Omron is the best and I did it with my Doctor at my physical and both were pretty close in readings . I have only used this brand and it also lasts for years ! Good luck
I truly trust Omron. I used it as a nurse and I use it now. I have the automatic and also one that is not automatic, the old fashioned cuff with a separate stethoscope. My opinion only. BUT remember that when you get one you must check it with your own MD. You want to be certain you two are getting readings within 8 to 10 points of one another at the same time.
Alva: Thanks so much for your opinion -- priceless to have an RN on this question. Yes, I will do as you suggest to make sure my readings correspond to what is in a doctor's office. Omron seems to be what a lot of informed people are recommending, so your rating is much appreciated. So hard to tell, these days, with online reviews!
I have an Omron wrist cuff that I am happy with. You have to bring your wrist to the same level as your heart, and put the sensor over flesh not the bone. But it’s much more comfortable than the upper-arm cuffs the doctor uses (and which are automatically at the same level as the heart). The doctor’s tight band over a (flabby?) upper arm can be quite painful.
The wrist cuff may not be as accurate as the doctor model, but it’s hard to be sure because blood pressure is much more variable than I ever guessed. The important thing is to make sure that the results are consistent in the same circumstances, not that they are accurate to a few points. The comparison matters more than the actual figure. If there are major differences between readings, you need to be able to understand why.
I think Omron wrist cuffs are on sale in our chemist for around $100, but probably cheaper on-line or in larger shops.
Margaret: Thanks so much. I've been doing a lot of research and I keep circling back to Omron products. On amazon one of their models is No. 1 rated for BP monitors so I assume this means something! Have a pleasant day.
With the wrist monitor, it’s easier to make mistakes. You need to keep the monitor at heart-hight, to avoid false readings from the heart having to push blood uphill or down hill. And you need to get the monitor over the the veins at the back of the wrist, not on the bones at the side. So if you can’t check for correct use, perhaps it’s not the best option.
However the upper-arm monitors (like the doctor’s) rely on squashing all the flesh down and the skin over to reach the veins, and that is often painful for older people (though probably not painful when the doctor tried it as a med student).
My clinic gave me an arm-cuff monitor to wear for 24 hours. I thought it would wake me in the night, but it didn’t. My husband has recently been required to take a reading morning and night for a week, and then it was averaged. The average was fine.
My blood pressure has varied from 200 max to 85 max, and I’m not dead yet. The problem is when your reading is very high all the time.
I have an omron one too, the readings were always comparable to the ones used by the pharmacy and dr's office. I got it for mom around a decade ago and although I seldom bother to take my own BP when I do it's still seems to be working perfectly.
I have a wireless Omron upper arm cuff bp monitor. With th app on my phone, bp readings are transferred. When I go to the doctor, I have graphs of my bp readings to show the doctor. It was $90something when I got it nearly 3 years ago.
The wrist cuff may not be as accurate as the doctor model, but it’s hard to be sure because blood pressure is much more variable than I ever guessed. The important thing is to make sure that the results are consistent in the same circumstances, not that they are accurate to a few points. The comparison matters more than the actual figure. If there are major differences between readings, you need to be able to understand why.
I think Omron wrist cuffs are on sale in our chemist for around $100, but probably cheaper on-line or in larger shops.
However the upper-arm monitors (like the doctor’s) rely on squashing all the flesh down and the skin over to reach the veins, and that is often painful for older people (though probably not painful when the doctor tried it as a med student).
My clinic gave me an arm-cuff monitor to wear for 24 hours. I thought it would wake me in the night, but it didn’t. My husband has recently been required to take a reading morning and night for a week, and then it was averaged. The average was fine.
My blood pressure has varied from 200 max to 85 max, and I’m not dead yet. The problem is when your reading is very high all the time.
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