High blood pressure is unsettling because it often slips under the radar until it is serious. Sustained high blood pressure over time can lead to serious health complications, the most serious being a heart attack or stroke. The only way to gauge the level of risk is to get a blood pressure test. This can be conducted at home – how often a person should test for high blood pressure depends on a number of factors.
Discard your first day’s blood pressure readings – they may not be accurate
Blood Pressure UK
According to Blood Pressure UK: “When and how often you take readings will depend on your blood pressure. Your doctor or nurse will be able to advise you.
“It can be useful to monitor your blood pressure closely at first, then less often but at regular intervals.”
When you first start, you should measure your blood pressure morning and evening, every day for a week, said the charity.
It added: “Discard your first day’s blood pressure readings – they may not be accurate because you are not familiar with your monitor.
“At the end of the week you will have a useful picture of what your blood pressure is like normally. You can then take readings less often – once a week perhaps. Your doctor or nurse will be able to advise you.”
In certain situations, a person may have to monitor their blood pressure more frequently. For example, if they are given a new medicine or a higher dose of medicine, then they could measure their blood pressure over a few weeks to see if this is having any effect, said the health body.
It is also imperative to take home blood pressure readings at the same time each day. “This will mean that you are comparing ‘like with like’. You could use your blood pressure monitor first thing in the morning or last thing at night before you go to bed,” explained the charity.
According to the NHS, conducting a blood press test at home brings unique health benefits. “Like 24-hour or ambulatory monitoring, this can give a better reflection of your blood pressure.”
People tend to find certain situations more anxiety-inducing too. Going to a local GP clinic may cause a person’s blood pressure to spike compared to the relaxed home setting.
Home testing also also enables people to monitor real-time fluctuations, said the NHS. This can help people to stay on top of the condition and also provide useful feedback to doctors.
Other places that offer a blood pressure test include:
- At a local GP surgery – by a GP, practice nurse, healthcare assistant or self-service machine
- At some pharmacies
- At an NHS Health Check appointment offered to adults aged 40 to 74 in England
- In some workplaces
- At a health event
- Healthy adults aged over 40 should have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years.
“If you’re at an increased risk of high blood pressure, you should have your blood pressure checked more often, ideally once a year,” advised the NHS.
“Having this done is easy and could save your life,” it added.
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