●
Always take your blood pressure in a calm and relaxed
state. It is recommended to do two checks daily,– on
getting up in the morning and again at night before
retiring.
●
The blood pressure is best taken sitting down. Sit
comfortably in an armchair or at a table where you can
easily support your arm, holding it slightly bent.
●
The measurement is taken on the free upper arm.
Please ensure that there is no restriction from a tight,
pushed-up sleeve. It may be necessary to remove the
garment.
●
During measurement the arm has to be kept absolutely
still.
●
Between successive measurements an interval of at
least two minutes must be allowed.
●
Differences in blood pressure are quite normal. Even in
closely repeated measurements there can be marked
differences. One single measurement, or measure-
ments taken at irregular intervals, do not give any clear
indication of the real blood pressure. An accurate eva-
luation is only possible when measurements are taken
on a regular basis and for the established values to be
entered in the blood pressure check card.
●
Self testing does not mean self treatment. Never
change the doses of any medication as prescribed by
your doctor.
●
Irregular heart beats can influence the sensitivity of the
unit and result in inaccurate measurement values being
displayed. Adverse results can also be experienced by
patients with a pacemaker who have a weak pulse. The
BP unit itself has however no detrimental effect on the
pacemaker.
●
Using your blood pressure monitor in the vicinity of
strong electro-magnetic fields, (ie mobile telephones)
can also cause faulty readings.
Important Observations to be
followed when Self Testing
20
