Choosing Blood Pressure Equipment for the Home
If you have high blood pressure your doctor might have asked you to monitor your blood pressure during the day. There are numerous blood pressure monitors available in the market and they basically fit into three different categories; automatic blood pressure monitors, aneroid versions and mercury types. The automatic blood pressure monitors are very popular and easy to use. They are powered by batteries and they provide the blood level measurements on a digital read out. Some models off a convenient printout of your blood pressure readings.
Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
The automatic blood pressure equipment has all the necessary items placed in one unit. You don't have to deal with manually using a stethoscope and this is quite a nice feature foe people who have a hearing problem. Most of the automatic blood pressure monitors are portable and are provided with a D-ring type of cuff which is easily placed on your arm with one hand.
The high priced models typically are provided with automatic inflating as well as deflating of the cuff and they usually are designed with an error indicator and the measuring of the heart rate is done automatically. The accuracy of the blood pressure reading using this type of blood pressure equipment can be adversely affected by body movement and you typically have to be quite accurate when placing the cuff on your arm.
Aneroid Blood Pressure Monitors
The aneroid types of blood pressure equipment are easily moved from one room to another and are less expensive than the automated blood pressure monitors. Some models are provided with a D-ring cuff which can be easily attached to your arm by using one hand. You can purchase models that have the stethoscope built into the unit and some are designed with a valve that deflates on its own.
Using this type of blood pressure equipment can be complicated and the best way to find out if the unit is providing you with accurate readings is to compare it to a mercury blood pressure monitor reading. Aneroid monitors can be damaged quite easily and in some cases the damage will cause the monitor to provide inaccurate blood pressure levels without being obvious to the patient. The bulb on this type of blood pressure equipment can be difficult to squeeze and people who are hard of hearing will have a difficult time using the stethoscope.
The mercury blood pressure monitors are fairly durable and they typically do not have to be adjusted in order to work properly. Some experts do not recommend them for use in the home do the possibility of the device being broken and the harm that can occur due to the mercury spilling out of them. They typically are provided with a D-ring cuff and the stethoscope is attached. Blood pressure equipment for your home can be a good way to monitor your blood pressure without having to constantly visit your doctor.
