24 Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring
Blood pressure monitoring unobtrusively records your blood pressure for 24 hours while you go about your day. Here’s why your doctor wants it for you.
What is 24-hour blood pressure monitoring?
Blood pressure monitoring (BPM) or, to be medically precise, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) unobtrusively records your blood pressure over a single 24-hour period while you go about your day in your ordinary way. A small digital gadget is attached to a belt around your body, which connects to a cuff around your upper arm. You even sleep with it on. We have onsite blood pressure monitors for your convenience.
Why monitor your blood pressure?
BPM/ ABPM allows your doctor to monitor changes in your blood pressure over the day so that they can:
- find out if your readings in the clinic are higher than elsewhere (the so-called white coat
effect)
- see how well your medicines are controlling your blood pressure throughout the day
- see if your blood pressure stays high at night. If so, we may need to change or adjust
your treatment.
What should I do during Blood Pressure Monitoring?
During monitoring, you’ll need to ensure that the tube to the machine is not twisted or bent. Just before the machine is about to take a reading, it will beep.
When this happens, you should:
- sit down, if possible
- keep the BPM cuff at the same level as your heart
- keep your arm steady.
Anything else?
After 24 hours, you return the monitor to your practice, and your results are analysed and used to inform any treatment plan, if required.