For those who take high blood pressure measurements, the digital sphygmomanometer for home health check is a familiar picture.
But for those who are not, even a simple check can lead to inaccurate values, this and much more, such as the time at which we take it and what we have done before.
High blood pressure: mistakes not to be made
In case of hypertension problems, anyone who needs to monitor their blood pressure can measure it several times a day. However, when is the right time to do it?
According to the scholars, for a correct control it is necessary that the different measurements are superimposable and therefore are carried out only at the same time.
Also keep in mind that when measuring blood pressure, both feet must rest on the ground or on a stool. The back must be supported, as well as the arm, which should be placed at the level of the heart.
Despite everything many times, in the phase of self-control these procedures are not observed. With just one or two simple errors in measurement techniques, a patient could suddenly find themselves classified as suffering from high blood pressure.
Measure it at the right time (but not only)
It is generally recommended to do the blood pressure measurement two or three times a day: the main reading is the one that occurs early in the morning and is usually considered one of the reference values.
For the second measurement, the end of the day is preferable, preferably just before dinner.
It is good to specify in this regard as regards the food, coffee, smoking and sports they are reflected in the blood pressure values, distorting the excess results.
In reality it is possible that blood pressure values are altered even in the presence of stress and emotional tensions. In fact, there are a number of rules on how to best detect blood pressure.
One of the most important is perform it at rest and in a state of calm to avoid unexpected changes due to states of agitation and not to a real health problem.
Blood pressure usually begins to rise a few hours before waking up but continues to rise throughout the day as well peaks at noon. Reason why if you have this now as a reference it will be prevalently high.
It should be noted that blood pressure usually drops in the late afternoon and evening, usually lower at night, while sleeping.
Each time you do this, take two or three measurements to make sure the results are accurate. Your doctor may recommend that you take your blood pressure at the same time of the day.