Q: I would like to calibrate my blood pressure monitor. Is it a good idea to use a digital barometer for doing this? I would then correct the readings given by the monitor, against the readings given by the barometer. I live at the 1200 foot level even though most of Portland, Oregon, is 65 feet above sea level. The barometric pressure changes once or twice a day.
A: Barometric pressure changes daily no matter where you live. Studies have shown that barometric pressure influences blood pressure. More people die from heart disease in the winter. Some studies suggest this may be related to the drop in atmospheric pressure. Keep in mind blood pressure measurements are relative. From a practical point of view the best way to calibrate your monitor is to take it in to your doctor’s office. Have the nurse take reading with your machine and compare the results with your doctor’s.
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Seriously……nurses in a doctors office are more often the worst to actually take an accurate blood pressure reading. They rush you around, don’t have you resting for the appropriate time, take the first reading as gospel, and make a myriad of other errors.
I so totally agree! The nurse in my dr’s office rushes me in, takes my pressure in about 2 seconds and always gets 120/70, every single time! And I know it’s totally wrong. Luckily my dr rechecks, but even then, I’m not sitting quietly and it never compares to the nurse’s reading. I think she must put down 120/70 for everyone! I truly wonder if she even knows how to take a b/p!
I agree. In fact, between the way they take my BP and the fact that I have major white coat syndrome, it is TOTALLY useless to have my BP taken in the doctor’s office. I tried to bring this up with my doctor and he told me that it is not necessary to have all these rules in place for taking BP. If they are right then everything I’ve read is wrong.
Agree, they don’t take readings under ideal conditions: The patient is rushed around after waiting (annoyed) in the waiting room, then they sit you down without letting you rest, all flustered and nervous and then they expect a good reading? Yeah right. Mine is always 40-50 points higher than at home. It’s a joke. I just laugh it off now when they tell me it’s too high and show them my home log. Can also relate to this story about atmospheric pressure drops, particulary at high altitude. When I lived in Colorado at 7000 feet my BP was higher than in California.
We are lucky that it is so easy to take our BP at home with inexpensive machines. No reason to settle for anything other than accurate knowledge of our condition. Unfortunately, that knowledge says I have a problem!