IHB on BPM home machines

[Padayn01]

How accurate are the Blood Pressure Machines we have at home? how does it measure you have IHB as this has flashed up a couple times on my monitor, than i redone it and nothing flashed up.

[BobD Volunteer]

It has long been considered that home BP machines are not accurate at detecting and measuring HR when there is an irregular rythm such as AF and vice versa. Personally I do not need a machine to tell me if I have a racing or irregular heart so my only issue is getting a correct BP reading if I have. I also feel that just checking can create the sort of stress which could cause arrhythmia and any indication of that would increase stress ad nauseum so I avoid such use wherever possible, Obviously if my GP asks me to do a seven day chart that is different.

[Padayn01 in reply to BobD]

Thank you BobD makes sense

[Ianp66]

With Bob on this one Pad, I got one and after my ablation was checking it every half hour and got obsessed.

Best to just get gp to check it when necessary, or do the same at home, mines useless at detecting AF, usually just failed to read, but BP seemed pretty accurate when I compare to gp readings.

Hope your settling down a bit mate after op.

Ian.

[Padayn01 in reply to Ianp66]

Cheers Ian mate, yeah getting there slowly i hope pal, yeah your right about getting obsessed with the BP does your head in, hope all is well with you mate, take care

[Paulbounce]

My personal experience of these machines is not very good. I bought a BP one and it gave a very HIGH reading. So much so I went to my GP there and then to have it checked - it was fine.

The nurse said I would have been better off spending the 20 quid on a bottle of whisky and 20 fags.

Says it all really. Paul

[Bolander]

Can anyone recommend a reasonably reliable model of BP monitor?

[Madscientist16 in reply to Bolander]

I have been using an Omron model BP742N for about two years and it seems pretty accurate and reliable. I bought it at Amazon for about 30 USD.

[Bolander in reply to Madscientist16]

Thanks for the recommendation. I notice that Omron is used by my GP but wasn't sure whether they had consumer models.