If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or have a family history of blood pressure, then it is important that you monitor your blood pressure regularly. This is especially important for people who are on medicines for high blood pressure, as they constantly have to keep monitoring the progress.

Monitoring your blood pressure on your own is useful for both the patient and the physician. When you keep a regular track, either daily or weekly, you can provide your doctor with the report of your blood pressure, and this helps them in determining whether the medicines are working in your case or not. If the medicines are not working, then the doctor would either change or add a combination medicine to the regimen and also suggest some dietary changes and exercises.

To take blood pressure on your own, follow these steps:

• Sit in a position where your feet are flat on the floor. It is advised not to sit cross-legged or fold your ankles under the chair as this can alter the reading.

• Wrap the blood pressure cuff on the upper arm of the hand that is non-dominant. This means that if you are right-handed, wrap it on the left hand and vice versa. Place the cuff comfortably so that its end is a little above the crease of the elbow. Wrap the cuff comfortably and don’t make it tight or else it will interfere with the circulation.

• Now, place the earpieces of the stethoscope in your ears and the diaphragm on the elbow where you have wrapped the cuff. The diaphragm should be placed on the inner side of the elbow.

• Tighten the screw that is present on the bulb of the cuff. Start pumping or squeezing the bulb with your left hand (if you are right-handed or vice versa) while still holding the diaphragm on the inner side of the elbow. When you start pumping the blood pressure cuff, you should tighten on your arm. In case it does not, then check whether the screw is tightened properly.

• Keep pumping until you can hear the pump through the stethoscope. Once the pulse stops or if you can’t hear it any longer then stop pumping.

• Gradually release the screw on the cuff so that the air moves out slowly. As the air releases from the cuff, you will hear the pulse again. At this point, when you can again hear your pulse, the number should be noted. Keep releasing the air until you can again hear the pulse, once the pulse stops again, you should note the reading.

• The number that you have noted previously is the systolic number and the latter one is a diastolic number. These numbers are your blood pressure reading. Maintain a diary where you can make a note of these numbers according to the dates that you have measured your blood pressure, and take it along when you go to visit our doctor.

Measuring your blood pressure on your own is easy if you understand the technique on how to do it. If it is difficult for you and you can’t manage on your own, then ask a family member to do it for you.

Mark Perry

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