6 mistakes that produce false blood pressure readings
Blood pressure (BP) measurement is crucial to gauge one’s health and well-being. This tool comes in handy during emergencies. Some individuals may feel a fast heartbeat with elevated blood pressure, while others with low blood pressure may experience fatigue and dizziness. Having recorded data on blood pressure levels can help the doctor customize a treatment plan. However, there are some mistakes cardiologists want their patients to avoid when recording BP at home.
Incorrect sitting position
A consistent mistake among most blood pressure patients is the sitting position. People tend to forget that blood flow is highly impacted by gravity. By standard directions, blood pressure needs to be measured at the heart’s level. This is applicable to both direct and indirect modes of measurement. Measuring blood pressure with the cuff placed lower than the heart level produces high blood pressure levels. Similarly, placing the cuff higher than the heart level means the readings might indicate low blood pressure. The rule applies to either of the extremities, arms, or legs. These false results could be highly erroneous. For the most accurate reading, the patient needs to be seated upright, with the patient’s arm beside them. If the patient is lying on their side, this too could pose a problem for the reading.
Using wrong cuff size
This is one of the most common mistakes one makes when taking blood pressure readings at home. An incorrectly sized blood pressure monitoring cuff has a higher chance of producing false readings. When the cuff is bigger than necessary, its loose grip can produce false low-pressure results. Similarly, patients might get high blood pressure results with a tighter cuff. This can be concerning in either case when people are not aware of the importance of the right-sized cuff.
Websites like the American Heart Association have shared guidelines intended for the correct blood pressure measurement and readings.
