I keep hearing differing methods!! I’d like to know how I’m suppose to sit?
To be clear: I am taking my own blood pressure & was urged to do so & keep track on the advice of my doctor.
Which is a myth?:
- Can’t have eaten/drank anything for the last half hour
- feet flat on the floor
- lying down but sitting up
- back against the chair
- don’t cross your legs/ankles
- only use your left arm
- hand facing upward
- hand facing downward
- keep your arm down
- keep your arm raised to the level of your chest/heart
What’s the correct way???
Anything else I should know? I keep getting inconsistent results, and it’s stressing me out.
Thank you.
I’m a GP, here’s my opinion
Can’t have eaten/drank anything for the last half hour
- in principle could alter your BP but I wouldn’t worry too much unless it’s quite a large meal
Feet flat on the floor
- yes, this is important
Lying down but sitting up
- for some purposes docs want lying/sitting/standing but for home measurements do them sitting
Back against the chair
- yes
Don’t cross your legs/ankles
- yes, feet flat on the floor
Only use your left arm
- myth, if there is a significant difference between your left and right arms there is something funky going on with your subclavian arteries
Hand facing upward/downward
- not super important
Keep your arm down/raised
- keep your arm relaxed, ideally resting on a table or desk at close to 90deg or hanging straight down
Most important is be relaxed, sit still, don’t move your arm, if you get a high reading calm yourself and take it once more then leave it.
When I’m taking a BP in clinic the most important thing I do most of the time is distract the patient from the machine with some patter as for most people the biggest confounding factor is stressing about what the reading will be, I don’t correct posture etc unless they are substantially moving their arm around.
