With the COVID-19 pandemic, it is common for most of the non-urgent follow up visits to take place via remote health visit. Though tele-visits are great substitute for real face to face visit for many non-urgent matters, not everything is the same. Doctors and practitioners rely on measurements of blood pressure provided by the patient. Inaccurate home measurements can lead to medication adjustments that are at times not necessary and even worse can lead to dangerously high or low blood pressures and its consequences. Steps that you can take:
If you have a machine already, you can ask your doctor to check its calibration every so often. I usually check the calibration of my patients' blood pressure machines once a year.
If you are purchasing a new machine, talk to your doctor and inquire about reputable brands. Not all machines you find on your drugstore shelves go through the same quality control before they are released to the market.
For most of the patients, machines with the arm cuff are preferred over the ones with wrist cuff.
Make sure you get a machine with the correct size cuff: it should wrap around the middle of your arm about 1 and a half turn. You can ask you pharmacist to help you with the correct size.
Before your next visit, have multiple measurements during different times of the day. Blood pressure is never a constant number and it is totally normal for it to have some variation. A list of measurements can give your doctor a lot more information than one single measurement.
I often ask my patients to check their blood pressure two times a day, once around breakfast, and once around dinner.
Sit at the table, with your feet both on the ground (no crossing of your legs). Your back needs to be supported by the back of the chair. Lay your hand on the table. Check your blood pressure after a few minutes of rest. Mindful breathing helps. If the first number you get is too low or too high, check it again after a few more minutes of rest.
Average your numbers. You can log your numbers on the health apps if you have a smartphone. Some of the higher end blood pressure machines also come with their own app and wireless connectivity to your smart phone and do all the record keeping and averaging for you.
The goal is to get an accurate measure of your blood pressure (and heart rate). This will help your doctor more accurately adjust your medications which then will lead to less side effects in the short term and less of long term complications associated with a poorly controlled blood pressure, such as heart failure, kidney dysfunction, and stroke.
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