Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement: A Guide to Aneroid Monitors

If you suffer from hypertension or need to regularly check your blood pressure, home testing your blood pressure with an aneroid monitor allows you to be actively involved in managing your health. Since your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day, checking your blood pressure regularly will give your healthcare provider a better idea of what factors and conditions affect your blood pressure.

Things You'll Need

• Aneroid monitor Stethoscope

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Instructions

• 1

  Familiarize yourself with your aneroid monitor and all the components. Before you start to take blood pressure readings, read the instructions manual.

• 2

  Position your left arm on a table (you can use your right arm as well, but left is preferable). Roll your sleeve up, and your upper arm should be slightly bent, at the same level as your heart with your palm facing upwards.

• 3

  Slip on the arm cuff and secure the Velcro fastening. The cuff should fit snugly and not be either too tight, or too loose. Put the stethoscope ear pieces into your ears. Place the flat side of the stethoscope disk over your brachial artery, which is located just above the inner crease of your elbow.

• 4

  Hold the gauge in your hand on the same side as your cuffed arm. Ensure the exhaust valve is closed on the rubber bulb by turning it clockwise. Inflate the cuff rapidly by squeezing the rubber bulb in your free hand, until you can no longer hear your heartbeat or between 30 to 60 mm/HG higher than your last systolic reading.

• 5

  Turn the exhaust valve slowly, at a rate of 2 to 3 mm/Hg per second, as the pressure begins to fall you will hear a muffled thumping sound, when you first hear this sound look at the gauge, this will be your systolic blood pressure. Continue to deflate the cuff slowly. When you can no longer hear your heartbeat, check the reading on the dial--this will be your diastolic blood pressure. Release the rest of the air from the cuff and remove the cuff.

• 6

  Record your blood pressure, putting your systolic reading before your diastolic pressure reading, for example (120/80).