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How to Choose the Best Blood Pressure Monitor

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How to choose the best blood pressure monitor

Blood pressure – low or high – is one of the health conditions that are most prevalent. What makes it more obnoxious is the fact that it does not have any symptoms much obvious, yet can be fatal in many cases. It increases your vulnerability to heart attacks and other ailments in the long run. Checking your blood pressure at home does come with its own benefits. Having said that how would you choose the best blood pressure monitor? What are the points you need to take care of while choosing the best blood pressure monitor? Let us check it out in the following paragraphs.

How To Choose The Right Blood Pressure Monitor?

If you have chosen to measure your blood pressure at home, it becomes quite important to pay attention to a few features in your blood pressure monitor. You have a good option of blood pressure monitors that can be used at home. But, you need to take care of the accuracy and adaptability of the blood pressure monitor before making the final choice.

Here are a few tips on choosing the best blood pressure monitor machine  that would best suit you.

Accuracy Of The Machine

Leave alone all other features, your blood pressure monitor machine needs to have the accuracy at the priority feature. Make sure that the machine that you are planning to buy comes with an accreditation by the appropriate regulatory authority.

The part of your body which it depends upon is also important. Measuring your pressure on the  upper arm is the best option rather than wrist or finger. It has been clinically established that the upper arm blood pressure monitors provide a more accurate reading.

Check Your Budget

There are several blood pressure monitor machines that are available at varied price points. The price usually depends upon the features that the blood pressure comes with. Some of the added features include the built in memory to save the readings, multiple cuffs and other special functions.

Choose the monitor that has the features that you actually need. Just because a particular monitor is available with several features, you need not buy it just for the fancy of it. The additional features may be available, but they are not essential. Opt for a blood pressure monitor that you can afford.

Check The Fitting

As is evident, this is an important factor you need to give a thought to. If you want to avoid accurate readings, the cuff on the machine should fit your upper arm measurements.

If the cuff on the blood pressure monitor you have chosen does not fit your upper arm properly, you are bound to get results that are utterly inaccurate. To arrive at the optimum cuff size, here is what you need to do. Measure the diameter of of your upper arm at the mid-point between shoulder and elbow and use this measure to arrive at the cuff size. A diameter of 18 to 22 cm, you will need a small cuff size. Similarly the cuff size for 22 to 32 cm and 32 to 45 cm would be medium and large respectively.

Ease Of Use

The blood pressure monitor you want to buy should offer a complete ease of use. There is no point in the need to go for a special “training” to be able to use it.

The readings should be easily understandable and readable. The buttons and switches for controlling the machine should be clearly visible. They should also be intuitive to use.  Many blood pressure monitors currently available tend to be quite heavy technical gadgets. We would advise you to opt for easy to use machines than such high end options.

Is Measuring Blood Pressure At Home Reliable?

The blood pressure varies throughout the day for various reasons. Posture, food, medicines, emotions and other factors affect your blood pressure considerably.

That would probably explain why do we get different Blood pressure readings at different doctors. From that point of view, measuring blood pressure at home should provide you more accurate readings. Moreover, it can be great way of monitoring the effectiveness of treatment if you are undergoing a blood pressure related to treatment. In case you are a patient who needs closer monitoring of blood pressure, measuring blood pressure at home should be an advantageous option. It can also be beneficial for those of you who go nervous at clinics and thereby produce inaccurate results.

The Bottom Line

Well, those were a few points you would need to take care of while choosing the best blood pressure monitor. The first and foremost point you would need to pay attention to should be to check the accreditation that the monitor machine you are about to buy.

Do go through the reviews on the reliable sites and make an intelligent choice. The technology advancement has brought a huge list of devices at your disposal. Do take care of the points we have enlisted for a clear understanding.