It's normal for there to be small changes in your blood pressure. Don't check your blood pressure too often. Some people find that they become worried or stressed about small changes in their readings if they take them too often.
In the American Heart Association BP measurement guideline [12], the following statement was described without any citation: 'three readings should be taken in succession, separated by at least 1 min. The first is typically the highest, and the average should be used as the blood pressure reading.
Check it twice
It's ideal to measure your blood pressure twice a day for two weeks leading up to a doctor's appointment, or following a change in medication. At each sitting, measure your blood pressure three times, but discard the first reading as it tends to be inaccurate.
Ideally, measure your blood pressure 6 times, discard the first and average the last 5 readings. This method has a closer correlation with 24h Ambulatory blood pressure measurements. If this is difficult it would be acceptable to measure your BP 5 times in a row and record the last 2 readings.
At first, take your blood pressure twice a day for a week. The best times are early in the morning (before you have taken any blood pressure medications) and again in the evening. After you've done this for a week, once or twice a month—or whatever your doctor recommends—is fine.
At the beginning, measure your blood pressure at least twice daily. Take it first in the morning before eating or taking any medications. Take it again in the evening. Each time you measure, take two or three readings to make sure your results are the same.
The higher number should be used to make treatment decisions. In general, blood pressures between 160/100 mm Hg and 179/109 mm Hg should be rechecked within two weeks, while measurements between 140/90 and 159/99 should be repeated within four weeks.
Everyone's blood pressure rises and falls many times during the course of a single day, sometimes even within minutes. Many factors contribute to these changes, including physical activity, emotion, body position, diet (especially salt and alcohol intake), and sleep deprivation.
It's normal for your blood pressure to go up and down a little during the day. If you're using a home blood pressure cuff, the readings might be off. The same holds true for drugstore equipment. It's also possible that your readings vary because you're stressed by being in a healthcare setting.
Your first blood pressure reading will almost always be higher than the second due to a wide range of factors, both environmental and psychological. These factors include white coat syndrome, stress, and having a full bladder.
The change in systolic blood pressure readings in the second measurement could be attributed to regression to the mean and other factors as well, but the observed decrease remains clinically important as it would help you get the right treatment & medication.
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in blood pressure.
A rise in blood pressure overnight to early morning has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. An irregular blood pressure pattern could also mean that you have: Poorly controlled high blood pressure.
A BP cuff that is too large will give falsely low readings, while an overly small cuff will provide readings that are falsely high.
Ignore the first day's readings altogether, because they might not be accurate as you're not familiar with your monitor yet. At the end of the week you will have a useful picture of what your blood pressure is normally like.
There are instances in which the BP-measurement accuracy is affected by patients' habits or behaviors. Acute meal ingestion, caffeine or nicotine use can all affect BP readings, leading to errors in measurement accuracy.
Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke. Stroke symptoms include numbness or tingling, trouble speaking, or changes in vision.
A person's blood pressure usually varies slightly throughout the day. However, if it regularly fluctuates, this will often require monitoring and management. It is important that a medical professional checks a person's fluctuating blood pressure regularly, as it can reveal a lot about the person's health.
Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower. Your blood pressure is considered high (stage 1) if it reads 130/80. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/110 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away.
Conclusions. Single-arm measurements, compared to double-arm measurements, may underestimate the prevalence of hypertension. However, if double-arm measurements are unavailable, right arm is preferred for measurement of BP, especially in women.
The study found: Blood pressure readings taken at home were consistent with ABPM. Blood pressure readings based on follow-up clinic visits were significantly lower for the systolic measure, leading to over half of the people with hypertension based on ABPM being missed.
What causes blood pressure to fluctuate from high to low? Anxiety, stress, drugs, alcohol, physical exercise, and a range of medical conditions such as sleep apnea and kidney disease can cause your blood pressure to fluctuate from high to low.