Blood Pressure Monitor FAQ

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

You can only find out by testing it.  Hypertension is known as a silent disease, because you can live with it for years without showing symptoms.  Only when blood pressure is at a dangerously high level are symptoms usually seen, and these include dizziness, dull headaches, and frequent nose bleeds.

What are the dangers of having high blood pressure?

Having high blood pressure will damage your body in many different ways and can help cause the following conditions:

• Heart Failure.  Hypertension means your heart must pump blood at a higher pressure in your vessels, and this will cause your heart muscles to thicken, which can lead to heart failure.
• Stroke.  Having high blood pressure can lead to a ruptured or blocked blood vessel in the brain.
• Heart Attack.   High blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of the arteries, which puts you at risk for a heart attack or an aneurysm.

What is a healthy or unhealthy blood pressure reading?

A blood pressure monitor will show two numbers, the systolic and the diastolic reading.  According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:

• Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm HG, though under 115/75 is ideal. 
• Prehypertension is where the systolic pressure ranges from 120 to 139, or the diastolic pressure ranges from 80 to 89.
• Stage 1 hypertension is where the systolic pressure ranges from 140 to 159, or the diastolic pressure ranges from 90 to 99.
• Stage 2 hypertension is where the systolic pressure is 160 or higher, or the diastolic pressure is 100 or higher.

If you test yourself on a home blood pressure monitor and find that you have hypertension and have not talked to a doctor about it, you should do so immediately.

What are the main differences between different blood pressure monitor models?

There are a wide variety of styles in blood pressure monitors.

• Automatic arm models have a cuff that inflates to your arm with the push of a button.  This is the most popular style
• Automatic wrist models fit around your wrist instead.  These tend to be cheaper, but usually less accurate.
• Manual arm models are inflated by hand.  This is the type of blood pressure monitor that doctors usually use.  They take a little more knowledge to use.

Some other, rarer models can sometimes be found as well.

I've never owned a blood pressure monitor.  Which should I buy first?

You can start by reading our reviews and see if you can find one right for you.  If you want to try a cheap blood pressure monitor, the Panasonic EW3106W or Omron HEM-712C are both under $60 and are solid buys.  If you don't care much about price and just want the best blood pressure monitor, you might want to go with the Panasonic EW3152A or Omron HEM-790IT.