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Best way to record blood pressure readings

Posted , 5 users are following.

jane243
jane243

When I was first diagnosed I was told to take the readings twice a day,morning and evening; take 2 readings and record just the lower one, which is usually but not always the second one. The the same dr changed tactics some months later and said to still take the 2 readings but do an average of both sets of numbers. 

I have read here that different peoples' drs have different methods and I just wondered what others thought was the best method? Should be most interested to know.

0 likes, 56 replies

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  • flybywire
    flybywire jane243

    Posted

    Hi Jane,

    What you say is very interesting as my doctor did the same. The average method os the best. Take three readings and average the three to get the final score. Over a week you will soon get an idea of the average of the averages. Take this back to the doctor and see what he says.

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman jane243

    Posted

    Ah, this is 'can of worms' territory! So much conflicting information. Personally I take the lowest of 2 readings. My GP has never given me any guidance on this matter tho. The other factor is meter accuracy. I often wonder how accurate the cheaper meters are.....my kind of meter! I see that Boots the chemist sell bp meters for up to £100! Mine was £12.99 from Tesco! Does that mean mine is less accurate? My readings are creeping up at the moment. Still nowhere near as bad as in the past but this mornings was 134/84. I wonder if my low readings of a few weeks ago were due to 'body shock' effect when I lost nearly a stone very quickly and changed diet dramatically? Maybe my body is getting used to different regime? Is that even possible?
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey Fisherman

      Posted

      Fisherman, interesting to read what you say about wondering if your lower readings of a few weeks ago were due to 'body shock'.  I have been wondering exactly the same following my BP reducing to the low 130's systolic for a couple of weeks just recently.  Sadly, It now seems to be increasing again.  At the time of the good readings, I had just experienced a few days with an upset tum which meant a dry toast and chicken and rice diet for almost a week - body shock too perhaps!  Certainly, the GP gym referral sessions don't seem to be working so far (my BP shoots up following the sessions)....perhaps I'm just being impatient, plus I'd really prefer walking to going to the gym!

      As for BP readings, my consultant says take 3 times with 2 minute rests between each one, then take an average of the 2nd and 3rd readings and record those averages for him.  Breathing deeply and relaxing between each of the three readings usually results in each one being lower than the previous.

    • derek76
      derek76 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Presumably the breathing brings it down when checking it but it will revert to the higer level after.

       

    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Hav.nt had garlic since Monday and mine is higher again, hows everybody else.s readings mine has gone up today  is it the cold weather?  what do you all think ???
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey helen_07568

      Posted

      Helen, are you saying your BP has increased SINCE you stopped eating the garlic on Monday?  Still trying to have mine but reduced back down to one clove because of the nosebleeds.

      BP can change in different temperatures - it's lower in warm temperatures as the blood thins, but then thickens again when cold.  I'm feeling we haven't had any real cold weather here in the South East yet.  Certainly my blood pressure was improving following the hotter days of this summer especially following a short cruise where we were out in the sunshine most of the time.

      As for what I think?   I agree it's just a puzzle - am now wondering whether it was the Benecol for my raised cholesterol that I took for a few weeks recently that reduced my blood pressure to normal over a couple of weeks.  However, I stopped the Benecol when I got diarrhoea in case that was the culprit.  Just wondering whether the Benecol in reducing fat in the arteries allowed the blood to flow through more freely thus reducing my BP.  

      Unlike you, I'm refusing to keep taking my blood pressure (sort of in denial I suppose) as I know that the stress of just doing that can increase the readings.  It was taken at the gym yesterday and was high,  I will perhaps take it later today though.  What a nightmare!

    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      It sure is a nightmare  Mrs O,   and yes Derek I think you can take it too much and it depends on your reaction if its higher, sends it higher no doubt about that, hope your reading is good later Mrs O
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568

      Posted

      Just to add the garlic must make the blood thinner in the winter, I think its cooler today here in the  south east, roll on the summer then!
    • flybywire
      flybywire Fisherman

      Posted

      My machine was £15. I checked against the hospital machine and it was surprisingly accurate. I have white coat shock - just see a white coat in Tesco's and my heartbeat increases, or is that the amount the food bill comes too!
    • flybywire
      flybywire Fisherman

      Posted

      138/84 is my normal now after being on medication for 6 months. Used to be 170 / 98 ish. Your rate is good. Nothing to worry about.
    • derek76
      derek76 helen_07568

      Posted

      Have you seen the latest Met Office predictions for next week. First they said the we will have the wetttest winter for 30 years. Now four months of snow!
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Yes Mrs O I think it has gone up since stopped the garlic on Monday, sorry to hear about your nose bleeds, do you think the garlic thins the blood too much causing the bleeds, and I know all about the taking bp thing, mind games, if you are in the wrong mind set I think it is more like an anxiery meter than a bp monitor 
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 derek76

      Posted

      No I hav.nt seen the weather predictions where did you hear that good news
    • jane243
      jane243 Fisherman

