Another problem is when the nurse calls your name in the lobby of the doctor's office, you pop up out if your chair, hustle down a hallway, and in less than a minute your blood pressure is being taken.
I have the doctor take it again later. My old doctor wouldn't take my BP for 5-10 minutes after I sat down, to let me calm down. We would chat a bit and I would relax and my BP was always pretty good, a little higher as I got older, but he knew how to do it correctly.
Once when I went to an allergist their elevator was out of order and I was running late, so I ran up three flights of stairs. I got in right away and they were taking my blood pressure about a minute later. Needless to say, it was a bit high, as was my pulse rate.
Please stop with the Gaslighting word it is overuse. Every lie is not gaslighting gaslighting was the movie let it go and STOP saying that everything is Gaslighting.
I’m a psychologist; in addition to ‘white coat’ HTN, which usually implies people are afraid of being scolded by their doctor - the cuff itself is a CUE that fuels people’s fear - oh my god, will I haveHTN? - and fear/anxiety can ALSO result in high readings. That is, the act of measuring itself can act as a cue and increase the reading.
Bought many blood pressure machines and all of them are useless. When I see my doctor I tell about my white jacket syndrome. The doctor will take my pressure a second time and it always is lower. Thank God I have a patient Doctor 8
I saw on RUclips being in a doctor’s office which is not a normal comfortable setting alters blood pressure because people are uncomfortable along with whatever they may be dealing with in health issues.
Given the corruption in most things medical in the U.S. and often incompetent people taking the measurements, mistakes are almost the norm. Cuffs wrapped around clothing are fine, if it's only thin like a shirt. There are "standard" cuffs made now that are safe to use over shirts and are fully accurate. Just like there are defibrillators now with only one pad that work brilliantly. And there are too many myths floating about in relation to BP readings and cuffs. If an older style cuff is slightly "out of alignment" when placed on an arm the reading is hardly affected. As long as the cuff is the correct size for the patients arm it should be fine.
I always have high readings at the doctors office. I've been put on a 24 hour monitor twice, 4 years apart, and my readings are normal. White coat syndrome maybe.
Yes many wrapped up in work they don't get to catch up on latest things etc it seems. If I ask my doctor about anything holistic she says I have no clue about that. Pills are not the answer to everything...maybe not anything at least first off!
I also experienced the rush to BP check scenario. They call you in from waiting room, take your height and weight. Then walk to patient room and immediately take a reading. No time to settle my heart rate and the anxiety of it always being high at the office makes for a no-win situation. ** I often wonder----- Is it possible that the established blood pressure ranges for normal are mistakenly TOO LOW??? If everything needs to happen just right, maybe they are?? Consider: the cuff needs to be the right size, placed on you correctly, no clothing on arm, cuff at same height at heart, time to settle down after walking into office, limit conversation. Good grief sounds like a scenario for patient failure every time. But not for the pharmaceutical company selling the BP meds. WTH.
Big PHARMA MOVED THE GOAL POST TO 120/80 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO....WHY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ PERIOD!!!! Normal is 140/90 for BP. Masssssive $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for bad BP false READS AND THEIR NEW NORMAL!!!!!!!!!1
I was taught this as an EMT in 1975. I am surprised how many nurses don't do this correctly. There is a nursing school near me that lost accreditation because of things like this.
This information should be posted at the doctor s office because whoever taking your BP usually let your arm hang down not resting on anything to be at heart level
I'm stunned that decades into the 21st century, there isn't better technology to make this critical measurement. Too many fricking variables to get wrong.
Wow you're still on RUclips! I remember your videos from about 15 years ago. Your prespective helped me and others a lot; i was leaving religion at that time. Strangely, skepticism and ahtheism I found was very powerful when working in deep esoteric topics within my martial art; we were learning anime level stuff but were forbidden to believe in it. It's strange that in seeking the mystery, i just found emptiness; but in emptiness i found the mystery.
legionmartin, False high BP readings = maintenance prescriptions = $ Many don't care if some people die from this, and the doctor won't ever know unless he's sued.
Well. Do you not know how to speak up and correct those who are not taking BP Correctly ?? A physician instructs Med assistant to take BP ... I say I will let doctor take BP after I have had time to rest You havd a right to tell them all the correct ways to monitor BP for a correct reading .. Not mentioned is must empty your Bladder and bowls...do not take after eating or drinking All affect BP ...wait at least 1 hour after eating or drinking ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ One more issue...in hospitals they use digital...those may make things easier buy they are not good ( crap) ...request the manual monitor only I did...I had very high BP in hospital and I needed a real monitor...accurate BP's So speak up .. Letting someone take BP when you just ran to your appointment hS no resting period They must know better ...teach them ok with my Doctor ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This is one of the best RUclips videos on blood pressure I’ve seen! Very straightforward, very simple, very easy to understand. Thank you! (I’m going out to find a cloth measuring tape right now!)
unfortunately 99.9% of medical care providers have no clue about any of this and I have gotten tired arguing with them that their little "one size fits all" cuff does not fit my upper arm and that I need a "leg cuff" for my arm
When I ask for a larger cuff they always say they don't have one. I go to appointments at the Veterans Affairs Hospital. So, they want me to believe in the entire hospital they don't have a thigh cuff 🙄. Then, they wonder why I'm annoyed ... before they take my pressure.
Hi Sue. They've done it to me also but shouldn't. Thanks for commenting. I tested this theory in one of my other videos: ruclips.net/video/zJmF94dfsyA/видео.html
Can't tell you how many times I've had BP checked as soon as I sat down and wasn't relaxed. I've had my BP checked while I was sitting up in a backless stool, while the nurse was engaged in conversation with me, when I just came from driving, etc. Only twice can I recall the BP checked when I was relaxed and comfortable. What most nurses and doctors don't seem to remember is that it takes about 15-20 minutes for the body and the heart to relax --- and the heart needs to be relaxed to take the proper BP. Researches all say that the best way to know a person's BP is by with an ambulatory cuff over 24 hours. Any other readings are going to produce problems.
yes. my last doctors visit was in Dec 2022 . the whole set up changed...her office was on a new floor , new waiting area , new procedures after I got passed the payment window. I never got a chance to take any of my clothes off ( excess weight ) before I got on the scale. rushed right to another room where the NA put the cuff on my right arm cause it was closer to the monitor on the roll-a-way cart. Didn't remove my sleeve , slapped it on and pressed a button then left the room..she came back and was shocked at the reading ... I told her ...I wasn't ... she let me set for 5 more minutes and the next round was lower...I got the "how was your visit" email .. and ran the letter count right to the limit....
I had a reading at the beginning of April after driving in the rain, getting lost, and waiting for the dr for almost an hr. So yeah, mine was high. She took it again and it was high again at the end (I mean who is relaxed after a gyn exam?!). The best reading was for my life insurance. 3 reads and didn’t do it first thing. I wish more practitioners realized this.
@@ElleJay1085 yep. I only go twice a year to my doctor office, I've been on two meds since Dec, 2022. My walk from their parking lot is about 3 football fields. , my last visit for the follow up for taking my BP reading was about 1.5 hours.. 45 minute of that was waiting...... not like my visit in December that only took 25 minutes.. I felt like a piece of product going down an assembly line...I used to donate blood after work , when I could . I did the Alex method which took longer but they get more out of my blood. I had to fill out a 28 question form after my 45 minute ride in heavy traffic to get there. WHY IS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE SO HIGH ????... a few times I had to leave cause they didn't want me to sit there and wait till it came down..
I recently had cataract surgery. I have 2 bruises on my arm where the blood pressure cuff dug into my arm. Yes I’m now on blood thinners but my cuffs ( I have 2) have never bruised me Thanks for all the great info. I truly appreciate this info.
Retired medic here. Excellent vid, accurate in real world practice. With my patients, I usually didn't pay a lot of attention to the first reading, unless it telegraphed an immediate issue. If the patient presentation matched the abnormal range pressure, I would begin treatment. You have to look for outliers, like a guy who runs 5K every day and normally has a low B/P. If there was a mismatch between the reading and patient presentation, I would repeat it, taking care to eliminate the inaccuracies described here, then decide what to do. I did a series of vital signs a few minutes apart, and the second set was typically accurate. The trend (difference in multiple V/S's) over whatever time interval was also extremely valuable for telegraphing evolving changes in patient condition. For example, a nervous, sweating, tachycardic patient with a consistently falling B/P over several readings 5 min apart might have an internal bleed I cannot see. So they get an IV, lights and sirens.
So you mean when I go to the doctor and the nurse speed walks me a football field, then has me do my weight and blood pressure as she talks to me and puts the cuff over my jacket it will be high, lol. I agree with you, I take it at home and use right size and average 3 readings to get my real pressure or close to it. Thanks for sharing, I bet 60% of people are told its high when its not its the dr. office doing it wrong. The major question most should ask is why? Why would a professional intentionally do it wrong? Hum anyone? Maybe big pharma, firm kickbacks, trips, etc. Ya we all know. Cheers and stay healthy.
IMO nurse at Dr office not wrong on purpose .. just seem in a hurry and, if you ask them what he or she got as cuff is being remove, the answer is hem and haw .. and then guess ., pretty funny but not really. I check my own at public stores (walmart, CVS etc) .. fuss to get correct posture and placement; re-position if first read not seem right. I am 78 and so far my BP runs 120/80 or lower.
