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High blood pressure is one of those conditions that can silently integrate into daily existence without you noticing it. Worldwide, it is the primary single risk factor for mortality and accounts for approximately half of the fatalities associated with heart disease and stroke, as reported by the World Heart Federation. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is associated with about 1.6 million fatalities annually in India, establishing it as a significant factor in non-communicable disease deaths.
Therefore, if you monitor your blood pressure at home, it is important to understand the fundamentals correctly. A reading only takes a few minutes, but tiny actions you take before and during it can be significant. In an Instagram video posted, a neurologist and general practitioner holding MD in Medicine and DM in Neurology, shared several simple tips to remember.
Wait for at least 30 minutes after these activities
First things first, don’t check your blood pressure immediately after certain everyday activities. Dr Sehrawat recommends waiting at least 30 minutes if you have:
- Exercised
- Gone for a walk
- Eaten a meal
- Had caffeine or tea
- Smoked
- Consumed alcohol
In other words, give your body a little time before reaching for the BP machine. Taking a reading straight after any of these activities may not give you the measurement you are looking for.
How to get a more accurate blood pressure reading
There are a few more things to remember once you actually sit down to take the reading.
Doctor said blood pressure is best measured on the left arm. And rather than stopping after one reading, she recommends taking three readings and calculating their average. That, she said, gives a more accurate estimate of your blood pressure.
Then there is the cuff. It should be positioned at heart level while you take the reading. Whether you are sitting or lying down does not matter much, according to the neurologist.
What does matter is how snugly the cuff sits around your arm. “The cuff should be tight enough to allow you to comfortably insert two fingers underneath it,” she advised.
Source: InTV
