I have a BP monitor, which I use regularly, but certainly not every day. I log the readings, including pulse, which is also provided by my machine, and I have a pretty good idea of my usual range which, as you say, varies throughout the day. I always take an average of three readings, taken at rest to minimise variability. One advantage of measuring BP myself is that it eliminates the ‘white coat’ effect I usually experience at my GP surgery.
There was one instance last year where I had a repeated series of very high readings, which led to an urgent GP appointment and some follow-up treatment. I wouldn’t have known that my BP was high if I hadn’t taken it myself and for this reason I think that self monitoring is generally a good idea. I agree however, that it’s best not to become obsessed by it.
My GP recommended a blood pressure monitor. Omron is a brand often recommended by medical professionals, they're not expensive but I think they're more than £25.
I don't test every day, not even every week. But maybe every second month, and when I do I follow my GP's recommended protocol and test morning and afternoon, for five consecutive days.
Yes, there's variability, but after a while you can predict most of the big variations, so if I've been at the gym in the morning the afternoon results will tend to be lower.
Any decent monitor gives your pulse alongside your blood pressure.
Will it save your life? Probably not, but I find the more engaged I am with my main health metrics then the more I work on keeping them in the safe zone. It's like engineer's say, "what gets measured gets fixed".
I would have to disagree that they don't save life's! My husband was poorly recently, as a precaution I took his BP but for the 1st time ever it wouldn't give a reading on BP or pulse. So I took his pulse & realised that his pulse was 29. As a result I rang 999 and just after the paramedics arrived my husband passed out & his ICD shocked him. It transpired that he was having VT's which were causing lots of issues including very low BP. The hospital got the VT's under control to some extent but he was kept in CCU then ICU for a week due to his seriously low BP. If I hadn't had the BP monitor I wouldn't have known how serious the situation was as (apart from his previous cardiac arrest many years ago) this was the first time anything like this had happened to him!
Totally agree. The same thing happened to my father. He too suffered from low blood pressure. I monitored him regularly with an Omron BP cuff model. When it went off the scale I became very worried and got help. He then passed out. Without that gadget I wound have known what was happening to him. It certainly saved his life.
hello
1. Our blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day according to our activity.
Yes but if at any point is too high or too low then it’s worth noting for investigating
2. A BP reading is of little use without a pulse reading.
Most cheap monitors also take the pulse too. But a recent post explain very well they measure two different things. It depends on what a person is interested in monitoring. My monitors - yes I have two- both take pulse.
3. Our BP can apparently vary according to which are is tested and, whether you’re standing up, sitting down or, lying down.
absolutely - so you take the reading at the same time, same arm and in same position each time you take it.
4. It’s easy to become obsessed with readings.
Yes that’s true but they also help with diagnosing problems. Uncontrolled high or low= not good news.
What do I think? If you don’t like them / don’t think reliable - save your money.
😊
Edit - not all monitors are created equal - worth looking for one recommended by a medical person or pharmacist or if in UK NHS accredited. Like omron
Same for me and my husband. I only realised this when my nurse recommended I get an Omron monitor during lockdown, as I need my BP taking every 3 months due to medication and it saved me having to go in.
Hello
I have BP monitor and mine only cost about £25 but when my Doctor has been doing a home visit and in the past when the ambulance has been they have exactly the same one so if it is good enough for them to believe it gives them a good idea what my BP is doing it has to be ok
It also takes you pulse reading to
Yes you can get obsessed with them but you have to be strict with yourself anyone with heart conditions it is good to be able to check it even once a week to make sure everything looks ok and they do say as you are right it can fluctuate to take it the same time every day or when ever you do take it
But it is a personal choice but I like to keep an eye on mine but I don't get obsessed doing it x
Hi.. i was advised by GP to get a minitor as i suffer from hypertension.. take it a once or twice a day… last weekend had a really bad headache.. took bp and it was 195/90.. lowest that day was 170/74 spent about 6/7 hours in CAU ..probably because i’d had chest pains for a few hours earlier in the day .. eventually got home.. but yes.. if someone is advised to get a BP monitor i think they should.. my monitor was about £45 and it also show HR and any signs of irregular HR
I need to take mine before attending rehab (now moved on to maintenance class, new thing here) and declare the reads before were allowed to participate, The instructor definitely looks for trends and asks about any spurious reads. I note these and align them with how I'm feeling so I can then recognise when I go low or high, by how I'm feeling. It's not perfect but I can tell the difference between low bp and low blood sugar now. Following on from our own advice - listening to our bodies.
Fraid I am also of the opinion that they are a worthwhile investment. I have an Omron, recommended by the GP who also suggested I monitor periodically. Recently had a scare whilst on drugs for heart failure - so changed to Candesartan. That was increased by 4mgs and the advice was to monitor BP twice daily for 5 days once I had started increased dose. Little change in BP so dose can be increased again. Like others I do take my BP from time to time and although results not monitored by anyone at least I know what is happening - and can tweak accordingly if needs be or ask for help/advice if trend is persistent.