I was about to have a heart attack before watching this video.. Was checking blood pressure sitting at my desk with cuff way below my heart. adjusted accordingly and 128/70.. Thank you Jesus ima live another day!!!
And make sure your bladder and your bowels are both empty! As I’ve found that wanting either a number 1 or a number 2 can dramatically increase the numbers too.
Yea, I have found this to be true. I take and record my blood pressure and pulse twice a day for 3 years and running. I look at the trend rather than any one BP reading. So far, my BP has been consistently normal. My BP readings are also consistent with the ones at the doctors' office
Also if you have just consumed a drink or a meal I have found my blood pressure to be higher. I take mine 7 times, quickly one after the other, eliminate the two highest and two lowest and average the remaining 3. It can also vary depending on what you are thinking, you might be worrying about an issue, getting emotionally worked up over something or working out say, a math problem, in your mind. Letting your mind think on something pleasant and relaxing is helpful as is sitting posture, keep spine erect, beware of drooping forward head posture. It's amazing how you can think you are sitting erect, then consciously think to sit erect, just how much insidious slouching has crept in. Sometimes if my reading is high I will do some head rotations and the subsequent reading shoots down, it is as if the rotation somehow affects the circulation to lower the BP. Strange how many factors can come into play. Going on a low carb diet with resulting weight loss has also improved my BP.
Thank you! Yes, the cuff height and the positioning on the arm makes a huge difference in your readings. Here's an article from my website about it. You can also check out other articles I wrote about having the cuff above the heart, too tight, too loose and more. bloodpressureexplained.com/blood-pressure-reading-with-the-arm-below-the-heart/ Have a great day, Kevin Garce
Thanks! I had a wrist blood pressure so high that knee doctor told me if it gets any higher I could have a stroke! I went straight to my primary doctor in a panic and my BP was 120/80. Keeping your arm at heart level was helpful. My last visit the LPN had my arm hang much lower than my heart and seem to grin at the results. I thought my problem was being Irish -- Now knowing its not High -- Its Slainte Time. Cheers! Appreciate. Best.
Sadly, many people/patients don't know that the blood pressure machine in offices and clinics are supposed to be calibrated periodically. Oftentimes, most haven't been calibrated and are actually malfunctioning. Another bit of important information is the deceptive practice of increasing the sensitivity level of the machines to purposely show a "high blood pressure" reading.
Nothing surprises me these days. The doctor did a test off the cuff and my pressure was down by about 15. Pharmacy are making a lot off this....machines giving wrong readings as well.
I’ve had my blood pressure taken several times over the past two to three years. The results are either ridiculously high or the higher figure is reasonable with the lower figure almost the same level. About 20 years ago due to this I was prescribed beta blockers and after a short time on these drugs, I collapsed on the floor one night. I lay there for nearly an hour, cold sweat pouring off me and had no way to call for help. The next day, I threw them in the bin. I’ve refused to have any more drugs because of this.
@@joancampbell9157 I was offered statins when I turned around about 50 for no real reason other than they were going to be the wonder drug to prevent almost everything. No problems at that time. I had a real strange attack just taking a hay fever tablet and ended up in A&E. My daughter was told by a doctor he felt the same on them. My point is doctors seem obsessed with blood pressure and dishing out tablets but are they as good for us as we think? I am now trying other ways to keep my blood pressure low....no caffeine..losing weight...having beetroot and pomegranate juice. Spirulina tablets. Walking more. My blood pressure had gone down by about 15 top number and nearer to a number suitable for my age so it might be helping.
The doctors office always takes my bp with my feet dangling off of the examining table, arm down and no back support. I take it at home...feet on the floor, back straight up and arm at heart height like I was taught in MA school. My bp is always lower at home than at the doctors office.
I feel better after watching this video. My previous Doctor/PA used the original technique with stethoscope to take my BP and it was a tad above normal. For years they always used cuffs and now my new doctor uses cuffs, that never fit my arm and use older machines. and of course, my BP readings are high. I ask the new doctor to do the traditional reading and of course it's lower than the machine. Why can't doctors just do the traditional method of BP readings and get rid of these machines?
The electronic machines are a joke. Heart doctor uses one when I go. It's always ridiculously high. It squeezes my arm till it hurts. I guess they don't know how to take it manually anymore. 🙄
@@JaneH3675it always hurts my arm, too, to the point it feels like my arm is going to burst. I say to the nurse, "it's going to be high because it's too tight." Guess what, it's high. When they take the cuff off there's always visible marks and indentations around my arm. I say, "look what the cuff did to my arm." They're like, "oh, wow." 😑
The wrapping over clothing is a problem I had when going to the doctor, as the nurses would tell me I could leave my clothing on (this is in winter when one is wearing a sweater) and the readings obtained were very high, when I said that reading can't be right then I was told to remove the sweater and the reading fell by 25 points; so this is not some that should look out for when self testing, but also when you are at the doctors, making sure the nursing staff does thing correctly.
Thank you for posting this. As a paramedic, I don't trust electronic machines of any kind. Not even the one on my $35K Lifepack 12. Even that one measures a MAP, and then comes up with a possible systolic and diastolic with an algorithm. I always obtain manual blood pressures with all my patients.
You know they do call it a silent killer for a reason. There are obviously multiple factors to watch for, but to wait for symptoms sounds lazy and uneducated.
This recently happened to me when I went for a physical ability test. The technician used a "normal sized" cuff on my large arm that was so tight it was hurting before he inflated it and then had the nerve to tell me my blood pressure was abnormally high.
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 I told a nurse I knew it was going to be higher the second time because the cuff was tighter than the previous time. Her response was it had to do with the way the device works that makes it feel tighter when the bp is higher. The readings at my primary care doctor's office are usually textbook, while high at a specialist's office. I'll be checking the space between the cuff and my arm from now on.
Those automatic blood pressure machines DONOT give a correct reading they are too tight even with the correct cuff size and they give an abnormally high reading This happened to me so I told the Dr that it was too tight and it really hurt my arm I said from now on I want the manual done so he agreed and now my blood pressure is normal and my arm doesn't hurt anymore😊
Recently had a basal cell removed and my BP was way high when I walked in. Three different nurses had to continually tell me how bad it was, which of course made it worse. Do they not understand white coat hypertension?
Excellent advice and very valuable information. The section saying the cuff should be the same height as your heart starts off saying the opposite so that should be corrected, but there's enough additional explanation to make it clear the cuff should be the same height as your heart.
I would appreciate a comment on 'wrist monitors like the OMRON. I can rely on three disparate readings between a Beurer arm, Omron HEN-650 wrist, and whatever Doc's office I am visiting. Luckily, I am not a high BP patient, but I have had two ablations. I randomly (3-6x monthly) run and chart typically 8-15hr EKGs with an ER-1 between quarterly visits with my Cardio. You soon learn 'the times between doctor visits' can be very active. A two-month chart of PACs, PVCs, % Afib, HR, etc. has generated a more thorough response from my providers vs. the reading taken by his nurse 10min prior. Thanks again, nicely explained. Jim
That happened to me last month when going for a covid booster,where they were taking BP readings.I told the person that I had white coat and had walked briskly to the centre.She popped on the cuff,with my arm down by my side,and the reading was high..she then took it again about a minute later and it was higher still...then again!I ended up taking a weeks readings at home and then giving them an average,which was normal.
Once had a PA take my BP over a sweatshirt and long sleeve tshirt using a cuff that was too small. Needless to say it was absurdly high and they wanted to call an ambulance for transport to the ER. It saddens me how many of my fellow mid-levels end up being sloppy clinicians.
Two common things may have a significant effect on raising or lowering your blood pressure measurement. Always empty your bladder before checking BP. Having a full bladder may cause a raised measurement. Meals in the hour or so before before your BP check may lower your BP measurement, especially hot meals, large meals, and foods with high carbohydrate or fat content. The best time to get a reliable BP measurement is before breakfast or a drink, about half an hour after waking, after going to the toilet, and resting for five or ten minutes before checking.
This is EXACTLY what happened to me. The at-home machine hurt like heck, and kept reading high, no matter how I used it or what I did differently. Then I took it in to the medical facility that gave it me, and insisted they test it against (1) their own machines and (2) against a human reading by a qualified nurse. SURPRISE!! The facility machines read about 10 points lower than my home machine in MULTIPLE tests... and the human-run tests measured as much as 25 POINTS LOWER than any machine. What????
Good idea. I'm going to see my Doctor the first week of April. I won't bring money and see if I'm using it the right way and have it tested. Thanks for your video.
As a hydraulic engineer I am pretty sure that the reason why many blood-pressure measurements are too high is simply this. If there is a pipeline full of pumped fluid (your blood-vessel) and you reduce its cross-section by squashing the pipeline (or inflating a BP sleeve) - the line pressure will go up. AND, if the pipeline is squashed further, the pressure will contibue to rise until the pump (your heart) simply can't pump any harder. A high pressure reading using this test is more of an indication of how strong your heart is.
