How to take your own blood pressure (BP)
Taking your own blood pressure is quite easy. There are a few basic principles to go through, which we will go through.
First of all, we need to know what is normal. Actually there is no such thing as ‘normal blood pressure’. But for most adults, it will be between 110/70 and 140/90.
130/80 is a good average target for most patients, especially if you have diabetes. For most people, high blood pressure (BP) is ‘silent’, i.e. you cannot ‘feel’ whether it is high or low.
Its a little more complicated than that, as there are some other things that affect it. For example, it rises as you get older. So 120/70, 130/80 and 140/90 are considered ‘normal’, if you are under 30 years (or pregnant), 30-70 years and 70 years.
And it varies from minute to minute. So it could be 142/97 now (a little ‘high’) and 118/73 ( a little ‘low’) two minutes later.
Either way, the next thing to do, is buy a BP machine. You can do this from any chemist or large supermarket or Amazon – prices vary, approximately £20-£40. ‘A&D’ is a good make.
After that, we need to measure it. This is how:
- Frequency – once a week until it reaches the target given to you, then once a month, then once every three months. Unless asked by your doctor, do not take it too frequently
- Relax – go someone where you are relaxed, with no one talking to you
- Arm – same arm
- Time – same time of day – first thing in the morning is good
- Three times – measure it three times, and take the lowest (usually the last one). Write it down, with previous ones. Show them to your doctor when you see them next.
Here is a video on how to take your own blood pressure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TItRBH7wbfk&t=5
