Home Blood Pressure Test: What Affects The Test

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What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• You have poor hearing or eyesight. An electronic arm- or wrist-cuff model may be a better choice for you.
• You cannot put the cuff on or twist the dial to inflate the cuff.
• The cuff is either too large or too small for your arm.

Blood pressure normally goes up and down from day to day and even from minute to minute, depending upon how active you are, whether you are standing up or sitting down, and what medicines you are taking. Other things that can change blood pressure include being too hot or too cold, whether you have recently eaten, and whether you are relaxed or feeling stressed.

Home blood pressure monitoring works best when you also record your daily activities, such as the time you take medicine if you feel upset or stressed, in a diary. This can help explain changes in your blood pressure readings and help your doctor adjust your medicines.

Your blood pressure may only be high when you go to your doctor's office. This is called white-coat (or office) hypertension and may be caused by stress about seeing your doctor. When you regularly check your blood pressure at home, you may find that your blood pressure is lower when you are not at the doctor's office.

Last updated:	January 09, 2008
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, George Philippides, MD - Cardiology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Tracy Landauer