@gunlokman, 👍 thanks for your comment! I was at the dentist this week and I noticed the cuff was put on my arm so tight when they pumped it up, it actually hurt my arm. So the thought occurred to me that the veins were being squashed giving a high BP reading. Sure enough, my "pressure reading" was over 165. The dentist said that was too high and he couldn't fix my teeth until I was checked out by a doctor ...(who no doubt would want to put me on prescription meds!)
I think you're on to something, but keep in mind there are other areas of the body that continue circulation. The pump has other pipes. It won't continually build pressure in one collapsed pipe. It'll reroute to other areas.
Thank you! I’ve gotten such anxiety from seeing my BP readings too high! I’m 50 and workout 4 to 5 days a week! Thanks for this! I had a 24 hour cuff measurement and my Dr said it was normal.
Years ago this was not a regular thing to constantly take readings. If you are keeping fit anyway. Have a test to check your organs are in good shape. Eat mostly healthy food. Then just get on with life. You can take a reading one minute then an hour or two later it is something else. If you are feeling unwell then get things looked at. Everything today is live in fear. You can't enjoy life like that!
I went to a local clinic to have my blood pressure taken. They said it was high and I should go to my Doctors who would probably give me blood pressure tablets. I decided to go Private. Not as much as you may think. £100.00 to talk with a Doctor for longer than the normal 3-5 mins. He advised me to check my blood pressure first thing in the morning and about 5 pm at night for a week. I emailed over the results which were up and down. He called me later that day to say he was pleased with my results and that in his opinion I had a 15% chance of dying of a stroke or a heart attack in the next TEN years. In his words NOTHING to worry about. It just shows you once again how important doing your own research is vital and NOT just excepting the one person who has some thing to gain when they prescribe a pharmaceutical product for you.
@@janetmalcolm6191 accuracy in readings is not fear-mongering, it's just accuracy. I once was dizzy and went to a clinic, had a reading of 180, so they had my bp monitored 3X a day for a week. Found out i have high BP playing around 130-145 throughout the day. If i ignored this, i would have wrecked my kidneys already. Broscience ain't science. Years ago bp monitoring wasn't a thing because medicine has continued to advance.
Another thing I noticed is what known as "White coat reading"..... My BP reading is normal UNTIL I go to see my doctor for my check up 120 over 80.... when I see my doc it can go up to 150. My doc told me it's called "white coat reading" ... you feel ok and relaxed but see medics and up it goes.
That is my problem as well. They tend to pooh pooh it. My last visit it was high. I've been sick and frustrated with treatment. It was taken at the end, apparently not a good idea, and higher.
This is so true, i stated long ago that the readings are not correctly taken, this is why i only regard my readings at my Dr as correct and my bp is always at or around 120/80 as it is taken correctly. However my watch is within 4.5% correct taken correctly
Usually my reading is about 10 points high at the doctors because I'm not as relaxed as I am at home and they don't give me the 5 minutes sitting and relaxing before taking a reading. My heart rate is also usually about 6-10 points higher at the doctors (That's both using my own meter, which reads within 2-3 points of theirs normally).
Yes, correct, many people are a bit tensed when they visit a Dr ( white coat fright) and that causes the bp to be higher. The same happens to my wife, her bp is also much higher when visiting a Dr as she is not relaxed. However i am relaxed when i visit my Dr so this don't happen to me.
Thank you for this video! I’ve had the cuff so tight it felt like a tourniquet and had the bp taken just after I’ve hustled down the hallway to keep up its the nurse. I just measured my arm so now i will watch that they use the correct size of cuff.
I have 3 bp devices , the wrist one was optimistic and the other 2 would keep giving me differing results. I do have high blood pressure but these monitors were doing my head in and adding to the stress. I realised that I was placing the sleeve too close to the fold in my arm (one of many things pointed out here). I wish I had found this video earlier. Now as I have them I will check all 3 each time until I trust a machine, how and what I am reading. This was a very concise and well presented video, thank you and I hope others out there follow its advice. Tackling high blood pressure is much simpler if you have reliable readings and over time you can see any changes you are influencing.
Hi Ian Francis, thank you for commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it! I have a website with many articles about false readings and how to properly use the cuff. If you're interested you can find them at my website here: bloodpressureexplained.com/causes-of-false-blood-pressure-readings/ Have a great day. Kevin Garce
No mention of certain conditions such as lipoedema causing false readings (as well as - possibly - damage .... all increases anxiety) or that it’s recommended you wait at least 30 minutes before re-taking due to residual intravenous pressure from the inflation pressure which is also likely to cause false readings
My reason is I go to my oncology appointment and right away they take blood out of my port with hurts like hell. And they wonder why my blood pressure is high all the while talking to me which they know they shouldn’t be doing after walking in from the parking lot and not let me sit for a minute or two. All of those are reasons for your blood pressure to be high.
Many people's veins are not good for finding a good spot to draw blood from. This can be painful as you already know and stated. It's a stressful situation and can definitely raise your BP. It's just another reason to monitor your BP from home when your more normal and relaxed.
I just had my first couple of readings on a B.P. reading machine today. So far I've found the difference to be from the first, one point lower for the systolic, and from the 2nd, six points lower for the systolic, with the diastolic being four and five lower. So for the lower of the two readings, I'm at 112/76, which is comparable and middling to what I had showing when I was 18-26. I am 60 now. My feeling is that if you already had pretty low BP, "The White Coat" related difference or the procedural imperfections at a blood donation clinic are going to be quite small like that. From what I can see, the top two factors would have to be my late in the morning coffee, and the shirt sleeve nonchalance from the nurse. But even with the many gallons of blood I've given, maybe I still get somewhat nervous without noticing it, over the needles and the pricking!
The nurse usually cares less ...They look disinterested and always have an attitude..... Wrong chair, they ask you questions then dont wait 5 minutes...
I just came from doctor and had my blood pressure checked which was 20 points higher than last time it was done by them. I didn't expect it to be so different. Lately i have been very stressed, did not sleep at all the previous night , just got over some virus symptoms, was on edge, and felt miserable. All of this must have been a bad time to get measured again. I do not measure myself at home, but am planning to buy a tester and see if these conditions affect the readings.
I purchased 3 different home machines off amazon one was almost $200 none were accurate . I took them to my doctors office his reading taken manually was 127 / 78 when they put these machines on they all read 150 / 98 some were 165 / 110. He told me to just return then and not worry about it his reading is normal.
I am 47 and through my 30s to recent I’ve been seemingly healthy and strong. I had noted high BP on occasion but typically I’d get it checked at my yearly physical and sometimes at home and it would be 115-120/70. In February I had an aortic dissection caused by an aneurysm in my ascending aorta. I had an emergency surgery to replace the aneurysm with a fabric sleeve and now I will live (thankfully) with a dissection and a 30 lb lifting limit for life. I see you’re on meds for high blood pressure but if you get a CT scan make sure they are looking at your aorta and not just your heart. Not trying to scare you but you have to take high BP seriously, I did not.
@@annalineugene8618 Try not to be too paranoia about it. Stay extremely healthy and take your Doctors advice. My other comments are on this video. Worrying about things just makes things worse. All the best.
So interesting you would say my home no monitor should be checked upon new and each year after. So what assurance do we have that the doctors electronic machine is working correctly?
My BP is ALWAYS high when read by the doctor or nurse, especially when the receptionist gives me grief. That's why I always bring my 2 person Omron BP unit with me that shows my cardiologist what my BP is at home, where I spend most of my time (I'm retired), and it logs the last 100 BP readings taken, which my Doctor likes to see. I also found that the very first reading is high most of the time, so I take 2 maybe 3 in the unit's 2nd person position until my BP reading hits a parity, then I switch to the 1st person position and record a final BP reading and that is what the Doctor sees.
When I went to the doctor. The girl who took my BP reading got a really high number with her BP monitor. It was at least 15 points too high. After the doctor came in he looked at the BP and was planning on acting on the high numbers. I told him I monitor my BP with the machine I have at home and I'll check it at pharmacies once in a while. The numbers are within 5 points everytime. But after I told the doctor the numbers were too high compared to what I measured he checked my BP manually and the numbers were matching what I measured at home.
Trouble is they do a one size fits all reading. A heart surgeon wrote blood pressure levels are about what is suitable for YOUR body. It is a different number when young and then when older.
I'm an biomedical equipment technician and have noticed that practically all NIBP monitors (atleast the ones I've tested), even expensive patient monitors, show little higher readings than the calibrated NIBP simulator is set to when measuring blood pressure (2-7mmHg higher usually). But the same monitor then in calibration mode using simulator as pressure source and monitor as manometer, shows exactly same reading as simulator.
Hi Jerry. Thanks for sharing. It is annoying when they inflate the cuff a second time immediately. One of the things I like about the Welch Allyn 1700 is how it takes the measurement while inflating. So the reading happens pretty fast, 21-22 seconds. I demonstrate it in this video: ruclips.net/video/_BSGvnukFo0/видео.html
I kinda think they want you to think it's high AND you need another pill - after all they get paid for writing prescriptions!! That little pad is ALWAYS close by!!
