How often can I measure the pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor: time period, frequent mistakes and advice from doctors

Electronic blood pressure monitors are more susceptible, therefore more often mechanical tonometers show incorrect results. To minimize the error, it is necessary to adhere to the requirements of the tonometry technique with an electronic tonometer. These conditions must be met, because otherwise the doctor may, based on incorrect data, make the wrong diagnosis and prescribe an ineffective treatment. How are measurements taken and how many times do you need to measure pressure with an electronic tonometer? More on this later in the article.

How to carry out measurements?

To ensure the correct measurements of blood pressure, it is necessary not to violate the following recommendations:

1. Before the study, if possible, you need to rest and sit calmly for five minutes. If emergency care is required, this item can be neglected.
2. The indicators can be overestimated if a person before the study in the last two hours drank coffee or smoked. You should give up bad habits for a short time, as the indications may be incorrect.
3. To measure the pressure of a person, you need to sit on a chair with a back. The back should be relaxed, legs lowered, not crossed and not tense. Any violation can lead to serious errors, especially in the case of an electronic tonometer.
4. The shoulder must be removed from clothing. It is necessary that she does not squeeze it.
5. The hand needs to be laid on a table or stand so that it is closed at the elbow and at the same time is completely relaxed.
6. On an electronic tonometer, you need to check that there are no damages, kinks or creases in the hose.
7. The cuff should be unfastened and put on the shoulder 2 centimeters above the elbow.
8. It is necessary to use the button to turn on the device and wait for the automatic pumping and pumping of air. Nothing can be done at this time.
9. Wait until the numbers appear on the scoreboard, and evaluate the results, and then turn off the device and remove the cuff.

Interval between procedures

The question of how often it is possible to measure pressure with an electronic tonometer is very relevant. Health professionals unanimously believe that the frequency of monitoring depends on certain factors. In excellent shape, people can take measurements from time to time, but those who suffer from cardiac diseases should approach the procedure responsibly and more often control blood pressure. In old age, frequent measurements are contraindicated. This is due to the extreme fragility of the vessels. To determine how often you can measure pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor, you need to evaluate the following factors:

• general well-being of a person;
• age;
• the presence of concomitant diseases;
• features of previously transferred diseases;
• a kind of tonometer.

All people, without exception, should monitor blood pressure indicators, only the frequency of measurements in each case can differ significantly. For example, a healthy person needs to take measurements once every few months. And for those who suffer from cardiological ailments, pressure should be measured daily.

Measurement frequency for cardiovascular diseases

For vascular and cardiac disorders, pressure measurement is required systematically. This is necessary to avoid the development of serious complications. Thanks to the daily observation and recording of indications, the doctor will always be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, the accuracy of the selected dosages and the risk of complications.

Hypertensive patients are often interested in how often it is possible to measure pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor. With a similar diagnosis, doctors recommend taking measurements on average three times a day:

• in the morning - after awakening, at least an hour should pass;
• in the afternoon - one hour after eating;
• in the evening - one hour after dinner.

Most often you can measure the pressure with an electronic tonometer, as soon as such nuances appear:

• severe differences in blood pressure are observed;
• taking new drugs;
• dosage adjustment;
• vivid manifestation of the IRR.

You should also adjust the number of measurements depending on the degree of hypertension. If a person has signs of a hypertensive crisis, then measurements are taken every 20-30 minutes.

When is constant monitoring of blood pressure important?

How many times you can measure the pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor, you can discuss with your doctor. If a person has established pathological processes, then measurements are recommended to be carried out with a constant frequency. This applies to people with the following diseases and conditions:

• hypotension and hypertension;
• smokers
• Diabetics
• people over 50 years old;
• during the bearing of the child;
• with abuse of alcohol;
• people who are overly responsible by occupation;
• those who painfully perceive all kinds of tense and exciting situations;
• people with formulated sleep disorders and lack of proper rest.

In the presence of the conditions listed above, the doctor should inform the person how often he should measure the pressure with an electronic tonometer in order to correctly interpret the picture of the condition.

Is it often harmful to measure blood pressure? Is there a risk?

Many patients at the doctor's office are interested in whether it is harmful to measure pressure often with an electronic tonometer. And also with what frequency it is better to do it. Experts argue that the frequent measurement of blood pressure does not cause physical harm to humans, but can provoke a neurosis of an obsessive pressure measurement. This mental disorder is difficult to cure, therefore, without the need to use the device is not recommended.

The experts, when asked about how many times to measure pressure with an electronic tonometer, have the following opinion:

• with consistently good health at home, blood pressure should be controlled no more than twice a day;
• measurements should not be taken when the body is at peak activity.

If during a day a person often measures pressure with an electronic blood pressure monitor, is it harmful? The question is rhetorical. This, first of all, indicates the presence of a psychological problem and can confuse not only the patient, but also the doctor.

How many times in a row can measurements be taken? Doctors advice

Doctors have a definite opinion about how many times in a row to measure pressure with an electronic tonometer. Experts recommend measuring pressure three times in a row in a sitting or standing position with an interval of several minutes. Before re-measurement, it is necessary to perform flexion and extension of the limbs in order to restore blood flow.

In most cases, the first dimension is characterized by overestimated parameters. This is done as a result of the fact that when the vessels are squeezed by the cuff at a reflex level, an increase in the tone of the blood fluid occurs. The most optimal and correct are considered average indicators.

Common mistakes

Before you often measure pressure with an electronic tonometer, you need to think about the fact that this will only aggravate the situation even more and lead to a misinterpretation of the situation. Among other things, people systematically make primitive mistakes that distort the results. The most common errors made during measurement include:

• taking measurements in physical or psycho-emotional arousal;
• tension or location on the weight of the arm on which the cuff is worn;
• the cuff is worn over the clothes;
• the shoulder is not free of clothing;
• erroneous position of the cuff or hoses;
• the device is turned on before the cuff is applied;
• tension or conversation during measurements;
• non-observance of the pause between some measurements on one arm.
  

If there are doubts about the reliability of the measurement results with an electronic tonometer, then a control measurement should be made with a mechanical device.

Practical tips

In order for the picture to be true, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

• with a systematic measurement of blood pressure, the indicators of each examination should be recorded, indicating the date, time and magnitude of the indicators;
• periodically carry out a control measurement using a mechanical tonometer;
• if the readings of electronic and mechanical tonometers are different, then the data of the latter are considered true;
• during one session, it is better to measure the pressure several times on both hands.

The tips listed above will help subsequently correctly assess the condition and choose the most effective treatment.

Conclusion

Now we know how often it is possible to measure pressure with an electronic tonometer. In certain cases, the need for frequent measurements is explained by medical indicators. If a person has no deviations in health, he feels fine, and blood pressure should be measured occasionally. In patients suffering from vascular and heart diseases, measurements should be taken several times a day. At the same time, using the tonometer too often is also not recommended. This can provoke the development of psychological deviations in health, which will subsequently be difficult to cope with. If dependence on this device begins to be observed, then you need to seek qualified help.