The more people who measure their own blood pressure at home. This happens because of the cheaper and more easily get a blood pressure measuring equipment.
Here are tips if you want to measure your own blood pressure at home:
1. Discuss with your doctor whether you should measure their own blood pressure at home. Not everyone should monitor their own blood pressure at home. If you have an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), check your blood pressure at home does not give accurate results.
2. Ask your doctor how often you should measure blood pressure and when to discuss the results.
3. Ask your doctor sphygmomanometer type that fits your needs. We recommend using a sphygmomanometer to measure pressure with a cuff on the upper arm. Sphygmomanometer who wear finger or wrist as the measurement is not recommended because it is less accurate. In some cases, the type of sphygmomanometer that you can use depending on your physical condition. If you are big or very muscular, you should look for an arm cuff sphygmomanometer with a larger one. If you have a hearing loss, a monitor with a digital display may be more suitable.
4. For digital sphygmomanometer / electronics, use that meets international standards / national level, for example, passes the validation of the British Hypertension Society (BHS) and the National Standardization Agency (BSN).
5. At the time of measuring blood pressure:
- Be relaxed
- Perform the measurement in a quiet environment
- Do not talk
- Do not move
- Sit with both feet flat on the ground.
- Attach the cuff on the left arm with an interval between the middle finger and ring finger. The cuff is placed 1 to 2 cm from the elbow and your fingers under the cuff beradar.
7. Every now and then, compare the measurement results with the results of your blood pressure measurement doctor. It is important for patients and physicians to refer to the same measurements.