I am 76 and have always had good blood pressure the last couple of years. They measure it on my right arm. I know what my normal blood pressure is and on my right arm it’s always high. I do a lot of artwork and that arm is always bothering me. So I always have them check my left arm and it’s normal
We were always taught to do it on the left arm because it was nearer the heart. Whether this is backed by the science I don't know. It is just something we accepted. They also seem to keep changing the parameters as to what is considered normal.
I had to have it done for health insurance a couple years ago. Scheduled an appointment over the phone because I couldn't do it in person. They cancelled my appointment WHILE I WAS IN THE WAITING ROOM! When I was told that they had done this because I was 'late' I was pretty angry. They went ahead and squeezed me in anyway, such nice people. The nurse took my blood pressure and it was up. I take my own readings every couple days, I'm in pretty good shape, eat well, etc. This clown told me I have high blood pressure and started to write that down. I stopped her and told her why it was high, that damned receptionist... I know my blood pressure is normal, it still is and I still take those measurements regularly.
Thank you for such informative video presentation, I learned a thing or two I wasn’t aware of. As a light note regarding your home monitors devices links. Why offer websites links loaded with advertisements that are irrelevant to the subject and do nothing but to block your view? I noticed some of the latest websites do the exact same thing, quite honestly I don’t even bother to stay on it for more that 3 seconds and dismiss them. Thank you!
What i do is measure using 2 different instruments, take 3 readings from each, throw out the outliers, then average all the systolic values. (same with diastolic)
I had a large (twice arm size) one give me a wrong reading and I was about to call the ambulance. Correct one applied and more relaxed BP going down quite quickly
Thanks for this video, I’m confident my blood pressure was taking it all wrong. I was at Kiaser the nurse took my blood pressure three time with the same reading at 160 over 120…hummm forgot the lower numbers. She took it over my work out cloth on my right hand, she said oh your shirt is thin enough. Sound like she did it wrong. Now with home kits I can’t see to reach that same numbers test.
Also, some offices use the same machine I used at home and right on the box it says its use is ONLY for one person! They are testing hundreds of patients with it, so of course your numbers are going to be high from that machine. What I do is, if they want you to take my pressure using the same kind of home machine I use, I refuse and ask the nurse to take it the old fashioned way. They usually look at me strange, and sometimes the nurse has says “she didn’t know how and/or wasn’t trained to take it that way." So if that’s the case, I say take my pressure AFTER I talk to the doctor, that way my body will have had time to calm down for a more accurate reading. And if they give me a hard time every time i go about it, i change doctors. I'm my own advocate and am very aware of what doctors offices should and should not do. They never even go over my labs. I have to google or ask another doctor what certain terms on my labs mean. If it were not for me googling and researching stuff on my labs, I would have never known my kidney eGFR numbers were falling. The doctor NEVER even mentioned it from ALL the bloodwork he had done on me?! I research my own doctors and sometimes just go into the office, if I'm thinking about using this doctor and just sit and watch the office staff, and how much time the doctor spends on his patients. I get a feel for the doctor and I also read all the reviews I can find on them, even find out if they have been sued, was banned from another state for malpractice, etc. I don't just "pick a doctor". Found out a lot about doctors. Some info made me NOT go to certain ones. Research people!
Wow!! Great video!! My blood pressure just dropped after several reading from this morning until now this afternoon from 140s systolic to 120s systolic and 90s diastolic to 70s diastolic !! I just put a pillow under my arms and sat erect and put cuff on snug but not tight and positioned how the diagram shows!! Been really stressing out! My bp readings have been “ showing” high lately and was really stressing out!!
I usually have low BP... at most it's just below sort of the average range. Two years ago I got a super high reading... and then another... at the doctor's office. I said that the cuff felt REALLY tight (I'm overweight and my arm is on the larger side). The nurse said, "Yeah they're uncomfortable." I tried to tell her that I know how uncomfortable they can be... but this was actually painful. Like I wanted to punch someone to get it off of me. Next visit, same thing. So they had me do standing up, sitting down, lying down spread out over the visit. I kept asking if it was a large enough cuff. They worried about my kidneys and I got put on "water pills" and they didn't really do much... didn't pee a whole bunch more. Next visit I asked if there was a different cuff or something else we could do. They did it on my forearm and lo and behold! Normal readings and turns out my BP is still on the low side. Either have them do it on my forearm or get a big enough cuff...never got high readings again.
Great video and thank you, but I am still unable to determine if my cuff is indeed level with my heart. How can you be sure? My BP is coming up really low. So frustrating. Trying to find an illustration of exactly where the heart is in the chest, etc. Also, if using a table, does the full arm need to be on the table up to the elbow? Thanks ever so much.
Thanks for this video! It's weird. Sometimes my cuff tightens around my upper arm more tightly than other times. Sometimes it gives me an error for some reason I can't figure out. Most of the time the first reading is higher than I'd like but the second one is much better. (my doc suggested doing it only twice.) Anyway, I may shift to doing it three times in a sitting.
So should the cuff midline be placed midline to the level of the heart or level with the heart and the elbow as Harvard Health recommends, not a tremendous difference but just saying. Great video!
Another problem is when the nurse calls your name in the lobby of the doctor's office, you pop up out if your chair, hustle down a hallway, and in less than a minute your blood pressure is being taken.
Everytime.
Right
I have the doctor take it again later. My old doctor wouldn't take my BP for 5-10 minutes after I sat down, to let me calm down. We would chat a bit and I would relax and my BP was always pretty good, a little higher as I got older, but he knew how to do it correctly.
Exactly.
Once when I went to an allergist their elevator was out of order and I was running late, so I ran up three flights of stairs. I got in right away and they were taking my blood pressure about a minute later. Needless to say, it was a bit high, as was my pulse rate.
Im in my 70s and fed up with all this BP stuff. Im just going to live until I die!
😂
Lots of gaslighting by the medical establishment.
Me too! Went to a Naturopath Dr. and he told me that while the number is high so is my overall metabolism.
ME TOO!
Please stop with the Gaslighting word it is overuse. Every lie is not gaslighting gaslighting was the movie let it go and STOP saying that everything is Gaslighting.
The only problem with having your meter check by the doctor at a office visit. Most of the time, they do the blood pressure wrong themselfs !
Agree 100%
Yes... over my shirt sleeve, not at heart level
They used a battery operated BP monitor and the batteries were old.
they take you off a perfectly good chair to take your pressure with your legs hanging off the side of the bench 🤦♀️
Themselves
I’m a psychologist; in addition to ‘white coat’ HTN, which usually implies people are afraid of being scolded by their doctor - the cuff itself is a CUE that fuels people’s fear - oh my god, will I haveHTN? - and fear/anxiety can ALSO result in high readings. That is, the act of measuring itself can act as a cue and increase the reading.
Thank you for sharing.
Bought many blood pressure machines and all of them are useless. When I see my doctor I tell about my white jacket syndrome. The doctor will take my pressure a second time and it always is lower. Thank God I have a patient Doctor 8
Some people develope blood presure phobia regardless where it's taken.
I saw on RUclips being in a doctor’s office which is not a normal comfortable setting alters blood pressure because people are uncomfortable along with whatever they may be dealing with in health issues.
Given the corruption in most things medical in the U.S. and often incompetent people taking the measurements, mistakes are almost the norm. Cuffs wrapped around clothing are fine, if it's only thin like a shirt. There are "standard" cuffs made now that are safe to use over shirts and are fully accurate. Just like there are defibrillators now with only one pad that work brilliantly. And there are too many myths floating about in relation to BP readings and cuffs. If an older style cuff is slightly "out of alignment" when placed on an arm the reading is hardly affected. As long as the cuff is the correct size for the patients arm it should be fine.
I always have high readings at the doctors office. I've been put on a 24 hour monitor twice, 4 years apart, and my readings are normal. White coat syndrome maybe.
I also have white coat syndrome.
Hi Fam. Thank you for sharing.
I have higher blood pressure at the doctors but when I have had it taken at a hospital it has been lower.
Ha the medical answer to that is that if you get stressed at the doctors you are likely to get stressed in other places as well. Have a pill.
@@virginiaoflaherty2983 or maybe mind your own business. Take all the pills you want.
My doctor loves to hear what I learned on the internet.
Yes many wrapped up in work they don't get to catch up on latest things etc it seems. If I ask my doctor about anything holistic she says I have no clue about that. Pills are not the answer to everything...maybe not anything at least first off!
@@janetmalcolm6191Our bodies will self correct if we listen to them. Amazing machines.
I also experienced the rush to BP check scenario. They call you in from waiting room, take your height and weight. Then walk to patient room and immediately take a reading. No time to settle my heart rate and the anxiety of it always being high at the office makes for a no-win situation. ** I often wonder----- Is it possible that the established blood pressure ranges for normal are mistakenly TOO LOW??? If everything needs to happen just right, maybe they are?? Consider: the cuff needs to be the right size, placed on you correctly, no clothing on arm, cuff at same height at heart, time to settle down after walking into office, limit conversation. Good grief sounds like a scenario for patient failure every time. But not for the pharmaceutical company selling the BP meds. WTH.
Thanks for sharing.
Big PHARMA MOVED THE GOAL POST TO 120/80 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO....WHY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ PERIOD!!!! Normal is 140/90 for BP. Masssssive $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for bad BP false READS AND THEIR NEW NORMAL!!!!!!!!!1
I was taught this as an EMT in 1975. I am surprised how many nurses don't do this correctly. There is a nursing school near me that lost accreditation because of things like this.
