Can I mess up my blood pressure readings at home? Thoughts?

@jlharsh
Excellent information and guidance on what to do.

@ashlynnmae

A better pic would help.

What brand is your unit? Looks like one of those Vital Track units which is pricey, but can be a PITA to use one-handed.

When I get my 24 hour monitoring the cuff is usually a sloppy fit, but they get a lot of good readings out of it.

BP cuffs typically come in 2 sizes adult regular and adult large. There are smaller ones for kids too. The adult large or x-large should work but they don’t usually come with the automatic cuffs. You need to buy it separately unfortunately.

My recent 24 hour check the fit was snug. Somehow it got knocked awry and during the reading it got so tight I knew it would wake me up. My arm was so sweaty and sticky I couldn't adjust it without loosening it. Don't know if had any effect, but I had a lot of good readings and all were high.

I have 2 different units where the cuff from one plugs into both base units, but the cuff from the other one does not plug into both base units.

I have since learned I was using the cuff wrong. It should be about 1.5 inches from your tendon. Try to feel your pulse in the vicinity of the tendon. If you can't feel it then the thingy in the cuff may not either. Would suggest using a wrist device which you can verify at your doc's office. I look for trends and not exact numbers/results. Yesterday mid-afternoon in the hand surgeon's office it was 100/64. I don't recall EVER having a legit reading that low.

@gravity3
Also use the opportunity at the doctor's office to have them do a reading with their cuff and compare to a reading from your cuff to check for accuracy.

@jlharsh Thank you Janell, Volunteer Monitor, for all your accurate information re: home monitoring of blood pressure. Some more tips...
Yes, bring yours to your doctor to first see if the readings (yours and the doctors) are within a reasonable range together for accuracy. Very important...if not, your machine is not reliable.
Empty your bladder before taking a reading. Do not cross your legs.
Wait 30 minutes after having a cigarette if you are a smoker (hope not!). Do the same if having a cup of coffee, soda, etc. anything with caffeine which will bump it up.
Take it at various times of the day...our blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day which is normal.
When you take it, be sure your surroundings are calm. No music, TV back ground noise or talking.
Yes, do the 2 finger test to ensure it is not too tight or lose. Your fingers should have a little wiggle room. Make sure the cuff is about 2" up from the crock of your elbow.
The "tubing" from the cuff to the machine should be over your artery in the elbow...middle area. Relax your arm up on the table - you should be sitting...machine at the level at the heart or as close to as possible. Deep breath before starting and relax yourself during the reading.
Lastly, if you have heart disease it is not indicated to take any form of ibuprofen which can cause the arteries in the heart to constrict - not a good thing. So I will "guess" taking such a medication before a B/P reading will bump up your B/P also, constricting the arteries.
Heart disease and ibuprofen are never a good mix. Tylenol for you.
I will personally recommend the brand Omron. But that's my preference. Used this brand for years and found it to be the most accurate.
Good luck to you!

@ewei6911

I will be doing that soon. I almost always get great readings in my PCP's offie, but elsewhere in the same clinic they could be high or low. No much consistency clinicwide it seems.
About 10 days ago I had a 24 hour BP monitor and every valid reading was high. A couple days ago in my hand surgeon's office it was 100/64. How does that compute?

@bajjerfan wrist BP units are highly unreliable! You can purchase adult large and extra large cuffs for different size arms. There are tons of instructional videos on YouTube too. There are many fine points to taking a BP and the videos really help to explain it all.