Know the Right Way to Check Blood Pressure At Home; Avoid These Common Mistakes

High blood pressure has now become a common problem in the older people and keeping track on the blood pressure is very important. If suddenly decreases or increases in pressure level, it can be a problem. In today's time, keeping blood pressure under control is very important for health. If blood pressure is not kept under control, heart disease, stroke and other serious problems can occur. Therefore, it is very important to monitor blood pressure from time to time. Nowadays, everyone keeps a blood pressure machine in their home, instead of going to the doctor frequently or when there is a sudden need, we can use it.

Most people prefer to check their BP on the machine at home instead of going to the doctor to measure their BP. But some small mistakes are made while measuring BP at home, due to which the blood pressure measurement is not accurate. This can lead to misdiagnosis and increase health complaints. In such a situation, let's understand more from experts about what is the correct method of measuring blood pressure and what things should be kept in mind while measuring BP. Ankit Sharma, who works as a medical health worker at AIIMS Rishikesh, has shared an informative video on his YouTube channel. In this video, he explains in detail what mistakes to avoid while measuring BP on a BP machine at home and how to take accurate readings.

1. What should be the correct position of the hand?

According to Ankit Sharma, while measuring BP, the patient's hand should be completely straight and stable. To provide proper support to the hand, it should be placed on a flat surface like a table. At the same time, the hand should not be too high and not too low. The level of the hand should be parallel to the heart. If the hand is above or below the heart, the reading may be incorrect. Only by keeping the hand in a straight and correct position can the BP measurement be accurate.

2. Where and how to tie the BP cuff?

According to Ankit Sharma, there is also a correct way to tie the cuff on the arm to measure BP. The BP cuff should be tied about 3 fingers (thumb width) above the elbow joint of the hand. The tube (pipe) of the cuff should be on the front of the arm, that is, slightly above the elbow. The cuff should not be too tight or too loose, it should be loose enough to easily pass one finger. If the cuff is applied in the wrong place or in the wrong way, the BP reading will not be accurate, so it is necessary to do this properly to get the correct reading.

3. How tightly should the BP cuff be tied?

Ankit Sharma says that the size of the BP cuff varies according to age and body size. Different sizes of cuffs are available in the market for children and adults. If you are measuring the BP of an adult, it is very important to use the right size cuff for it. A cuff of the wrong size or tied incorrectly cannot give an accurate BP reading, so the BP cuff should be tied carefully and correctly.

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Other things to remember...

Do not measure BP immediately after running, walking or any kind of exercise. In such a case, if you measure BP, the reading may be high, which may be wrong. Therefore, measure BP only after resting for at least 30 minutes. By keeping these important things in mind, you can measure BP correctly and accurately at home and keep your blood pressure under control.