Thanks for sharing.
I can actually feel my blood pressure rise as soon as that cuff tightens around my arm
Me too, even the blood pressure monitor at home causes it.
This information should be posted at the doctor s office because whoever taking your BP usually let your arm hang down not resting on anything to be at heart level
Boy is that true! They sometimes take mine while my legs are dangling off the table.
I'm stunned that decades into the 21st century, there isn't better technology to make this critical measurement. Too many fricking variables to get wrong.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow you're still on RUclips! I remember your videos from about 15 years ago. Your prespective helped me and others a lot; i was leaving religion at that time. Strangely, skepticism and ahtheism I found was very powerful when working in deep esoteric topics within my martial art; we were learning anime level stuff but were forbidden to believe in it. It's strange that in seeking the mystery, i just found emptiness; but in emptiness i found the mystery.
Nearly every doctors office I've been in breaks these rules.
Pretty much.
legionmartin,
False high BP readings = maintenance prescriptions = $
Many don't care if some people die from this, and the doctor won't ever know unless he's sued.
Well. Do you not know how to speak up and correct those who are not taking BP Correctly ??
A physician instructs Med assistant to take BP ...
I say I will let doctor take BP after I have had time to rest
You havd a right to tell them all the correct ways to monitor BP for a correct reading ..
Not mentioned is must empty your Bladder and bowls...do not take after eating or drinking
All affect BP ...wait at least 1 hour after eating or drinking ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
One more issue...in hospitals they use digital...those may make things easier buy they are not good ( crap) ...request the manual monitor only
I did...I had very high BP in hospital and I needed a real monitor...accurate BP's
So speak up ..
Letting someone take BP when you just ran to your appointment hS no resting period
They must know better ...teach them ok with my Doctor
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Taking it just ups my already general anxiety and gear worse ,which can raise bp. Its a terrible loop.💔
True
Same here..because of my anxiety disorder my BP is higher..I have developed a phobia for the bp machine.just looking at it gives me anxiety
Same here
@@lindakasumu6318. I thought it was just me. 😊
Same here as well
This is one of the best RUclips videos on blood pressure I’ve seen! Very straightforward, very simple, very easy to understand. Thank you! (I’m going out to find a cloth measuring tape right now!)
Hi Shariff. Thank you for commenting.
unfortunately 99.9% of medical care providers have no clue about any of this and I have gotten tired arguing with them that their little "one size fits all" cuff does not fit my upper arm and that I need a "leg cuff" for my arm
When I ask for a larger cuff they always say they don't have one. I go to appointments at the Veterans Affairs Hospital. So, they want me to believe in the entire hospital they don't have a thigh cuff 🙄. Then, they wonder why I'm annoyed ... before they take my pressure.
Interesting about not taking readings over your clothing. I never do this myself but have had this done by several health professionals!
Hi Sue. They've done it to me also but shouldn't. Thanks for commenting. I tested this theory in one of my other videos: ruclips.net/video/zJmF94dfsyA/видео.html
A nurse did this to me only last week. I told her she shouldn’t be doing that.
Hi Eve. Thank you for sharing. What was her response?
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 she said I was right, and it wasn’t the way she was trained, but that she was in a hurry 🤦🏻♀️
You never take over cloths, that is a red flag your nurse/dr. is an idiot. If I have this done I never go back to that clinic or dr.
To the point in a very calm & soothing voice. Great advice many thanks
Thank you for commenting.
Can't tell you how many times I've had BP checked as soon as I sat down and wasn't relaxed. I've had my BP checked while I was sitting up in a backless stool, while the nurse was engaged in conversation with me, when I just came from driving, etc. Only twice can I recall the BP checked when I was relaxed and comfortable. What most nurses and doctors don't seem to remember is that it takes about 15-20 minutes for the body and the heart to relax --- and the heart needs to be relaxed to take the proper BP. Researches all say that the best way to know a person's BP is by with an ambulatory cuff over 24 hours. Any other readings are going to produce problems.
Hi, thank you for sharing.
yes. my last doctors visit was in Dec 2022 . the whole set up changed...her office was on a new floor , new waiting area , new procedures after I got passed the payment window. I never got a chance to take any of my clothes off ( excess weight ) before I got on the scale. rushed right to another room where the NA put the cuff on my right arm cause it was closer to the monitor on the roll-a-way cart. Didn't remove my sleeve , slapped it on and pressed a button then left the room..she came back and was shocked at the reading ... I told her ...I wasn't ... she let me set for 5 more minutes and the next round was lower...I got the "how was your visit" email .. and ran the letter count right to the limit....
I had a reading at the beginning of April after driving in the rain, getting lost, and waiting for the dr for almost an hr. So yeah, mine was high. She took it again and it was high again at the end (I mean who is relaxed after a gyn exam?!). The best reading was for my life insurance. 3 reads and didn’t do it first thing. I wish more practitioners realized this.
@@ElleJay1085 yep. I only go twice a year to my doctor office, I've been on two meds since Dec, 2022. My walk from their parking lot is about 3 football fields. , my last visit for the follow up for taking my BP reading was about 1.5 hours.. 45 minute of that was waiting...... not like my visit in December that only took 25 minutes.. I felt like a piece of product going down an assembly line...I used to donate blood after work , when I could . I did the Alex method which took longer but they get more out of my blood. I had to fill out a 28 question form after my 45 minute ride in heavy traffic to get there. WHY IS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE SO HIGH ????... a few times I had to leave cause they didn't want me to sit there and wait till it came down..
And we are supposed to be quite..but the nurse is running her mouth!!! 😮
I recently had cataract surgery. I have 2 bruises on my arm where the blood pressure cuff dug into my arm. Yes I’m now on blood thinners but my cuffs ( I have 2) have never bruised me
Thanks for all the great info. I truly appreciate this info.
Thank you.
Retired medic here. Excellent vid, accurate in real world practice.
With my patients, I usually didn't pay a lot of attention to the first reading, unless it telegraphed an immediate issue. If the patient presentation matched the abnormal range pressure, I would begin treatment. You have to look for outliers, like a guy who runs 5K every day and normally has a low B/P.
If there was a mismatch between the reading and patient presentation, I would repeat it, taking care to eliminate the inaccuracies described here, then decide what to do.
I did a series of vital signs a few minutes apart, and the second set was typically accurate.
The trend (difference in multiple V/S's) over whatever time interval was also extremely valuable for telegraphing evolving changes in patient condition.
For example, a nervous, sweating, tachycardic patient with a consistently falling B/P over several readings 5 min apart might have an internal bleed I cannot see. So they get an IV, lights and sirens.
🎯
Hi Jim. Thanks for sharing.
So you mean when I go to the doctor and the nurse speed walks me a football field, then has me do my weight and blood pressure as she talks to me and puts the cuff over my jacket it will be high, lol. I agree with you, I take it at home and use right size and average 3 readings to get my real pressure or close to it. Thanks for sharing, I bet 60% of people are told its high when its not its the dr. office doing it wrong. The major question most should ask is why? Why would a professional intentionally do it wrong? Hum anyone? Maybe big pharma, firm kickbacks, trips, etc. Ya we all know.
Cheers and stay healthy.
IMO nurse at Dr office not wrong on purpose .. just seem in a hurry and, if you ask them what he or she got as cuff is being remove, the answer is hem and haw .. and then guess ., pretty funny but not really. I check my own at public stores (walmart, CVS etc) .. fuss to get correct posture and placement; re-position if first read not seem right. I am 78 and so far my BP runs 120/80 or lower.
Hi Sunny. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Bev. Thank you for commenting.
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 you are most welcome and TY right back :)
I was about to have a heart attack before watching this video.. Was checking blood pressure sitting at my desk with cuff way below my heart. adjusted accordingly and 128/70.. Thank you Jesus ima live another day!!!
Glory to God!
And make sure your bladder and your bowels are both empty! As I’ve found that wanting either a number 1 or a number 2 can dramatically increase the numbers too.
Thank you for commenting.
There are a number of things, physiological, emotional and environmental that can negatively affect BP.
Yea, I have found this to be true. I take and record my blood pressure and pulse twice a day for 3 years and running. I look at the trend rather than any one BP reading. So far, my BP has been consistently normal. My BP readings are also consistent with the ones at the doctors' office
Also if you have just consumed a drink or a meal I have found my blood pressure to be higher. I take mine 7 times, quickly one after the other, eliminate the two highest and two lowest and average the remaining 3. It can also vary depending on what you are thinking, you might be worrying about an issue, getting emotionally worked up over something or working out say, a math problem, in your mind. Letting your mind think on something pleasant and relaxing is helpful as is sitting posture, keep spine erect, beware of drooping forward head posture. It's amazing how you can think you are sitting erect, then consciously think to sit erect, just how much insidious slouching has crept in. Sometimes if my reading is high I will do some head rotations and the subsequent reading shoots down, it is as if the rotation somehow affects the circulation to lower the BP. Strange how many factors can come into play. Going on a low carb diet with resulting weight loss has also improved my BP.
@@mytwopennorth7216if you fast for 3 days straight then take your reading it will be normal .
