ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
Why are my readings different between home and at a doctor’s
office?
Your blood pressure readings taken in a doctor’s office or hospital
setting may be elevated as a result of apprehension and anxiety. This
response is known as White Coat Hypertension.
When I bring my monitor to a doctor’s office, why do I get a dif-
ferent measurement from my monitor to that taken by a doctor or
nurse?
The healthcare professional may be using a different sized cuff. The
size of the bladder inside the cuff is critical for the accuracy of the
measurement. This may give you a different reading. A cuff too large
will produce a reading that is lower than the correct blood pressure;
a cuff that is too small will produce a reading that is higher than the
correct blood pressure. There may also be other factors that can cause
the difference in measurements.
Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day. We recommend that
you are consistent in your daily measurement routine:
• Measureatthesametimeeveryday.
• Sitinthesamechair/position.
• Donotcrosslegsandkeepyourfeetflatonthefloor.
• Relaxfor5minutesbeforemeasurement.
• Usethecorrectcuffsizetogetanaccuratereading.
• Sitstillduringmeasurement–notalking,eatingorsudden
movements.
• Recordyourmeasurementinalogbook.
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