TAKING MY OWN BLOOD PRESSURE READINGS AT HOME
So, my G.P. has asked me to take and record my own blood pressure readings at home.
He advised me to take the readings in the morning and evening; to take three sets of readings each time, leaving a gap between them so that I become more settled. He seems quite happy with the way I presented the first set of results in an Excel spreadsheet, recording the average Systolic and Diastolic readings over time, together with an embedded graph so once one graph no longer fits on a screen on my laptop, I start a new version of the same spreadsheet.
My first set of readings representing the period from 30th December 2025 to 12th January 2026 showing an average Systolic reading of 129.23 and an average Diastolic reading of 89.84.
How I take my readings
This has evolved over time but has become fairly fixed now.
The main things I took from the Adam Story video were:
- Before starting a B.P. reading, I make sure that I have cleared my bladder and my bowels so that I am not in any discomfort from that area of my body.
- I take my morning readings before eating or drinking anything.
- Where possible I sit at my kitchen table so that my arms can be at rest on the table and my feet are flat on the floor.
- Ideally there is not too much activity going on around me. The lights are low, the cats aren't bothering me for food and it is relatively quiet in the room.
- As Adam says in his video, I always use my left arm, it is always bare so I am not measuring through any material and I make sure that it is above the elbow by a margin, not overlapping it. I also ensure that it starts off not too tight, so that I can get two fingers underneath it. I do this by flexing my biceps on my left arm as I am tightening the cuff.
- Adam talks about the mistakes that are made by taking readings with the patient standing with their arm hanging down by their side, when really the cuff needs to be as close to the heart as possible. I realised that I could elevate my arm slightly by resting my elbow on something. Sitting at my kitchen table, I use the box the monitor comes in to elevate my arm a bit higher so it is as near to being level with my heart as possible.
- When I started this process of twice daily readings, I was also trying to manage a long term back problem. As well as doing regular stretches to ease my back I was also taking a morning bath, whenever possible. I noticed that taking my BP readings after my bath, rather than before it had a significant positive (i.e. lowering) effect on my numbers. Hardly surprising, as the effect of soaking in a warm bath is obviously going to help dilate my blood vessels in a positive way. Currently my back is much improved and I no longer feel the need to have a soak in a warm bath each morning. My readings do not appear to have suffered much from this change (I currently shower each day now and usually after I've taken my morning readings). I always make it my first task of the day to take my readings in the morning. At the other end of the day I make it my last task of the day before going to bed.
- Box Breathing. During March my wife suggested I should have a look at some meditation sessions on an app called Insight Timer and I came upon one that is called 'box breathing'. I have been using this during my BP readings ever since. In essence I take two very deep breaths, fully in then fully out and then I start inhaling for a count of 4, holding my breath for a count of 4, exhaling for a count of 4 and then holding my breath for a count of 4. I repeat this pattern a few times before pressing the button on the monitor and continue to breathe using this pattren whilst the cuff tightens and then slackens. I find the woman's voice is quite calming and I started by using the Insight Timer app to talk me through all three readings but now I don't really need the app anymore, I can just do it. Whilst the reading is being taken by the monitor I also close my eyes and imagine myself in my happy place. I believe that this change in the way I take my readings has had a very significant positive effect on the results.
- I note down my readings either in a note taking app called Evernote which syncs between my iPhone and my Mac, or if nothing else is to hand I write them on a notepad with date and time and then transfer them later so I have always got all my readings recorded in Evernote. Periodically I use this data to update the latest version of my Excel spreadsheet on my Mac.
Taking my BP at home one morning (before breakfast)
This is how I set things up. You can see me putting on the cuff, at least a finger's width above my left elbow. As I close the strap, I am flexing my left bicep to make sure it doesn't become too tight.
I am playing the Box Breath recording made by Rachel Fearnley on Insight Timer which is an iPhone app. I know its boring to listen to if you are not the one taking the readings but I'm on my own and the cats have been fed.
I do about three or four box breath rounds and then I press the start button on the blood pressure monitor and continue counting my breaths until the reading is finished.
The reading I got this time was 108/79.
Another breathing technique to try (with caution).
I have recently been introduced to another breathing technique, both from watching a video from a US doctor suggesting that this helps with blood pressure but also from a Hungarian born psychotherapist who specialising in treating trauma called Gabor Mate.
This is similar to the box breathing technique I have been using already i.e. 4x4x4x4 being inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4 and then hold for a count of 4 before repeating the cycle. I find this is very helpful in allowing me to relax, especially if I am listening to the woman on the Insight timer app who calls out the routine in a very soft/gentle repetitive tone.
This other breathing technique is a similar idea but with only three numbers 4,7 and 8 - 4 being the in-breath, 7 being the hold and 8 being the outbreath and then presumably straight back into the in-breath for 4.
Now I say with caution because I tried this whilst in the bath one time and when I stood up to get out of the bath I had an extreme attack of dizziness, far worse than anything I had experienced last December. I had to lie down for 10 minutes before I could safely walk around again! I guess the pressure lowering effect of hot water plus this 4,7,8 breathing had such a lowering effect on my blood pressure that I wasn't getting enough blood flow to my head!