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Q.

what's best of day to check your blood pressure

my pressure changes all the time when I check it at different times. I'm 74 and a active person. Thomas

Related Topics: Pressure, Blood Pressure
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Answers From Experts & Organizations (2)

Dan JarisDan JarisSUCCESS!
Dan Jaris
Fitness
Health Coach, WebMD
65 Answers
2,033 Helpful Votes
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A.

Keep in mind that your blood pressure can vary naturally throughout the course of a day. Exercise or physical activity has a tendency to raise blood pressure, so refrain from taking a reading afterwards. Stress can influence blood pressure too. In fact, white coat hypertension is a phenomenon where the anxiety of visiting with a doctor can raise blood pressure where it wouldn’t be elevated otherwise.

Make sure that you are measuring your blood pressure on a regular basis and at the same time of day, controlling for as many confounding variables as possible. For these reasons, measuring your blood pressure first thing in the morning works well for some people. Also, because your blood pressure can vary, it’s important to obtain many readings to observe a trend or pattern.

The best way to check your blood pressure is manually through trained medical personnel. The accuracy of automated electronic blood pressure machines can vary depending on the quality of the device. Some machines may need occasional calibration or maintenance too. To determine the accuracy of your home device, take it with you the next time you go to the doctor and have a trained medical person measure your blood pressure manually and then compare it with your device.

This answer should not be considered medical advice...down arrowThis answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.up arrow

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Rod Moser, PA, PhDRod Moser, PA, PhDSUCCESS!
Rod Moser, PA, PhD
Primary Care
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A.
It is normal for blood pressure to change nearly every time you take it, regardless of the time of day. The most important reading would then be the AVERAGE reading, so just take your BP a few times a day, and write it down.

As long as your average blood pressures are in the normal range, minor daily fluctuations are usually not that important.

This answer should not be considered medical advice...down arrowThis answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.up arrow

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