BP Monitoring at home

GP has said to monitor my BP at home, twice a day for four days taking three readings and reporting the best of three. Bought a monitor and proceeded. Puzzling thing is that each reading is different. For example Thursday evening was 135/71, 129/71, 129/73. This morning was 141/75, 140/76, 136/71. Question is are these differences normal.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Yes……the first one is usually (but not always) the highest…and you will probably find that a particular time of day the readings are higher than another time.

The instructions usually say sit quietly for up to 5 minutes before taking reading.

Mine are always lower late afternoon/ evening….but others may vary.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Perfectly normal. Your BP varies over the 24 hours, partly naturally and partly related to what you are doing or experiencing. It will change if you run up the stairs, have a shock, have a row with someone, have a meal, drink a glass of wine, all sorts of things. It falls overnight, rising when you are ready to get up, changes a bit when you stand up from sitting, may be a bit different in the right and left arm, a big difference of more than 10 points there can be a sign of certain conditions.

Those readings are all within the sort of variation you will get just from measuring, even with electronic cuffs rather than the old fashioned stethoscope and cuff. And are pretty good I would say!

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

[Flivoless in reply to PMRpro]

I can just picture it; running up the stairs holding a glass of wine whilst having a domestic.

[strawclutching in reply to Flivoless]

Ah yes ... them were the good old days!😏

[mgrogers99]

When taking your BP, don't talk and keep both feet flat on the floor. BP changes naturally many times a day.

[Cosmos22Marigold]

Hi. Ive just done a week of doing the same. Twice in the morning and twice at pm for 7 days. I then had to add up all the top readings - divide by the number of times i had taken them and take it back to the Dr. My readings were all different but the final reading was OK and he was happy with the final reading. Yours look pretty average to me.

[SheffieldJane]

Even worrying whether it is normal that they are different could send it up a few points. I can lower mine at will by going into a meditative state - try it.

[123-go]

My practice nurse told me to take 3 slow, deep breaths first, relax, then breathe normally while thinking 'happy thoughts'. Works more often than not.

[Bcol]

Nothing to add to everything said, but they all look pretty normal to me.I take mine daily and record in my diary spreadsheet, which then gives me a 28 day (4 week) average.

[123mossie]

You can get quite good free phone apps for blood pressure, they will do averages, graphs & charts etc. Just put the lowest of your two or three readings in to build up a picture of what it’s doing over time.

[HalleysComet]

I take my BP every morning, three goes. It is never the same twice. Your readings are very similar to mine. I take Amlodipine to reduce my BP. Are you taking any medication? I find it helps to sit quietly and stare out of the window at nothing in particular, and have a quiet mindful moment or two.

Always keep your feet on the floor and your arm at roughly waist height.

[jarn]

REMINDER: Taking certain drugs increases the BP (Prednisone and or TMZ).