A High Blood Pressure Monitor:  Essential to Track Your Progress

High blood pressure is aptly named the "silent killer" because it starts and builds up for years without any symptoms.  Patients may have hypertension for many years without being diagnosed.   If left untreated, it can have serious health consequences, including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. In fact, most people who suffer from high blood pressure only find out because a routine medical check shows their blood pressure is abnormally high.  It's estimated that one out of every three Americans has hypertension and doesn't even know it.

Fortunately, there are effective ways of treating high blood pressure. Prescription medications, diet and lifestyle changes and stress reduction are all effective ways to lower blood pressure. Regardless of the treatment or combination of treatments undertaken, a high blood pressure monitor can be an important component to managing the disease.

High Blood Pressure Monitor: Technologically Advanced and Affordable

High blood pressure monitoring can occur in a number of ways, perhaps the most common, and the one most of us experience at regular doctor visits is using a stethoscope and cuff. However, it is nearly impossible to take one’s own blood pressure, especially for the less medically savvy among us.

The electronic high blood pressure monitor has revolutionized the treatment of high blood pressure. They allow individuals with no medical knowledge to regularly measure their blood pressure. High blood pressure monitoring machines have been available at supermarkets and drug stores for several decades. Patients seat themselves at the machine and insert their arm into a stationary cuff.  On pressing the start button,  the high blood pressure monitor then does the rest.

Handheld high blood pressure monitors for use in homes are also widely available. These machines either automatically tighten the cuff or require users to pump the cuff just as a nurse does. However, the actual measurement of blood pressure is done by the machine – the high blood pressure monitor returns a reading on a digital screen. Though a high blood pressure monitor was once prohibitively expensive, prices on them have dropped to the level of affordability for most consumers; basic models are available for $20 – $30 US.  Many are available with memory to track your blood pressure readings for the doctor.

High blood pressure monitors can play an important role in the treatment of high blood pressure. Because patients can regularly monitor their blood pressure and provide logs to their doctors, physicians can better gauge the effectiveness of medications and other treatments. Additionally, patients and doctors can identify times of the day when blood pressure seems to vary, allowing adjustments to dosing schedules if necessary.