Having high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. The only way to know if you have it, is to measure it. Checking your blood pressure at home with your own monitor is quick and easy and saves you having to make an appointment with your GP.
Here are a few ways to make sure your monitor is accurate and reliable:
Get a monitor with an upper cuff: Ideally, choose a blood pressure monitor that measures your blood pressure at your upper arm. If you cannot use a cuff on your upper arm, you can use a cuff that wraps around your wrist instead.
Make sure the cuff is the right size: The cuff should wrap snugly around your upper arm, with just enough space to slide 2 fingers underneath. Most home blood pressure monitors will come with a medium-sized cuff. If your upper arm is much larger or smaller than average, you may need to buy a different sized cuff separately.
Decide how to record your results: Keeping a note of your readings can help you track your blood pressure over time. If you want to, you can buy a device with a memory to store your results. However, these often cost more than other monitors, and recording your readings with a pen and paper in a diary can work just as well.
Get it serviced every 2 years: Your blood pressure monitor needs to be serviced and calibrated at least once every 2 years to make sure it’s accurate. This involves sending it back to the company who made it, usually for a fee. If this option is too complicated or expensive, it may be easier and cheaper to buy a new monitor.