      Posted

      I've got an Omron M6 comfort bp meter. I got it off amazon and it cost about £45.00. I was shocked to see the self same meter on sale in Boots for £100 !!! I've no way of knowing how accurate it is but as it's the only one I use I can't see it matters too much. It worksout all the averages too.
    • jane243
      jane243 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Like you Mrs O my low readings of recent weeks are rising again. Must be because the weather is getting colder! They do seem to rise and fall in waves though regardless of the weather. They still seem to average out in the 120s - just closer to the top end!  Interesting what your consultant says about disregarding the first reading and to take three.
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey jane243

      Posted

      Crikey Jane, I'm envious of your readings in the 120's, top end or not.  You're obviously doing something right - well either that or you're a lot younger than me!
    • derek76
      derek76 jane243

      Posted

      I bought a new boxed Omron MIT Elite Plus that I bought on Ebay for £49, list price £125. I came from a Doctor so was probably a free sample.
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman flybywire

      Posted

      Hi flybywire. Thanks for your words of encouragement re my readings. Everyone in this forum are SO supportive. My prob is I can never truly accept my readings when they are OK. Its odd as I am a "cup half full" kind of guy on other things. When it comes to my bp readings I think low ones are a temporary blip! 

      There has been a steady increase from the lowest point of some weeks ago and I need to find out why. My wife says she doesn't want me getting any thinner as according to her my backside has nearly disappeared altogether!! Maybe a case of having those implants all the female singers seem to have these days? Ha ha. Seriously tho, I don't want to lose anymore weight but my crash diet resulted in my lowest bp readings ever. Its a puzzle

    • jane243
      jane243 Fisherman

      Posted

      It's the mindset one develops having hypertension I think, always expecting the worst regardless if one is normally a half full or half empty kind of person.

      Before my diagnosis 18> months ago I would never have given bad health a thought. I'd always been very healthy and led a reasonable lifestyle [always room for improvement!] But that diagnosis came as a shock and I found it very difficult to accept it was going to be pills for life. I still feel I was a cash cow in view of the health check that diagnosed it. The drs get paid for doing them and so are incentivised to find something wrong, or so I thought/still think. I'm probably being silly but it's the psycological thing. The nurse that did it said "Well you are 70 now". So .... I only feel 29; but she scared the daylights out of me by tales of strokes, kidney problems and heart attacks etc looming on the horizon. 14 years previously I now see that I had enterd on my med notes that my BP was 163/96 - probably after an asthma check - and it was slightly less than that at the health check yet they were jumping up and down and insisting on medication. I resisted for a few weeks but finally had to give in. 

      Re. your backside - my grandaughter said the same thing to me. I pointed out that I'd spent a lifetime with a big bum and was quite happy to shed it thanks !! Now I see that big bottoms are fashionableconfused. Some celeb has such a huge one she can balance a wine glass on it !!! Where did I go wrong!

    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey jane243

      Posted

      Well I can balance a pint on mine according to one orthopeadic consultant.  I think he was referring to my wonky spinal shape rather than my bum!lol
    • derek76
      derek76 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      If you don't know the story Google John Binden.

      He was justly famed for a party trick which entailed the balancing of as many as six half-pint mugs on one part his anatomy.

    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 derek76

      Posted

      To all of you lovely people on this forum I love it, the things we get to talk about have a lovely weekend, makes me laugh you all brighten up my day ...  and also I recently read that tumeric is excellent for cleaning teeth makes them whiter apparently ????? so its not all about hypertension on here..

       

    • derek76
      derek76 helen_07568

      Posted

      My father used to use salt and soot to clean his teeth.
    • jane243
      jane243 derek76

      Posted

      in  my schooldays - oh so long ago - a friend who had spent part of her early years in Cairo said there were vendors there selling charcoal for cleaning teeth. So why not turmeric! Frankly I'll stick with toothpaste thanks!
    • jane243
      jane243 helen_07568

      Posted

      I hope you all have a good weekend too. I endorse what Helen has said - you brighten my days!
    • derek76
      derek76 jane243

      Posted

      If you read back, I did not say that I use it to clean my teeth. I said that my teeth take a lot of cleaning after having had turmeric in my milk. But who knows it might be good for teeth and gums:-)

      Word is getting around as today I got a 40p off voucher for turmeric from Sainsburys.

    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey helen_07568

      Posted

      Yes, I agree, Helen, it's been a bit of a fun week on this thread where we've gone from conversations about blood pressure and monitors, to nether regions and toothpaste.  Any newbie looking in about their blood pressure will think they've clicked on the wrong button and come to the wrong group!  You're a great bunch of people and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend in spite of the gloomy weather.......and the blood pressure!xx
    • derek76
      derek76 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      I can be guaranteed to change the subject and lower the tone of any conversation:-)
    • derek76
      derek76 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Have you ever sneezed when taking your BP? I felt an enormous sneeze coming on when taking mine a little while ago. I tried without sucess to stifle it but couldnt.

      Result 200/158 is that a diastolic record?

      Ten minutes later 150/84

    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey derek76

      Posted

      Amazing how just a sneeze can increase it by that much.  Even more amazing to know it can drop by such a massive amount after just 10 minutes.
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