10-15 points different), it may be a significant symptom. Warm regards, Helene
I'm not a big fan of the electronic blood pressure cuffs either, they're overly sensitive and tend to vacillate wildly. If I have a patient in the ED who I'm about to either start pressors on or give medication to decrease BP, I always check a manual first. I'd say about 5-10% of the time it changes my next step, which is a surprisingly high number
That’s an excellent point. So many can’t even handle the Electronic blood pressure machines correctly. I presume that when you do it manually, it’s far more reliable.
Thanks so much Helene! I go back to see her in early January and this will be on my list to discuss for sure.
I visited a new primary care doctor recently and my blood pressure was high in her office. She told me to buy a cuff and take readings morning and night for a couple of weeks and we’d revisit the topic then before deciding on any medication.
I did my own research and found a great video explaining the proper way to take your blood pressure (exactly as you described) and the readings were still high but much lower than in her office.
Then I also found out that your pressure can be different from one arm to the other and mine is consistently higher in my left (dominant) arm.
I decided to try lifestyle changes first, and eliminated alcohol and much of the salt from my diet. I started eating healthier and walking on a treadmill.
Over the course of two months I was able to get my numbers from consistently stage 2 hypertension down to normal range.
I had no idea before this that how the patient is seated, whether their legs are crossed, if their feet are touching the floor, and if they are talking can all affect the reading.
Great post!
Thank you! Your comment is why I do this. While I can't give medical advice, I do suggest you tell your doctor about the consistent differences in your BP readings left arm vs. right arm. If they're significant (more than 10-15 points different), it may be a significant symptom. Warm regards, Helene