Apart from a short period when I first had HF, I’ve never had high blood pressure. My BP has always been 90ish over 60 ish and I don’t suffer with low blood pressure either.
All good points but taking a daily rating will give an indication of the trend changing or any substantial changes.I know what you mean about being obsessed with readings, I certainly fell into that when I first had my heart problems. So I stopped taking readings unless I had an issue.
Now I have started to take again once a day. BP, ECG and O2 levels just so I have a record really.
Turns out in the last 21 days I have only had sinus rhythm for 3 days and been in afib for two weeks or so, but I haven't felt it so the meds are working.
The BP monitor is only used to calibrate my Samsung watch once a month. I know the watch is not a medically certified device but it does my BP, ECG, O2 and HR. All of which were confirmed with the GP two days ago when I had my annual check up (1st day). I was in af but doc said it was OK to leave after checking the ecg.
So now like I said I will keep doing daily readings so I have a record and a trend.
They are extremely effective and pretty accurate. Pretty useful for those with heart related concerns. You shouldn't become obsessed by them as some are with their monitoring apple watch but taking a reading properly twice a day for a week as a reference point seems sensible . If they are normal perhaps do it a couple of consecutive days a month.
Doctors BP monitors are not always that accurate as they slap them on as soon as you get in the room after being led at a jog through the building after waiting nervously in the waiting room wondering why that other person is coughing so much.
So take the readings properly and keep them in overall context and they are good.
I keep track of my BP and pulse, as others have said it identifies trends, and is one of the first things my GP asks me about if I'm unwell. I try to do a week of readings each month although it might be more or might be less. I've never had any medical professional be dismissive of my readings or my monitor, they're usually quite happy that I have some information for them.Most monitors will say if they meet the relevant standards, and the BHF shop sells them, and I think they would be careful of the quality of goods.
I don't think it's healthy to obsess about anything, but a rough knowledge of what is normal for you can be very useful.
I have a BP monitor now. Amaz0n one on offer £28.. NHS rated.I check once or twice a week. Reassuring that meds are working.
I used it after I was allowed home.. 2 days later felt unwell... checked BP... very very low.. so bluelighted via 111 to a and e. Sorted.. home 72 hours later.
Then last week I felt weak, dizzy and not right. Checked BP, pulse and (via watch) my oxygen levels. All text book amazing... Olympic athlete standard! Which calmed me down.
But because BP was great... has pointed me to the doctors for blood tests... checking liver and kidneys which the tablet cocktail can damage. Also.. diabetic/blood sugar checks... as again can be issues with meds. (Rehab nurse also instructed this).
I think the same as you. BP fluctuates throughout the day anyway. In the past, when I used to use my monitor more I did obsess about my BP. Due to some dizziness on standing, recently, I was told to take my BP when standing up from sitting. I had to search to find it,
I can't understand why anyone would not want to monitor BP etc. I do and have done for a long time. Every morning after a sitting at rest for a while, I measure and record weight, BP, blood sugar. In the evening, again after sitting for a while, I measure and record BP and steps walked that day as well as how I have felt that day. I do these for a number of reasons.
1. I am taking part in a trial looking at how heart failure patients can better manage their condition.
2. Having these readings enables me to see if fluids are beginning to be retained before the consequences require a hospital visit
3. Because my cardiologist finds the results especially the trends useful.
4. I can look for trends and correlations to help me manage my condition
5. The results provided solid objective data to enable my doctor to titrate the drug doses, quite a complex task with a number of comorbidities and a large number of meds.
6. It gives me a much better understanding of what is happening in my body and how what I do affects me.
5 minutes (at most) a day is all it takes. That is hardly obsession. My BP machine may not be 100% accurate, but it is certainly close enough for trends to be apparent, to signal the need to make some minor adjustments
Hi for me personally its a huge NO!! for all the reasons you've given!! That's only my personal opinion though. We are all different. These things frighten the life out of me!! The watches people wear that monitor everything are the same!! What did we all do 50 years ago!!?? These BP machines need to be very carefully calibrated in order for an accurate reading to be given. My GP has no time for them at all I think its just a personal decision. I would do what your gut instinct is telling you!!
Thank you Mosander. I think than many heavies have stated that the measure BP but not really given me a convincing reason why. Your point about calibration is particularly important. I attend a gym at the local hospital and they insist that I take my BP and pulse before and after exercise but, according to a number of staff members the machine we use isn’t that accurate. I also had recent experience at the GPS surgery where a nurse used for different BP machines on me, declaring three of them broken until she found a reading she thought was accurate. Further my HF nurse is against using them. On top of all this, apart from those who are participating in trial and, under instructions to record their results, what do people do with the results? “Yesterday my BP was 106 over 62, today it’s 110 over 67!” What use is that information? Why the difference? Were you two minutes longer sitting in your chair yesterday than you were today?
Why ask a question if you have no interest in the responses? Apologies if that comes across as rude but it really does sound like you only want the responses that fit with you. Individual readings taken in isolation are not always useful, although abnormally high or low ones are probably best not ignored, but spotting trends over a period of time can be. Two broadly similar readings taken on consecutive days is two small a data set to take anything from. It's ultimately your decision whether you, or anyone else, gets one or not.
