Catherine Gonzalez

Former clinic nurse here. You are doing many of the right things already so think more about making the setup easier and removing small sources of wobble. Sit back in a chair with feet flat and your arm resting on a table or pillow so the cuff is level with your heart. Put the cuff on bare skin with the tube running down toward your hand, snug but not tight, and keep your hand relaxed. Rest quietly for five minutes before the first reading, then take two readings a minute apart and write down the average. Try to measure at the same times each day such as morning before medicines and evening before dinner. Avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol, or exercise for about half an hour beforehand since these can swing numbers even when everything else is perfect. Most home monitors are not user adjustable. The simplest accuracy check is to take your device to the clinic and compare it with a professional reading. Have them measure your blood pressure, then you measure on the same arm within a minute while you are still seated and quiet. If both top and bottom numbers are within about five points, your device is doing fine. If the differences are larger and consistent, check that the cuff size matches your upper arm. Measure the middle of your upper arm with a cloth tape and make sure your cuff size range covers that number. An undersized cuff tends to read high and an oversized cuff can read low. For ease of use, look for an upper arm model that has a single large start button, a clear high contrast screen, and a cuff that is shaped or has a pull tab so you can wrap it with one hand. Some cuffs have helpful markings that show where the artery line should sit which makes repeat placement simpler. If your readings still bounce, focus on routine. Same chair, same arm, same time of day. If you see jumps bigger than ten to fifteen points that keep happening, or the device shows an irregular heartbeat icon, call your doctor and bring your log and your monitor so they can check it with you.