How can you choose the best blood pressure monitor?

The blood pressure monitor is a device to measure a human’s blood pressure and determine his health status. The original manual device consists of an inflatable cuff and a pressure gauge to operate the cuff. But there are varieties of monitors available in the market that can accomplish blood pressure readings. There are various pressure monitors and measuring gadgets like pressure monitors with touch screens, digital blood pressure monitors, and automatic blood pressure monitors. Let’s have a dig into these gadgets and analyze their benefits.

Touch screen monitors: These are a type of digital touch-sensitive monitoring device featuring a touch-sensitive display, allowing users to tap or swipe on the screen. They work similarly to smartphones or tablets. The touch screen blood pressure monitors have a user-friendly display and are adorned with buttons for start, stop, and readings. There are adjustment settings. The digital display shows systolic and diastolic pressure, pulse rate, and also some indicators showing heartbeat detection. They have memory storage for multiple users and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity. There is voice guidance for visual alerts and some color-coded results to facilitate easy interpretation. The upper arm cuff is the most popular in this respect, but the wrist arm is popular too.

Way of working of the touch screen monitor:

• You can touch the screen.
• Monitors can detect the touch location.
• The touch is translated into a command.
• The device responds to the input from the scrolling or opening of an app.

Advantages of using touch-screen monitors:

• Useful for older adults.
• There is a clean, modern interface with quick access to the settings and history.
• Integration with various apps makes data tracking easier.

Price range of the touch-screen blood pressure monitors

The price ranges from USD 59 to USD 69.

Digital blood pressure monitor: A digital blood pressure monitor is an electronic device for measuring the blood pressure in a simple, automated way. There is no need for manual pumping or even a stethoscope. A cuff wraps around the upper arm or wrist. The band will inflate while restricting the blood flow and then deflate slowly while measuring.

The digital blood pressure monitor operates in the following manner:

• You can wrap the cuff on the upper arm/wrist. This procedure will inflate the cuff using a small built-in pump.
• The cuff deflates, and the monitor detects oscillations.
• The pulsing of blood and pressure sensors causes the oscillations.
• The microprocessor analyzes the systolic and diastolic pressure.
• Monitors detect the pulse rate.
• • After calculating the reading, note the systolic and diastolic pressure and heart rate.
• The key technologies used here are electronic sensors, microcontrollers, LCD/LED displays, and the oscillometric method.

Advantages of a digital blood pressure monitor:

• This product is easy to use and doesn’t require any medical training.
• The results are fast and accurate.
• The digital blood pressure monitor is portable and can be used in the office or maybe on the way.
• This can be helped without consistent monitoring or helping the hypertension or any heart conditions.

The digital blood pressure monitor falls within the following price range:

  USD 30–USD 89

Automatic blood pressure monitor: This product is a medical device used for measuring blood pressure without any manual inflation. The instrument provides digital readings of systolic and diastolic pressure along with the pulse rate.

Way of working:

• You can wrap the cuff off around the wrist or upper arm.
• Press a button to start recording the measurement.
• After inflating the cuff, the device detects changes in the artery.

Advantages of an automatic digital blood pressure monitor:

• There is a digital display in the automatic digital blood pressure gadget.
• You can read the memory storage for rapid readings.
• There is an easy one-touch operation.
• The gadget is battery powered or rechargeable.
• Some of the monitors have Bluetooth connectivity for syncing with health apps.
• The most common types are those used in the upper arm monitors. There are some wrist monitors, and the others are finger monitors.

The price of an automatic blood pressure monitor:

USD 24–USD 109

What factors are responsible for choosing an automated blood pressure monitor?

There are some important criteria to determine the accuracy of the blood pressure monitor.

• A patient’s blood pressure device requires validation from any medical organization.
• You must measure the multiple cuff sizes, and it’s recommended that the devices be chosen for medium, small, and large-sized cuffs.
• The monitor is durable and has a guarantee of up to five years from the date of purchase.
• Check the energy efficiency of the blood pressure monitors.
• The pricing of a blood pressure monitor depends on the manufacturer, model, and add-on options.
• Some blood pressure devices can send the measurements to the smartphone or any electronic health record directly.

What is the accurate way of measuring and recording blood pressure?

• Some precautions and tips must be taken while recording the blood pressure.
• You can sit straight and be relaxed.
• You have to sit upright with your back straight, rest at the back of the chair, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
• Keep your arms on the table and make sure the hands are relaxed.
• Place the cuff on the upper arm or maybe from down or the center.
• After tightening the cuff, you can make sure that you still fit two fingers underneath.
• Press the on button, then press start and relax.
• The cuffs will inflate and deflate, thereby allowing you to take a reading.
• Get the reading and then make a note of it. Check the blood pressure again after a few minutes.
• Check the accuracy on the second time too.

This way you can check your blood pressure reading will be almost accurate.

Digital pressure measuring devices give the most accurate blood pressure reading. Check with standard measures. Normal blood pressure readings are 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. Anything beyond this might be detrimental to your health.

Reference links: https://www.jumia.ug/catalog/?q=touch+screen+blood+pressure+monitor https://resolvetosavelives.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/recommendations-on-how-to-choose-a-blood-presssure-monitor_12.19-1.pdf https://www.amazon.com/s?k=digital+Blood+Pressure+Monitors&rh=n%3A3777151&ref=nb_sb_noss https://www.amazon.com/s?k=automatic+Blood+Pressure+Monitors&rh=n%3A3777151&ref=nb_sb_noss https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/tests/blood-pressure-measuring-at-home