Hrty, I’ve seen nothing thus far that counters professional advice. There are a few posters who are using BP machines a, because their GP has asked them to, or b, because they are part of a trial. The remainder doing so talk about ‘trends’ etc. No-one seems to do so with an end in view, I.e. “When my BP reaches this or that figure, I know something is wrong and contact my GP. “ They offer no better advice than my cousin. I shall continue to listen to my body. At 75, that seems to have worked thus far.
Those blood pressures might have different numbers but they are still in the same range, mine is roughly the same as that,and I have heart failure too. Sometimes the bottom might hit 70s and sometimes the top figure might go below 100. I was told once top figure is 100 -120 that’s ok because it needs to be kept low as possible with heart failure. I’ve been 80 over 65 before and felt dizzy so I drink water. That’s where home monitor comes in handy. The first thing I did was check my blood pressure to see if there’s a reason for dizziness before my daughter starts dialling 111.
Unfortunately, GPs these days expect you to have your own monitor. And to be fair, if you take 3 readings, 1 or 2 minutes apart, at home, noting down the time and circumstances (ie just after a meal or exercise), then it’s going to be far more accurate than the GP taking one reading when you walk into the surgery.
I have a monitor and go through phases of checking my BP every day, usually at request of my GP. However I'm not sure how accurate the monitor is. A few months ago I had a minor "procedure" (not heart related) and hence before and after had my blood pressure read a number of times on good quality hospital machines. They gave consistently lower readings than my home monitor did! And I thought I had white coat syndrome as well...
I have to say I do think checking BP daily can be a little bit obsessive and may be a cause of / symptom of health anxiety. But that's just my opinion.
A good question. I have to admit I do have a blood pressure unit at home. I do play with it alot. However it has proven that the blood pressure medication is working. But this is where I sometimes think that they are relying on the electronic units too much both at home and in hospitals. I like to have my blood pressure checked on the old fashioned Mercury pump up machines which my doctor has and one of my nurses use. However there is skill in using these and I suppose the electronic ones have made it easy and more efficient for any one to use and obtain a reading. Trouble is you are told to sit quietly and wait till you are relaxed and then take your reading. When you turn up at doctors or hospital you are not given this time to relax or you may have white coat syndrome. But they are worth having at home. But as many people have said blood pressure goes up and down during the day depending on the activity. However the main thing they are looking at is the average. Through out the day and night which is where a 24hr test is useful. But we carnt all have 24hr checks. But I did find out that my pharmacy will do them.
I have one but I rarely use it as since my transplant it looks really high but the hospital are fine with it, if I feel unwell I dig it out, the last time I was at my GP for routine bloods etc I took it with me and the nurse checked it against his it was bang on so at least I know it works char
I have one, made by Omron. I take 4 readings, usually ignore the highest or lowest if wildly different and average the rest. I can keep an eye out for any trending up (or down) which is better spotted at a once a year review with the gp. There is no need to obsess by checking on a reasonably regular basis is no bad thing IMHO.
One should always take ones BP at the same time of day whilst sat down in a chair relaxed and not stood up!
If all your readings are taken each time using the same circumstances…i.e. feet flat on the floor, sat upright, etc. then BP Monitors are very useful tools. I would not be without one in my home and I certainly would not buy a cheap one of the web. Omron is a good quality make with a good reputation.
I use my BP machine once a week to keep a check. I always do the same thing; sit quietly for half an hour before taking it. BP machines do also show a pulse reading. There's no way I'd use it every day. It's totally i unnecessary. The only time I do that is if my GP asks for a week's average. Some people do get obsessed with it and panic at one unusual reading. BP does fluctuate a lot depending on what you're d oing and even your mood w hich is why my GP asks for 2 readings a day for a week then works out the average. Mine's a blessing as it has been able to confirm erratic beats.
I absolutely agree with owning a BP monitor, for many reasons. I would like to add though that you should make sure it is calibrated correctly. When I purchased mine at the local drugstore I had the pharmacist check it against their professional equipment. It took about 3 tries, only one was correct. I also occasionally take it to the dr with me to check it against their equipment.
Hi A persistent cough when I first started taking it (rather surprised, thought that was Ramipril) but that gradually subsided. Still only taking 12mgs daily, BP slightly lower, but not alarmingly so and now at lower end of ok. No other worries at all, so now part of the daily regime. Hoping it can be raised again - but have had low sodium levels in recent past which may/may not be to do with this drug.
Hello Wolfman. If you have medication for high blood pressure it is advisable to keep a check on how these meds are preforming. Particularly if you feel a new med is not suiting you or someone has increased your dosage and it is making you feel unwell. A week or so readings taken to your doctor or consultant appointment will provide you with evidence. Also ‘White Coat ‘ syndrome is an accepted reason for higher readings in doc surgery or consultant consultations. My cardiologist likes me to take a weeks AM & PM readings to my appointments and says he finds them helpful.
I don’t take any medication for high blood pressure. In fact my blood pressure is on the low side if normal. I have never suffered from ‘white coat fever’.
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