›› Blood Pressure Monitors
If you have been
diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, it would be
convenient for you to have your own blood pressure monitor at home. You
can always go to Walgreens or Sam’s Club, or another pharmacy
that have the sit down automatic blood pressure machines available to
customers who want to check their own blood pressure. These are usually
fairly accurate, but your blood pressure may be slightly elevated than
it would be if you were checking it at home. Think about it,
you’re out shopping, driving around, dealing with traffic,
trying to find things in the store, and then waiting patiently to check
out (many times not). Your blood pressure is bound to be a little high,
and yes, it is normal for it to fluctuate throughout the day. But
stress has a significant effect on blood pressure, which is why you
might be better having your own blood pressure monitor at home to check
it at times when you are not influenced by the rat race going on in the
world outside your home.
There are many
different types of blood pressure monitors available for home use, and
can be purchased in most pharmacies and online sites. Prices vary also,
starting as low as $25 and keep going up to $300 and more, depending on
the features of the unit, and whether it is electric, battery operated,
or manual. Blood pressure monitors come in different styles that can
test using the finger, wrist, or arm. Some of them inflate
automatically and others must be pumped up manually with the attached
bulb. Larger sized cuffs are also available if needed, and most if not
all blood pressure monitors will tell the individual their pulse as
well as blood pressure reading. To go just a bit further, some blood
pressure monitors will also tell the user if an irregular heartbeat, if
a low or high reading is detected, and will give you average of three
readings. Most blood pressure monitors also come with a carrying case,
batteries, and forms to record your readings. More expensive models
have more features, more than one size cuff, extra bulbs, and just
about extra everything.
All these bells and
whistles are really not necessary, and just a basic unit from Walgreens
for $35 will serve your purpose just fine. Most blood pressure monitors
offer a warranty card you can send in, along with an address you can
send it to if you have any problems. But if you’re buying an
inexpensive unit, it may just be worth it to just buy another unit,
instead of taking all the time and trouble to send it in. Whatever you
decide to do, a home blood pressure monitor could be a real life saver.
After all, that’s why they call hypertension the silent
killer.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
