Precautions
Not everyone should chart their own blood pressure. For example, home monitors can not give accurate readings for people with irregular heartbeats. Consult with a physician or a health care professional to discuss your condition before beginning to chart your blood pressure. Also take into consideration the kind of instruments that you are going to use, because there are different types of monitors that range from the manual to the digital. Conduct the required research to find the monitor most appropriate for you.
Measurement
Measure your blood pressure using a home blood pressure monitor, which are available at most pharmacies and medical supply stores. The systolic blood pressure, or the number found on top, should ideally be below 120. The diastolic pressure, or the number at the bottom, should be below 80. When charting your blood pressure, the measurement should be taking regularly, either daily or weekly. Although daily monitoring is recommended because it provides more detail, taking your blood pressure weekly may be sufficient.
Accuracy
Consider certain things before recording your blood pressure. First, it is important to take your blood pressure during the same time each day. Because of various activities, your blood pressure can change throughout the course of the day. You will increase the accuracy of your chart if you always measure your blood pressure at a particular time of the day. Second, check your blood pressure three times with one-minute intervals between each measurement. Take the average of these tests to get the best reading.
Recording
Once you have the results, input the date and time, systolic and diastolic readings, and heart rate in a blood pressure tracker sheet. A blood pressure tracker sheet is simply a chart that indicates your blood pressure details over a period of time. If you don't have the time to make your own, templates of blood pressure tracker sheets are available online. There are also available software programs that can chart your blood pressure results.
Interpretation
If your chart indicates a systolic blood pressure reading that ranges between 120 and 139, then you should get in better shape and avoid the risk of prehypertension. A systolic of 140 to 159 and diastolic of 90 to 99 means that you may be suffering from Stage One hypertension. A systolic of 160 or higher and a diastolic is 100 or more is usually indicative of Stage 2 hypertension. In any of these cases, it is recommended to take your blood pressure tracker sheet to your physician for reference.
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