Doctor recommended home blood pressure Monitor

According to the American Heart Association, because your blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day, home monitoring provides valuable information to determine whether you really have high blood pressure and if your medications are working. However, in a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Oz points out that too many people monitor their blood pressure the wrong way by making 3 common mistakes. By understanding the mistakes and using an Oz-recommended BP monitor that works best for patients, you can learn whether or not you really do have high blood pressure.

“Think taking your blood pressure is fool proof? Well think again. There are 3 surprising mistakes most of you are making—and you don’t even know it, ” says Dr. Oz as he reveals to viewers the 3 common blood pressure measuring mistakes every day.

Blood Pressure Monitoring Mistake #1: The doctor’s office

“The first blood pressure mistake folks make is you only take your blood pressure at the doctor’s office, ” says Dr. Oz as he explains that the doctor’s office is where you are most likely to be stressed and out of sorts, causing your blood pressure readings to be elevated above your norm.

“If you have high blood pressure, you should absolutely be monitoring it at home and not in the doctor’s office. Research has shown over and over that the home is the best place to check your blood pressure, ” says Dr. Oz as he points out the added benefit that people who monitor their blood pressure at home show a 50 percent improvement in how they take their medications. “It motivates people to do the right thing, ” says Dr. Oz.

Blood Pressure Monitoring Mistake #2: Caffeine

“The second big blood pressure mistake you are making is having caffeine before or while you are getting your blood pressure taken, ” says Dr. Oz as he points out that having that morning cup of coffee or soda before going to the doctor’s office in conjunction with the stress of being in his or her office can raise your blood pressure abnormally high and give a false reading.

Dr. Oz advises viewers to follow the listed blood pressure Do’s and Don’ts while preparing yourself for a blood pressure exam:

• Do: Have your feet on the floor and sit quietly for 5 minutes
• Do: Have an empty bladder
• Don’t: At least 30 minutes before the exam:
-Exercise
-Eat
-Take a bath
-Drink alcohol

Blood Pressure Monitoring Mistake #3: Cuff size

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“The third blood pressure mistake we make is wearing the wrong size cuff, ” says Dr. Oz explaining that having a cuff that is too small or too large can give an inaccurate reading. Dr. Oz suggests that a better solution is to use a wrist cuff type of blood pressure monitoring device—especially if you do your blood pressure monitoring at home.

The benefit of using the wrist cuff type of blood pressure monitoring device is that it is much easier to use than the arm cuff type and those that have a separate sphygmometer and stethoscope as used in some doctor’s offices.

Dr. Oz’s recommended blood pressure monitoring device

Dr. Oz recommends the 7 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor (model # BP652) made by Omron® that offers numerous benefits to the user such as:

• Convenience, portability and accuracy
• Automatic activation when your wrist is at heart level to ensure an accurate reading
• Two user mode to allow you to store readings for you and one other person