Digital Blood Pressure Monitors: How They Work & Benefits

A digital blood pressure device measures blood pressure and displays the values with a digital display. This is in contrast to an aneroid blood pressure monitor that uses a dial gauge to display values.

Home Use

• A doctor may recommend that a patient keep a blood pressure monitor at home to maintain a record of blood pressure measurements. This is typically for the purpose of controlling high blood pressure.

Operation

• The patient places an arm through a cuff so that the cuff fits around the upper arm. The patient then presses a button that causes the blood pressure monitor to tighten the cuff and display the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Advantages

• The primary advantages of a digital blood pressure monitor are that the display is easy to read, and the stethoscope and gauge are integrated into a single unit. Most models also have an error indicator.

Disadvantages

• The greatest disadvantage of a digital blood pressure monitor is that its accuracy is more likely to be affected by an irregular heart beat or movements by the patient.

Accuracy

• A digital blood pressure monitor should be checked periodically against a more reliable model at the doctor's office.