Blood Pressure Measuring

I was at the doctors office and got really nervous when they were about to check my pressure and they put an electronic device on my arm that felt like it was about to squeeze my arm into 2 pieces and I got really uncomfortbale because of the extreme tightness. It felt like a machine at the pharmacy that always gets incredibly tight and gives me sky high readings. Anyway, the nurse said forget about that high reading and lets try it manually. When she did it like that it was 126/74 while I was still almost just as nervous. My question, do the electronic devices give bad readings on some people? I have muscular arms, so maybe thats why.

[Cleveland Clinic]

sting,

Thanks for the post.

Taking blood pressure is a skill. There are several factors that are important to take into account when measuring blood pressure. There are several factors that can interfere with blood pressure measurment such as: 1) One of the most important is the proper cuff size. Cuffs that are too big or too small can giver erroneous blood pressure measurements.  2) Also in some people with very high blood pressure, its possible to miss the upper reading as the cuff is taken down.  3) People with abnormal heart rhythms can have difficulty with automatic cuffs.

I would advise to have your pressure retaken by another independant skilled individual. The cuffs on the automatic machines are generally set for average sized individual and may not be accurate in you. If this is the case, you should probably stop relying on them.

good luck

[Guyute]

My doctors have told me NEVER to use those electronic machines you see at drugstores.  I've had those give wrong reading more than once.  Hope this helps.

[~*CaMeO*~]

Has anyone here used a wrist monitor?  I have recently acquired one (an Omron) and am suitably impressed with it's ease of use.  It reads very close to my old cuff one and I'll have it calibrated at my Doctor's office to be sure it's as close as I think it is. Easy to use, comfortable ......... 'nuff said.

[chrisr]

I also use an Omron wrist monitor which I find quite easy and convenient. However it rarely agrees mainly the systoic BP with the arm readings at the doc's office whether automatic or manual. I also have an arrhythmia problem and wonder whether this may be the reason? Appreciate comments on this and who are the skilled individuals that the CCF MD referred to above.
ChrisR.

[upbeat63]

I agree, auto cuffs don't work well for people with irregular heart rhythms--may give lots of error readings, but the wrist cuff works well otherwise. And since you are able to record day after day (should be approx same time each day), it gives a good indication of what your pressure is doing over time. Unlike a periodic check at the drugstore.

Skilled readers include those at your doctor's office and firefighers/paramedics. If you have a local firehall near you, you might pay them a visit and ask for a reading, I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige.

[rhia]

I had a bad experience as well. My diastolic reading on a home electric monitor was almost double anything I got at the doctors office. It usually came out as equal to my heart rate measurement. So if I had a heart rate of 100bpm, I'd get a reading of 120/100 or 130/110 (when I was really anxious!!)

The doctor took one reading on it at his office and said it was inaccurate and to "throw it away"! The readings were basically ridiculous. The problem is that inaccuracy can lead to very frightening results. It took me ages to convince myself that at the tender age of 22, I did not have extreme diastolic hypertension!!

I think we need to be very careful about these so called accurate machines.

[kellebelle]

Sorry to jump threads....wmac you mentioned a docter in Portland, Oregon??? I live across the river and would be very interested in knowing the name, phone number. I have a good cardio over here in Vancouver , wa. but would love to have a second opinion. Thanks for your help.
Kelly

[Barbarella]

I got a Omron monitor at home, and I also bought one of the old fashioned manual BP device you know the kind the docs and nurses used before the digital monitors came along, and both gave me the same result.  Heard though that the machines at pharmacies are suppose to be incorrect in a lot of people.

[LukeL]

I have been in the hospital many times for non heart related problems where you are hooked up to a machine which takes your BP and pulse at regular intervals. Those often give me too high of BPs and very low pulse rates (one time I was tachy at 140 and the machine read 80)