Excellent video. I also have heard how having your arm below your heart will often give you an inflated reading
Thank you! Yes, the cuff height and the positioning on the arm makes a huge difference in your readings. Here's an article from my website about it. You can also check out other articles I wrote about having the cuff above the heart, too tight, too loose and more.
bloodpressureexplained.com/blood-pressure-reading-with-the-arm-below-the-heart/
Have a great day, Kevin Garce
Thanks! I had a wrist blood pressure so high that knee doctor told me if it gets any higher I could have a stroke! I went straight to my primary doctor in a panic and my BP was 120/80. Keeping your arm at heart level was helpful. My last visit the LPN had my arm hang much lower than my heart and seem to grin at the results. I thought my problem was being Irish -- Now knowing its not High -- Its Slainte Time. Cheers! Appreciate. Best.
Sadly, many people/patients don't know that the blood pressure machine in offices and clinics are supposed to be calibrated periodically. Oftentimes, most haven't been calibrated and are actually malfunctioning. Another bit of important information is the deceptive practice of increasing the sensitivity level of the machines to purposely show a "high blood pressure" reading.
Hi Sterling. Thanks for sharing.
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 Hello! You're quite welcome.
Nothing surprises me these days. The doctor did a test off the cuff and my pressure was down by about 15.
Pharmacy are making a lot off this....machines giving wrong readings as well.
I’ve had my blood pressure taken several times over the past two to three years. The results are either ridiculously high or the higher figure is reasonable with the lower figure almost the same level. About 20 years ago due to this I was prescribed beta blockers and after a short time on these drugs, I collapsed on the floor one night. I lay there for nearly an hour, cold sweat pouring off me and had no way to call for help. The next day, I threw them in the bin. I’ve refused to have any more drugs because of this.
@@joancampbell9157 I was offered statins when I turned around about 50 for no real reason other than they were going to be the wonder drug to prevent almost everything. No problems at that time. I had a real strange attack just taking a hay fever tablet and ended up in A&E. My daughter was told by a doctor he felt the same on them. My point is doctors seem obsessed with blood pressure and dishing out tablets but are they as good for us as we think? I am now trying other ways to keep my blood pressure low....no caffeine..losing weight...having beetroot and pomegranate juice. Spirulina tablets. Walking more. My blood pressure had gone down by about 15 top number and nearer to a number suitable for my age so it might be helping.
The doctors office always takes my bp with my feet dangling off of the examining table, arm down and no back support. I take it at home...feet on the floor, back straight up and arm at heart height like I was taught in MA school. My bp is always lower at home than at the doctors office.
Same here. I always ask for a chair, and they usually comply, but one time, the nurse would not. Got a very high reading then.
When they failed to get a chair for you it probably caused some anxiety and raised your BP more.
Hi Rod, thank you for sharing.
I feel better after watching this video. My previous Doctor/PA used the original technique with stethoscope to take my BP and it was a tad above normal. For years they always used cuffs and now my new doctor uses cuffs, that never fit my arm and use older machines. and of course, my BP readings are high. I ask the new doctor to do the traditional reading and of course it's lower than the machine. Why can't doctors just do the traditional method of BP readings and get rid of these machines?
The electronic machines are a joke. Heart doctor uses one when I go. It's always ridiculously high. It squeezes my arm till it hurts. I guess they don't know how to take it manually anymore. 🙄
@@JaneH3675it always hurts my arm, too, to the point it feels like my arm is going to burst. I say to the nurse, "it's going to be high because it's too tight." Guess what, it's high. When they take the cuff off there's always visible marks and indentations around my arm. I say, "look what the cuff did to my arm." They're like, "oh, wow." 😑
i think the biggest thing for me is putting the cuff on properly….it’s tricky to do it on your own and hardly comes out right…..
The wrapping over clothing is a problem I had when going to the doctor, as the nurses would tell me I could leave my clothing on (this is in winter when one is wearing a sweater) and the readings obtained were very high, when I said that reading can't be right then I was told to remove the sweater and the reading fell by 25 points; so this is not some that should look out for when self testing, but also when you are at the doctors, making sure the nursing staff does thing correctly.
Hi Xzendor. Thanks for sharing.
How about self accountability and wear short sleeve shirt🤔
Thank you for posting this. As a paramedic, I don't trust electronic machines of any kind. Not even the one on my $35K Lifepack 12. Even that one measures a MAP, and then comes up with a possible systolic and diastolic with an algorithm. I always obtain manual blood pressures with all my patients.
Thank you.
No need to check BP. Unless any symptom. 150 by 90 normal range. Who WHO to decide human pressure. Only for pharmacy profits.
You know they do call it a silent killer for a reason. There are obviously multiple factors to watch for, but to wait for symptoms sounds lazy and uneducated.
Always take pressure from the LEFT arm, for consistency
Exactly 💯
I've heard that too, but never the reasoning behind it, other than something like, "It's the expected way." Heart being slightly off center perhaps?
@@derekjolly3680 Like I mentioned " for consistency". Closeness to the heart can have a significant effect..
This recently happened to me when I went for a physical ability test. The technician used a "normal sized" cuff on my large arm that was so tight it was hurting before he inflated it and then had the nerve to tell me my blood pressure was abnormally high.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 I told a nurse I knew it was going to be higher the second time because the cuff was tighter than the previous time. Her response was it had to do with the way the device works that makes it feel tighter when the bp is higher.
The readings at my primary care doctor's office are usually textbook, while high at a specialist's office.
I'll be checking the space between the cuff and my arm from now on.
most of these techs are from plytechs with little knowl;edge..like drones
Those automatic blood pressure machines DONOT give a correct reading they are too tight even with the correct cuff size and they give an abnormally high reading This happened to me so I told the Dr that it was too tight and it really hurt my arm I said from now on I want the manual done so he agreed and now my blood pressure is normal and my arm doesn't hurt anymore😊
Recently had a basal cell removed and my BP was way high when I walked in. Three different nurses had to continually tell me how bad it was, which of course made it worse. Do they not understand white coat hypertension?
I have NEVER yet seen a doctor who does it correctly.
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent advice and very valuable information. The section saying the cuff should be the same height as your heart starts off saying the opposite so that should be corrected, but there's enough additional explanation to make it clear the cuff should be the same height as your heart.
I have an Omron home unit. No matter what I do that first reading is high. 2nd and 3rd fine. Go figure
I have one of those also and noticed the same thing! That first reading is telling me to head to the emergency room-
Excellent review of reasons for inconsistent measurements. THANK YOU.
Do not forget about white coat syndrome. It can also have an effect on your BP readings.
Also take BP when talking to different people on the phone . BP higher when talking to some than others on the phone .
@vmobile890 this is what a Dr told me, serious.
I can relate!! It drives me nuts!
Excellent video! This video should be a staple with the sale of every BP machine. Thanks for the upload!
Hi Abb. Thank you.
I would appreciate a comment on 'wrist monitors like the OMRON. I can rely on three disparate readings between a Beurer arm, Omron HEN-650 wrist, and whatever Doc's office I am visiting. Luckily, I am not a high BP patient, but I have had two ablations.
I randomly (3-6x monthly) run and chart typically 8-15hr EKGs with an ER-1 between quarterly visits with my Cardio. You soon learn 'the times between doctor visits' can be very active. A two-month chart of PACs, PVCs, % Afib, HR, etc. has generated a more thorough response from my providers vs. the reading taken by his nurse 10min prior.
Thanks again, nicely explained. Jim
I've had this where I've briskly walked to the surgery and in minutes had a blood pressure test showing it's raised.
That happened to me last month when going for a covid booster,where they were taking BP readings.I told the person that I had white coat and had walked briskly to the centre.She popped on the cuff,with my arm down by my side,and the reading was high..she then took it again about a minute later and it was higher still...then again!I ended up taking a weeks readings at home and then giving them an average,which was normal.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks much for all this helpful information. I learned some critically important things from it.
Thank you.
Once had a PA take my BP over a sweatshirt and long sleeve tshirt using a cuff that was too small. Needless to say it was absurdly high and they wanted to call an ambulance for transport to the ER.
It saddens me how many of my fellow mid-levels end up being sloppy clinicians.
You got that right!!
Your incident explains what is wrong with health care today. Way too rushed.
Two common things may have a significant effect on raising or lowering your blood pressure measurement. Always empty your bladder before checking BP. Having a full bladder may cause a raised measurement. Meals in the hour or so before before your BP check may lower your BP measurement, especially hot meals, large meals, and foods with high carbohydrate or fat content. The best time to get a reliable BP measurement is before breakfast or a drink, about half an hour after waking, after going to the toilet, and resting for five or ten minutes before checking.
This is EXACTLY what happened to me. The at-home machine hurt like heck, and kept reading high, no matter how I used it or what I did differently. Then I took it in to the medical facility that gave it me, and insisted they test it against (1) their own machines and (2) against a human reading by a qualified nurse. SURPRISE!! The facility machines read about 10 points lower than my home machine in MULTIPLE tests... and the human-run tests measured as much as 25 POINTS LOWER than any machine. What????
Thanks for sharing.
Good idea. I'm going to see my Doctor the first week of April. I won't bring money and see if I'm using it the right way and have it tested. Thanks for your video.
