Blood pressure monitors

[TDL1]

Are the digital BP monitors for home accurate? Mine seems to show pretty high all the time. Thoughts

[NeverAgain127]

I agree with this response.

I have mild hypertension, and I check mine daily with both an old fashioned cuff and stethoscope, and the automatic kind.     The readings are usually nearly identical.  (you do have to make sure you have fresh batteries in the machine, however.)

One thing my daughter (a med student) told me was to make SURE the cuff is not too tight or too lose.   It should be comfortable wrapped around your bicep, and you should be able to stick your finger under the cuff easily.    Also, if you take multiple readings, make sure the cuff is 100% deflated before you take a new measure.

[Ekkiemom]

Yes they should work just fine. If your BP is high you might need meds if it continues on a reg basis
Good luck
D

[Ger57]

AHA Recommendation:

The American Heart Association recommends an automatic, cuff-style, bicep (upper-arm) monitor. Wrist and finger monitors are not recommended because they yield less reliable readings.

[caregiver222]

It is not that they are unreliable, but the wrist units measure pressure at a different point, with different norms. Wrist pressure norms are slightly different than arm norms.

They have to be held up to the level of the heart while taking a pressure.

[Ger57]

The ones that measure bp at your wrist are very often not reliable.

[caregiver222]

Consumer reports evaluated a dozen of them. Their test results are on the net.

Bear in mind the commercial types come in various cuff sizes. I take them with a conventional stethascope and have three cuff sizes.