Blood Pressure Monitoring Tips

When your heart beats, it pumps blood round your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As the blood moves, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your arteries (and your heart) and this may lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Monitoring your blood pressure between medical appointments can be a useful tool in managing your blood pressure. Be sure to follow your doctor's recommendations regarding monitoring your blood pressure, and speak with your doctor if you have any concerns about your readings. Blood pressure measurements taken at home should not be used as a replacement for your doctor's regular assessment.

To take your blood pressure:

• Rest 5 minutes before taking your blood pressure.


• Don’t smoke or drink caffeinated beverages for at least 30 minutes before.


• Take your blood pressure before (not after) you eat.


• Sit comfortably with your back supported and both feet on the floor (don’t cross your legs).


• Elevate your arm to heart level on a table or a desk.


• Use the proper sized cuff. It should fit smoothly and snugly around your bare upper arm. There should be enough room to slip a fingertip under the cuff. The bottom edge of the cuff should be 1 inch above the crease of the elbow.


• Ideally, take 3 measurements at one sitting and record the average.


• Write down your blood pressure and take your recording to each medical appointment.
  
  

Blood Pressure is recorded as numbers called your systolic number (upper number) and your diastolic number (lower number).

Your diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure of blood in the blood vessels when the heart is relaxed between beats. It is the “bottom number” in a blood pressure reading. For example, if your blood pressure is 140 over 90 or 140/90, the diastolic measurement is 90.

Your systolic blood pressure measures the pressure of blood in the blood vessels when the heart beats or squeezes blood into the vessels. It is the “top number” in a blood pressure reading. For example, if your blood pressure is 140 over 90 or 140/90, the systolic measurement is 140.

For more information on how to manage your high blood pressure, visit Million Hearts online and download Team Up. Pressure Down; A Journal To Help You Manage High Blood Pressure.

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Department of Health

The Allegany County Department of Health is available at the following Allegany County Office for the Aging Senior Luncheon sites for Free Blood Pressure Clinics:

• Union University Church Center, Church Street, Alfred, NY second Wednesday of the month
• Belmont Legion, 29 Schuyler Street, Belmont, NY second Tuesday
• Bolivar Fire Hall, Main Street Bolivar, NY fourth Wednesday
• Canaseraga Fire Hall Route 70, Canaseraga, NY first Thursday
• Cuba A.A. Arnold Center, Main & Green Streets, Cuba, NY third Wednesday
• Fillmore Fire Hall, Route 19, Fillmore, NY second Thursday
• Friendship Senior Center, Island Park, Water Street, Friendship, NY fourth Thursday
• Wellsville YMCA, Riverwalk Plaza, Wellsville, NY third Thursday
• Whitesville Fire Hall, Main Street, Whitesville, NY fourth Tuesday

**Clinic dates may change to allow for legal holidays

Home Monitoring

The American Heart Association states that home monitoring may be especially useful for:

• Individuals starting High Blood Pressure treatment to determine its effectiveness;
• Individuals requiring closer monitoring than intermittent office visits provide, especially individuals with coronary heart disease, diabetes and/or kidney disease;
• Pregnant women since preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension can develop rapidly;
• People who have some high readings at the doctor's office, to rule out white-coat hypertension and confirm true High Blood Pressure;
• Elderly patients, because the white-coat effect increases progressively with age; and
• People suspected of having masked hypertension.

Public Blood Pressure Machines

Public blood pressure machines, such as those found in pharmacies, may provide helpful information about your blood pressure.

Remember, the accuracy of public blood pressure machines depends on several factors; such as a correct cuff size and proper use of the machines.

Public Blood Pressure Machines can be found at the following locations:

• Cuba Pharmacy, Cuba, NY
• Fillmore Pharmacy, Fillmore, NY
• Fisher's Pharmacy, Wellsville, NY
• K-Mart Pharmacy, Wellsville, NY
• Nicholson Pharmacy, Belmont, NY
• Rite Aid, Wellsville, NY
• Rite Aid, Cuba, NY
• Walgreens, Wellsville, NY
• Jones Memorial Hospital, Wellsville, NY