Things to consider when purchasing a blood pressure monitor for the home. Accuracy, price and convenience issues are discussed.
A second consideration is who is to be taking the blood pressure of the individual. If it is the individual who needs his or her blood pressure monitored, who will actually take the reading, then it is probably better to purchase a monitor that inflates automatically and does not require an individual to inflate the cuff (those with an internal pump). Machines with internal pumps inflate without the use of an external pump. Monitors with external pumps require pumping on behalf of a person to inflate/deflate the cuff, which might be hard to when measuring ones own blood pressure.
Another consideration is the importance of keeping a record of readings in between the times the individual's blood pressure is taken. Machines that retain recordings from the sixty last readings to those that only retain the most recent reading can be purchased. Some machines will retain record readings for two different individuals and includes the month/date hour and minute records of the readings.
Accuracy of readings is something many makers include in the information on the machines and many state accuracy within three increments above or below the given reading for the blood pressure and within five percent above or below the reading given for the pulse. For example a reading of 120/80 is likely to indicate an actual blood pressure between 117/77 and 123/83. A pulse reading if 80 is likely to indicate an actual pulse of between 76 and 84. Machines are generally battery operated and accuracy could be decreased if a battery was to be running down. The batteries should be tested occasionally for strength and replaced as needed. If readings seem inconsistent with those when taken by a health care professional then it is a good idea to have the monitor checked out by a professional, especially if the possibility of low batteries is ruled out as a cause. Occasionally, monitors require recalibration by the manufacturer.
Other considerations might include the readability of the displayed results, if the machine can operate on batteries and electricity and the length of the warranty provided by the manufacturer. Price is also likely a consideration. Several machines run in the vicinity of $50.00 to $100.00. Purchasing a used or never/rarely used machine at an online auction, garage sale or etc. might save money but the buyer must beware that the warranty could be void and accuracy could be compromised. If the manufacturer's papers are not included in the sale, which tell the consumer the accuracy which they claim, the purchase might not be a wise choice.
