Lesson 8 - Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

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The ability to monitor your high blood pressure at home is an important ally in the quest to control chronic hypertension. Recent statistics show that one in five Americans (approximately 50 million people) suffer from some type of high blood pressure; this includes any blood pressure reading that is substantially higher than the national average of 135/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury).

Of course, your doctor will take periodic readings during each one of your visits, but it is also crucial to determine how much your blood pressure changes throughout the day.

In addition, home monitoring can be a good indication of the effectiveness of your blood pressure medication.

Also, home blood pressure monitoring has been known to help diagnose white coat hypertension. In this condition, the stress of a visit to the hospital or doctor's office can inadvertently raise the blood pressure of a person whose pressure is otherwise normal.

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