Thank you
As a hydraulic engineer I am pretty sure that the reason why many blood-pressure measurements are too high is simply this. If there is a pipeline full of pumped fluid (your blood-vessel) and you reduce its cross-section by squashing the pipeline (or inflating a BP sleeve) - the line pressure will go up. AND, if the pipeline is squashed further, the pressure will contibue to rise until the pump (your heart) simply can't pump any harder. A high pressure reading using this test is more of an indication of how strong your heart is.
@gunlokman, 👍 thanks for your comment! I was at the dentist this week and I noticed the cuff was put on my arm so tight when they pumped it up, it actually hurt my arm. So the thought occurred to me that the veins were being squashed giving a high BP reading. Sure enough, my "pressure reading" was over 165. The dentist said that was too high and he couldn't fix my teeth until I was checked out by a doctor ...(who no doubt would want to put me on prescription meds!)
I think you're on to something, but keep in mind there are other areas of the body that continue circulation. The pump has other pipes. It won't continually build pressure in one collapsed pipe. It'll reroute to other areas.
Thank you! I’ve gotten such anxiety from seeing my BP readings too high! I’m 50 and workout 4 to 5 days a week! Thanks for this! I had a 24 hour cuff measurement and my Dr said it was normal.
Hi Sean. You’re welcome and thank you for commenting.
Years ago this was not a regular thing to constantly take readings. If you are keeping fit anyway. Have a test to check your organs are in good shape. Eat mostly healthy food. Then just get on with life. You can take a reading one minute then an hour or two later it is something else. If you are feeling unwell then get things looked at.
Everything today is live in fear.
You can't enjoy life like that!
@@janetmalcolm6191 so true and thank you for this!
I went to a local clinic to have my blood pressure taken. They said it was high and I should go to my Doctors who would probably give me blood pressure tablets.
I decided to go Private. Not as much as you may think. £100.00 to talk with a Doctor for longer than the normal 3-5 mins. He advised me to check my blood pressure first thing in the morning and about 5 pm at night for a week. I emailed over the results which were up and down. He called me later that day to say he was pleased with my results and that in his opinion I had a 15% chance of dying of a stroke or a heart attack in the next TEN years. In his words NOTHING to worry about. It just shows you once again how important doing your own research is vital and NOT just excepting the one person who has some thing to gain when they prescribe a pharmaceutical product for you.
@@janetmalcolm6191
accuracy in readings is not fear-mongering, it's just accuracy.
I once was dizzy and went to a clinic, had a reading of 180, so they had my bp monitored 3X a day for a week. Found out i have high BP playing around 130-145 throughout the day. If i ignored this, i would have wrecked my kidneys already.
Broscience ain't science. Years ago bp monitoring wasn't a thing because medicine has continued to advance.
My second reading is always lower - I thought it was false (if you don’t wait a bit) due to the blood vessels already being pre compressed
If the cup is not on properly or the wrong size. These doctors are ready to push blood pressure pills
Another thing I noticed is what known as "White coat reading"..... My BP reading is normal UNTIL I go to see my doctor for my check up 120 over 80.... when I see my doc it can go up to 150. My doc told me it's called "white coat reading" ... you feel ok and relaxed but see medics and up it goes.
Hi Edwin. Thanks for sharing.
That is my problem as well. They tend to pooh pooh it. My last visit it was high. I've been sick and frustrated with treatment. It was taken at the end, apparently not a good idea, and higher.
Every time we got to the doctor's office, it always reads higher.
Me too, and they always want to shove another drug at me for it.
This is so true, i stated long ago that the readings are not correctly taken, this is why i only regard my readings at my Dr as correct and my bp is always at or around 120/80 as it is taken correctly. However my watch is within 4.5% correct taken correctly
Thank you for commenting.
Usually my reading is about 10 points high at the doctors because I'm not as relaxed as I am at home and they don't give me the 5 minutes sitting and relaxing before taking a reading. My heart rate is also usually about 6-10 points higher at the doctors (That's both using my own meter, which reads within 2-3 points of theirs normally).
Yes, correct, many people are a bit tensed when they visit a Dr ( white coat fright) and that causes the bp to be higher. The same happens to my wife, her bp is also much higher when visiting a Dr as she is not relaxed. However i am relaxed when i visit my Dr so this don't happen to me.
Great video. Thanks for sharing this. I didn't know the cuff had measurements or that it's recommended to measure your arm. Good stuff to know.
Hi Madeline. Thank you for commenting.
The number of people who make this too tight by far! Very unpleasant...
Thank you for this invaluable information on blood pressure.
Thank you for this video! I’ve had the cuff so tight it felt like a tourniquet and had the bp taken just after I’ve hustled down the hallway to keep up its the nurse. I just measured my arm so now i will watch that they use the correct size of cuff.
Thank you!
I have 3 bp devices , the wrist one was optimistic and the other 2 would keep giving me differing results. I do have high blood pressure but these monitors were doing my head in and adding to the stress. I realised that I was placing the sleeve too close to the fold in my arm (one of many things pointed out here). I wish I had found this video earlier. Now as I have them I will check all 3 each time until I trust a machine, how and what I am reading. This was a very concise and well presented video, thank you and I hope others out there follow its advice. Tackling high blood pressure is much simpler if you have reliable readings and over time you can see any changes you are influencing.
Hi Ian Francis, thank you for commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it! I have a website with many articles about false readings and how to properly use the cuff. If you're interested you can find them at my website here: bloodpressureexplained.com/causes-of-false-blood-pressure-readings/
Have a great day.
Kevin Garce
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 Very good article Doctor. Cheers NZ.
H
No mention of certain conditions such as lipoedema causing false readings (as well as - possibly - damage .... all increases anxiety) or that it’s recommended you wait at least 30 minutes before re-taking due to residual intravenous pressure from the inflation pressure which is also likely to cause false readings
Thanks for sharing!
My reason is I go to my oncology appointment and right away they take blood out of my port with hurts like hell. And they wonder why my blood pressure is high all the while talking to me which they know they shouldn’t be doing after walking in from the parking lot and not let me sit for a minute or two. All of those are reasons for your blood pressure to be high.
Many people's veins are not good for finding a good spot to draw blood from. This can be painful as you already know and stated. It's a stressful situation and can definitely raise your BP. It's just another reason to monitor your BP from home when your more normal and relaxed.
I just had my first couple of readings on a B.P. reading machine today. So far I've found the difference to be from the first, one point lower for the systolic, and from the 2nd, six points lower for the systolic, with the diastolic being four and five lower. So for the lower of the two readings, I'm at 112/76, which is comparable and middling to what I had showing when I was 18-26. I am 60 now. My feeling is that if you already had pretty low BP, "The White Coat" related difference or the procedural imperfections at a blood donation clinic are going to be quite small like that. From what I can see, the top two factors would have to be my late in the morning coffee, and the shirt sleeve nonchalance from the nurse. But even with the many gallons of blood I've given, maybe I still get somewhat nervous without noticing it, over the needles and the pricking!
The nurse usually cares less ...They look disinterested and always have an attitude..... Wrong chair, they ask you questions then dont wait 5 minutes...
Beware to inflate cuff when it's not on your arm, because it can get puncture by over fill. When you get right length adjust, keep it without open it.
Hi Jari. Thanks for sharing.
I just came from doctor and had my blood pressure checked which was 20 points higher than last time it was done by them. I didn't expect it to be so different. Lately i have been very stressed, did not sleep at all the previous night , just got over some virus symptoms, was on edge, and felt miserable. All of this must have been a bad time to get measured again. I do not measure myself at home, but am planning to buy a tester and see if these conditions affect the readings.
Did you buy a home cuff?
I purchased 3 different home machines off amazon one was almost $200 none were accurate . I took them to my doctors office his reading taken manually was 127 / 78 when they put these machines on they all read 150 / 98 some were 165 / 110. He told me to just return then and not worry about it his reading is normal.
Never paid attention to blood pressure. Now 30 I’ve recently found I’m hypertensive. And it really scares me
Hi Mike, paying attention to BP is a great step! Have you seen a physician yet?
@@bloodpressureexplained4609 yes I have. I’m on medicine for my hypertension
I am 47 and through my 30s to recent I’ve been seemingly healthy and strong. I had noted high BP on occasion but typically I’d get it checked at my yearly physical and sometimes at home and it would be 115-120/70. In February I had an aortic dissection caused by an aneurysm in my ascending aorta. I had an emergency surgery to replace the aneurysm with a fabric sleeve and now I will live (thankfully) with a dissection and a 30 lb lifting limit for life. I see you’re on meds for high blood pressure but if you get a CT scan make sure they are looking at your aorta and not just your heart. Not trying to scare you but you have to take high BP seriously, I did not.
Me also it was at 149 one day I was used to seeing 120 or 117 I was like omgggggggg 😳😫😫😫
@@annalineugene8618 Try not to be too paranoia about it. Stay extremely healthy and take your Doctors advice. My other comments are on this video. Worrying about things just makes things worse.
All the best.
Awesome video, information and points made. Thank you.
Thank you 👍🏻
Excellent info.
