Health and Fitness Information Center

Home Blood Pressure Monitors

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The traditional way of measuring blood pressure at home is by using a aneroid sphygmomanometer cuff and stethoscope. These devices show the pressure on a dial, and are usually accurate, but require a certain degree of dexterity and training.

Today there are a wide variety of blood pressure monitors available to the public for the purpose of self-management. The most popular is the digital device that displays the systolic and the diastolic pressure on a digital screen. The digital blood pressure monitoring device is good for hearing-impaired patients, since there is no need to listen to heart sounds through the stethoscope. Many of these devices offer charts used to keep an accurate record of blood pressure readings that are eventually shared with a physician.

Most common Home blood pressure monitors formats:

Automatic blood pressure monitors are easy to use, accurate and digitally display full measurement readouts. The technology is based on the "oscillometric method" - a non-invasive blood pressure determination. The term "oscillation" refers to the measure of vibrations caused by the arterial pulse. The cuff is first inflated until the artery is fully blocked. Then the monitor takes measurements while the cuff deflates. Blood Pressure monitors examing the pulsatile pressure generated by the arterial wall as it expands and contracts against the cuff with each heartbeat.

Manual blood pressure monitors automate the process of measuring blood pressure. While it is necessary to inflate the cuff manually prior to taking a reading, the reading of the blood pressure is automated. This eliminates the need for a stethoscope and provides you with a digital readout of blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and pulse readings.

Wrist blood pressure monitors are compact and convenient models that allow you to take your blood pressure quickly with very good accuracy. Ease-of-use has made these monitors the fastest growing segment of the blood pressure monitor market. Since there's no need to remove a jacket or sweater, they can be much quicker than upper arm models. They also have the advantage that the same cuff size can be used in heavy and thin people, because the diameter of the wrist is affected little by obesity, in comparison with the upper arm.