When it comes to the high blood pressure; it’s a silent killer with no apparent symptoms. As per the recent reports, 1 in 3 Americans have this medical condition. As compared to any other disease, it causes more strokes and heart attacks in the United States. In other research, it has been found that; it kills more people all over the globe than diabetes, obesity and smoking.
Have you recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension, then all you need is a reliable and authentic blood pressure monitor, as it helps you keep track of your health? According to the medical experts; “it would be more accurate to take multiple reading at home as compared to visiting the hospital.”
When it comes to buying a blood pressure checker, you don’t need any doctor’s prescription. However, it’s better to ask your physician whether you need it or not?
Types of Home Blood Pressure Monitors
Home blood pressure monitors are available in two types; wrist-cuff and arm-cuff models. If you narrow down your choice, don’t forget to consider the following such as; features, price, performance together with other attributes including style, color and size.
Arm Monitors
Arm monitors are the type of machines that automatically blows up the cuff and exhibit readings. Some of the monitors come with ‘risk category indicators’ which will display high readings. Some models will allow you to download the readings to your laptop or PC and share it with your personal physician.
Pros: Some arm monitor models are available with multiple user memories, with which more than one person in your household can use the machine to check and record the BP.
Cons: It’s critical that the cuff appropriately fits the patient’s arm. If you are wearing it too loose or too tight, you might get the inaccurate readings.
Wrist Monitors
When it comes to the wrist blood pressure monitors, they are fully automatic and so convenient. But they might show less accurate readings compared to arm monitors.
Pros: Wrist monitors are very lightweight, portable and compact.
Cons: When wrist monitors take pressure measurements; they are very sensitive to body posture. You have to place the cuff at heart level to get the accurate reading.
Tips To Buy The Best Monitor For You
When it comes to buying the best blood pressure monitors, always choose a model that is top-scoring and has the features that make your testing easier. For instance, some monitor models allow the user to save the readings for more than one user. Don’t forget to check the customer ratings before buying the product. Here, I’m going to list down some of the tips that might assist you in choosing the right monitor for you;
1. Check the Fit
It’s the most important thing to consider when buying BP monitors. Always make sure that you’re getting the one with appropriate cuff fittings. The cuff should properly fit the circumference of your upper arm. Otherwise, it won’t display accurate readings.
2. Think About Cost
One more tip in choosing the right blood pressure monitor is to check the ratings of the recommended models before finalizing the purchase. These machines are available in the price range of $45 to $80. However, it’s good to shop around, and don’t forget to check if your insurance covers BP monitors.
3. Choose The Monitor That Is Easy to Use
Choosing an easy-to-use monitor is good. Just make sure that it has intuitive and large buttons. Moreover, the operational directions and cuff’s user manual of the monitor must be clear.
4. Just Make Sure What Features You Need
When it comes to choosing the blood pressure monitors, there are several features that you need to look for including risk category indicator, pulse reader, heartbeat reader, multiple user memories, intuitive buttons and display, data averaging feature and memory download capacity.
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