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.
At each sitting, measure your blood pressure three times, but discard the first reading as it tends to be inaccurate. Write down the average of the second and third reading. Bringing your latest readings to an appointment helps give your doctor a good idea of what your blood pressure is outside of the office.
The first number, called systolic blood pressure, is the pressure caused by your heart contracting and pushing out blood. The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure when your heart relaxes and fills with blood.
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.
We record this with the systolic pressure first (on the top) and the diastolic pressure second (below). For example, if the systolic pressure is 120 mmHg (millimetres of mercury) and the diastolic pressure is 80 mmHg, we would describe the blood pressure as '120 over 80', written 120/80.
Systolic pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) measures the force with which the heart pumps blood into the arteries. Diastolic pressure (the second, lower number) reflects the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.
Take your blood pressure at the same time every day. Take at least two readings, 1 or 2 minutes apart.
“It's actually quite normal to have variation in blood pressure readings, even within a few minutes,” says Marjorie Willett, nurse practitioner at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center. “Factors that may create changes include physical activity, emotion, diet (especially salt and alcohol intake), and sleep deprivation.”
Acute meal ingestion, caffeine or nicotine use can all affect BP readings, leading to errors in measurement accuracy. If the patient has a full bladder, that can lead to an error in systolic BP of up to 33 mm Hg, and the white-coat effect can have an error of up to 26 mm Hg.
Q. When I am monitoring my blood pressure, which number is most important — top, bottom, or both? A. While both numbers in a blood pressure reading are essential for diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, doctors primarily focus on the top number, also known as systolic pressure.
Systolic blood pressure.
This is the first, or top, number. This is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats, forcing blood around your body.
Deep breathing, a hot bath, and relaxation techniques may lower your diastolic blood pressure in a few hours. Exercise, quality sleep, and a healthy diet may give you results overnight or in a few days. Lifestyle changes and medications may take a few weeks to take effect.
The first is known as "systolic," and it measures the pressure when the heart muscle contracts. The second number is known as "diastolic," and it's the measurement of the pressure when the heart muscle is at rest.
A slight interarm difference in blood pressure is common and does not pose a health risk. But if the systolic or diastolic difference between arms is greater than 10 mmHg, it becomes cause for concern. The larger the difference, the greater additional health risk.
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.
Secondary hypertension is caused by specific conditions and their complications: Kidney disease. Congenital heart defects. Congenital defects in blood vessels.
High diastolic blood pressure is a type of hypertension. Doctors do not know exactly why it happens, but obesity, high triglyceride levels, smoking, and alcohol may all contribute.
Wait 1 to 3 minutes after the first reading, and then take another. If your monitor doesn't keep track of blood pressure readings or heart rates, write them down.
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. Obstructive sleep apnea.
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.
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.
But home blood pressure monitors aren't always as accurate as they should be. "Home blood pressure monitors may be inaccurate in 5% to 15% of patients, depending on the threshold for accuracy used," according to Dr.
The diastolic pressure of an adult should typically be 60–80mm Hg, and if the number goes above this, it's considered hypertension. However, if your blood pressure goes over 180/120mm Hg, this is dangerous, and you should seek medical attention immediately.