I was doing just about everything wrong.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So interesting you would say my home no monitor should be checked upon new and each year after. So what assurance do we have that the doctors electronic machine is working correctly?
Yes, that’s the Heart Association’s recommendation. You make a good point. Thank you for sharing.
My BP is ALWAYS high when read by the doctor or nurse, especially when the receptionist gives me grief. That's why I always bring my 2 person Omron BP unit with me that shows my cardiologist what my BP is at home, where I spend most of my time (I'm retired), and it logs the last 100 BP readings taken, which my Doctor likes to see. I also found that the very first reading is high most of the time, so I take 2 maybe 3 in the unit's 2nd person position until my BP reading hits a parity, then I switch to the 1st person position and record a final BP reading and that is what the Doctor sees.
I've NEVER had a medical professional place the cuff at my hearts height.
I always have to do that on my own.
Hi McsMark. Thanks for commenting.
When I went to the doctor. The girl who took my BP reading got a really high number with her BP monitor. It was at least 15 points too high. After the doctor came in he looked at the BP and was planning on acting on the high numbers. I told him I monitor my BP with the machine I have at home and I'll check it at pharmacies once in a while. The numbers are within 5 points everytime. But after I told the doctor the numbers were too high compared to what I measured he checked my BP manually and the numbers were matching what I measured at home.
How did we ever get by all those thousands of years with out blood pressure readings....
Trouble is they do a one size fits all reading. A heart surgeon wrote blood pressure levels are about what is suitable for YOUR body. It is a different number when young and then when older.
Years ago what we didn't know didn't hurt us...people just carried on daily until something major happened.
Well for one, life expectancy was about 35 yrs so there is that.
@@J-Ball It's all relative and in the end does it change anything. Give some people 200 years and they would still want more
I'm an biomedical equipment technician and have noticed that practically all NIBP monitors (atleast the ones I've tested), even expensive patient monitors, show little higher readings than the calibrated NIBP simulator is set to when measuring blood pressure (2-7mmHg higher usually). But the same monitor then in calibration mode using simulator as pressure source and monitor as manometer, shows exactly same reading as simulator.
Thank you for sharing.
The problem i have is when the machine pressurizes the cuff starts to depressurize it represurizes
When they do that my BP is high.
Drs dont care.
Hi Jerry. Thanks for sharing. It is annoying when they inflate the cuff a second time immediately.
One of the things I like about the Welch Allyn 1700 is how it takes the measurement while inflating. So the reading happens pretty fast, 21-22 seconds. I demonstrate it in this video: ruclips.net/video/_BSGvnukFo0/видео.html
I kinda think they want you to think it's high AND you need another pill - after all they get paid for writing prescriptions!! That little pad is ALWAYS close by!!
I am 76 and have always had good blood pressure the last couple of years. They measure it on my right arm. I know what my normal blood pressure is and on my right arm it’s always high. I do a lot of artwork and that arm is always bothering me. So I always have them check my left arm and it’s normal
Hi Pat. Thank you for sharing.
We were always taught to do it on the left arm because it was nearer the heart. Whether this is backed by the science I don't know. It is just something we accepted. They also seem to keep changing the parameters as to what is considered normal.
I had to have it done for health insurance a couple years ago. Scheduled an appointment over the phone because I couldn't do it in person. They cancelled my appointment WHILE I WAS IN THE WAITING ROOM! When I was told that they had done this because I was 'late' I was pretty angry. They went ahead and squeezed me in anyway, such nice people. The nurse took my blood pressure and it was up. I take my own readings every couple days, I'm in pretty good shape, eat well, etc. This clown told me I have high blood pressure and started to write that down. I stopped her and told her why it was high, that damned receptionist... I know my blood pressure is normal, it still is and I still take those measurements regularly.
*Always preferred the accuracy of the Sphygmomanometer* 👍
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for such informative video presentation, I learned a thing or two I wasn’t aware of. As a light note regarding your home monitors devices links. Why offer websites links loaded with advertisements that are irrelevant to the subject and do nothing but to block your view? I noticed some of the latest websites do the exact same thing, quite honestly I don’t even bother to stay on it for more that 3 seconds and dismiss them. Thank you!
What i do is measure using 2 different instruments, take 3 readings from each, throw out the outliers, then average all the systolic values. (same with diastolic)
Also, no matter how large the cuff, the fit is very tight as my biceps are extremely large!
I had a large (twice arm size) one give me a wrong reading and I was about to call the ambulance. Correct one applied and more relaxed BP going down quite quickly
Hi Havana. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this video, I’m confident my blood pressure was taking it all wrong. I was at Kiaser the nurse took my blood pressure three time with the same reading at 160 over 120…hummm forgot the lower numbers. She took it over my work out cloth on my right hand, she said oh your shirt is thin enough. Sound like she did it wrong. Now with home kits I can’t see to reach that same numbers test.
Thank you for sharing.
Also, some offices use the same machine I used at home and right on the box it says its use is ONLY for one person! They are testing hundreds of patients with it, so of course your numbers are going to be high from that machine. What I do is, if they want you to take my pressure using the same kind of home machine I use, I refuse and ask the nurse to take it the old fashioned way. They usually look at me strange, and sometimes the nurse has says “she didn’t know how and/or wasn’t trained to take it that way." So if that’s the case, I say take my pressure AFTER I talk to the doctor, that way my body will have had time to calm down for a more accurate reading. And if they give me a hard time every time i go about it, i change doctors. I'm my own advocate and am very aware of what doctors offices should and should not do. They never even go over my labs. I have to google or ask another doctor what certain terms on my labs mean. If it were not for me googling and researching stuff on my labs, I would have never known my kidney eGFR numbers were falling. The doctor NEVER even mentioned it from ALL the bloodwork he had done on me?! I research my own doctors and sometimes just go into the office, if I'm thinking about using this doctor and just sit and watch the office staff, and how much time the doctor spends on his patients. I get a feel for the doctor and I also read all the reviews I can find on them, even find out if they have been sued, was banned from another state for malpractice, etc. I don't just "pick a doctor". Found out a lot about doctors. Some info made me NOT go to certain ones. Research people!
Thank you for the video very helpful I have been making a few of those mistakes
Thank you.
I've always checked my BP twice, and it's always lower on the 2nd measurement.
Hi from India. Very interesting and educative video. Thanks.
Hi K R. Thank you for commenting.
Wow!! Great video!! My blood pressure just dropped after several reading from this morning until now this afternoon from 140s systolic to 120s systolic and 90s diastolic to 70s diastolic !! I just put a pillow under my arms and sat erect and put cuff on snug but not tight and positioned how the diagram shows!! Been really stressing out! My bp readings have been “ showing” high lately and was really stressing out!!
That's great news! The preparation has a lot to do with your readings. Thanks for sharing!
Nurse had the cuff way too tight and gave a high reading plus she took it right when I got to the office. Immediately they prescribe medications.
Excellent advice, straight to the point. Thank you👍
Thank you.
most people get 10 too high because the cuff is to low relative to the heart. The BP pill makers love this more than you will ever know!
Yes, the pill makers are running a business.
And of course the doctors get their kickbacks from the drug companies.
I usually have low BP... at most it's just below sort of the average range. Two years ago I got a super high reading... and then another... at the doctor's office. I said that the cuff felt REALLY tight (I'm overweight and my arm is on the larger side). The nurse said, "Yeah they're uncomfortable." I tried to tell her that I know how uncomfortable they can be... but this was actually painful. Like I wanted to punch someone to get it off of me. Next visit, same thing. So they had me do standing up, sitting down, lying down spread out over the visit. I kept asking if it was a large enough cuff. They worried about my kidneys and I got put on "water pills" and they didn't really do much... didn't pee a whole bunch more. Next visit I asked if there was a different cuff or something else we could do. They did it on my forearm and lo and behold! Normal readings and turns out my BP is still on the low side. Either have them do it on my forearm or get a big enough cuff...never got high readings again.
Could you have a false reading if you use a wrist blood pressure monitor, because that's what I have.
Those things are a joke. Very easy to get inaccurate reading. You're better off using an arm cuff and monitor.
Yes if it’s not done properly. There’s less room for error with a wrist cuff. The recommendation is not to use a wrist cuff unless necessary.
Thank you very much for this. Very informative and helpful 👍
Hi Bob. Thanks for commenting. Have a good evening.
Great video and thank you, but I am still unable to determine if my cuff is indeed level with my heart. How can you be sure? My BP is coming up really low. So frustrating. Trying to find an illustration of exactly where the heart is in the chest, etc. Also, if using a table, does the full arm need to be on the table up to the elbow? Thanks ever so much.
Thanks for this video! It's weird. Sometimes my cuff tightens around my upper arm more tightly than other times. Sometimes it gives me an error for some reason I can't figure out. Most of the time the first reading is higher than I'd like but the second one is much better. (my doc suggested doing it only twice.) Anyway, I may shift to doing it three times in a sitting.
So should the cuff midline be placed midline to the level of the heart or level with the heart and the elbow as Harvard Health recommends, not a tremendous difference but just saying. Great video!
Hi Kevin great informative video. Do you still post on here as nothing for couple years? 👍🏴
Hi Michael, thanks for the comment. I've remained active answering some comments although I haven't posted any new videos lately.