Common Blood Pressure Monitor Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Accurate blood pressure readings are essential for managing health. Many people invest in home blood pressure monitors to track their cardiovascular health between doctor visits, a practice that healthcare professionals increasingly recommend. However, even the highest-quality equipment can provide misleading results if incorrectly used.

We understand that accurate readings are the backbone of monitoring your own health in the comfort of your home. Whether you're new to home monitoring or have been tracking your numbers for years, these practical tips will help ensure you get the most accurate results possible.

Use of Blood Pressure Monitors

For most of our lives, we’ve endured slight discomfort at a doctor’s office when they place the cuff on our arms to take our blood pressure readings. How you feel about the process can affect the reading. 

That is why many people have turned to owning their own blood pressure monitors to monitor their health from home in recent years. This allows them to keep their anxiety about the whole process down, which gives a more accurate reading. 

However, many fall into the following five mistakes at some point, further confusing their understanding of their health.

Mistake #1: Wrong Cuff Size

One of the biggest mistakes people who monitor their health from home make is with the size of the cuff. An incorrect cuff size can alter one's readings. 

If it is too big, the cuff won’t be able to inflate tightly enough against your arm to give a correct reading. This leads to underestimating your blood pressure by 10-20 mmHg. 

If the cuff is too small, it will cut off your blood pressure too early, giving an incorrect reading. A cuff that is too small can overestimate your blood pressure by 10-30 mmHg.

How To Avoid

To avoid this issue, take an accurate measurement of your arm. Start by relaxing your arm at your side. Then, using a flexible measuring tape, measure the circumference of the midpoint of your arm, which is typically located between the elbow and the shoulder. 

The measurement should be just right, not too loose or tight, to accurately depict the size of the cuff you need.

• Small adult: Arm circumference 22-26 cm (8.5-10 inches)

• Standard adult: Arm circumference 27-34 cm (10.5-13 inches)

• Large adult: Arm circumference 35-44 cm (13.5-17 inches)

• Extra large adult: Arm circumference 45-52 cm (17.5-20 inches)

Mistake #2: Placing Cuff Over Clothing

It might not occur to everyone, but wearing a cuff on your arm over your clothing doesn’t give an accurate picture of your blood pressure. But why?

• Creates a barrier between the cuff and your arteries

• Can cause the cuff to inflate improperly

• This may lead to falsely elevated readings (by 10-50 mmHg)

• Prevents proper detection of your pulse

Even if you pull up your sleeves, this action might still affect your blood pressure reading. Just be aware that constrictive clothing can still make mistakes.

How To Avoid

This mistake can be easily rectified if you stop to consider your clothes before taking a reading. When in doubt, just take it off. Even if your clothing is thin, it can still create a barrier. The same goes for if your sleeves have a restrictive quality when pulled up. 

The best rule of thumb is to completely extricate yourself from your shirt and place the cuff on bare skin.

Mistake #3: Incorrect Cuff Placement

Another mistake people make with blood pressure monitors is incorrectly placing the cuff on your arm. If the cuff is on incorrectly, it can make getting an accurate read much more difficult. 

How To Avoid

Today’s home blood pressure monitors often have arrows indicating the direction to place the cuff or diagrams on the cuff to illustrate how it should be positioned. 

Unfortunately, these helpful tools aren’t enough for all users, and people still make mistakes. This is why certain blood pressure monitors with cuff position detection are a great way to avoid this issue. 

Mistake #4: Talking During the Measurement

It might not seem like a problem, but talking while trying to get a blood pressure measurement could result in an inaccurate reading. There are many ways talking can affect your readings. 

• It can raise your systolic blood pressure by 10-15 mmHg

• Talking can trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response

• It can lead to muscle movement, and even a small amount of arm movement can disrupt a reading

• Talking can change your breathing pattern, which can change your blood pressure.

How To Avoid

Here are some great tips on how you can avoid this issue.

1. Sit quietly for 5 minutes before taking your reading

2. Remain silent during the entire measurement process

3. Avoid listening to others talking, which can also affect readings

4. Wait to discuss results until after the measurement is complete

5. If taking multiple readings, remain quiet between measurements

Mistake #5: Incorrect Body Positioning

The final mistake that comes up many times with home readings relates to how you position your body. People don’t always understand that body position can adversely affect your readings. But what effects can these issues have on the overall reading?

Check out our table to further understand.

How To Avoid

Learning the proper body position for the best, most accurate readings can avoid any of these issues. First and foremost, you need to be sure you are relaxed because it will allow your blood pressure to be as relaxed as well.

For the proper position, you need to ensure your back is supported correctly and not hunched over. Then, you’ll need to position your arm at heart level to ensure no undue pressure is added to the arteries. Finally, your feet should be flat on the ground, and you shouldn’t lean forward or to the side.

Ensuring Future Accurate Readings

At the end of the day, we all want to take charge of our own health. To do that, we need the proper tools and knowledge. We hope that by reading this blog, you can better understand just how critical proper blood pressure readings can be for your overall health.

If you still have concerns about using blood pressure monitors, contact us. We are happy to help you find the proper solution.