I keep hearing differing methods!! I’d like to know how I’m suppose to sit?

To be clear: I am taking my own blood pressure & was urged to do so & keep track on the advice of my doctor.

Which is a myth?:

  • Can’t have eaten/drank anything for the last half hour
  • feet flat on the floor
  • lying down but sitting up
  • back against the chair
  • don’t cross your legs/ankles
  • only use your left arm
  • hand facing upward
  • hand facing downward
  • keep your arm down
  • keep your arm raised to the level of your chest/heart

What’s the correct way???

Anything else I should know? I keep getting inconsistent results, and it’s stressing me out.

Thank you.

  • Joshi@aussie.zone
    13·
    1 day ago

    I’m a GP, here’s my opinion

    Can’t have eaten/drank anything for the last half hour

    • in principle could alter your BP but I wouldn’t worry too much unless it’s quite a large meal

    Feet flat on the floor

    • yes, this is important

    Lying down but sitting up

    • for some purposes docs want lying/sitting/standing but for home measurements do them sitting

    Back against the chair

    • yes

    Don’t cross your legs/ankles

    • yes, feet flat on the floor

    Only use your left arm

    • myth, if there is a significant difference between your left and right arms there is something funky going on with your subclavian arteries

    Hand facing upward/downward

    • not super important

    Keep your arm down/raised

    • keep your arm relaxed, ideally resting on a table or desk at close to 90deg or hanging straight down

    Most important is be relaxed, sit still, don’t move your arm, if you get a high reading calm yourself and take it once more then leave it.

    When I’m taking a BP in clinic the most important thing I do most of the time is distract the patient from the machine with some patter as for most people the biggest confounding factor is stressing about what the reading will be, I don’t correct posture etc unless they are substantially moving their arm around.