Blood Pressure

[ka217]

Hello,

I am home monitoring my blood pressure.  I normally do 3 readings in each arm one minute apart.  

Left Arm:
1st reading:  141/123
2nd reading:  76/63
3rd reading:  131/91

What would cause my pressure to fluctuate like this?  Could the cuff that I have at home possibly be the wrong size?

My BP normally averages about 140/85 range...

Thanks!

[skydnsr]

I agree with Occupant, I would wait a lot longer than one minute between blood pressure measurements on the same arm.  Ten minutes is good.  Still, those are some weird results that you got.  Even the first reading was weird.  If the cuff is too big or too small, that's usually pretty obvious.  You do need to make sure that the sensor inside the cuff is in the right position, directly over the brachial artery.  

I'd say you need someone knowledgeable to review with you exactly how to put on the cuff.  You also need someone to double-check the accuracy of your device by taking your BP with a monitor that is known to be accurate.  Maybe you could take your device with you to your next doctor's appointment and let the nurse check you out on the cuff size, your technique, and the accuracy of your device.  

Personally, I use a wrist cuff, which is totally easy to put on.  A wrist monitor costs between $30 and $50, depending on what brand you get and where you buy it.  It's pretty foolproof.  Most people find it easier to use than the arm cuff.  But even with the wrist cuff, I do wait about ten minutes, just to be on the safe side, before repeating a measurement on the same wrist.

[Occupant]

You're taking the readings too close together. Sit still and wait ~10min.