Your blood pressure will keep rising until around noon, and then it will start to drop. A blood pressure reading taken in the evening may read lower due to reduced sympathetic activity. Having a full stomach when your blood pressure is taken may cause a lower reading.
Forty-six percent of Americans have high blood pressure, but studies show when it's taken twice at your doctor's office - with at least one minute in between - the second reading is typically lower and a more accurate measurement.
Wait 1 to 3 minutes after the first reading, and then take another. If your monitor doesn't keep track of blood pressure readings or heart rates, write them down.
At each sitting, measure your blood pressure three times, but discard the first reading as it tends to be inaccurate. Write down the average of the second and third reading. Bringing your latest readings to an appointment helps give your doctor a good idea of what your blood pressure is outside of the office.
If you are seeing regular fluctuations in your blood pressure readings, you're not alone. Some variation in your blood pressure throughout the day is normal. In fact, there are a number of reasons for this including small changes in daily life, such as stress, exercise or even how well you slept the night before.
The likelihood of a normal second reading depended on the degree of elevation in the first reading. For example, among patients with initial systolic BPs of 140 to 159 mm Hg, roughly 41% dropped to <140 mm Hg on second readings, compared with only about 13% of those with initial systolic BPs of 160 to 180 mm Hg.
Answer From Rekha Mankad, M.D. Generally, a small difference in blood pressure readings between arms isn't a concern. But a difference of more than 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) might cause worry. The difference can be in the top number, known as systolic pressure.
Q. When I am monitoring my blood pressure, which number is most important — top, bottom, or both? A. While both numbers in a blood pressure reading are essential for diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, doctors primarily focus on the top number, also known as systolic pressure.
Blood pressure typically drops in the late afternoon and evening. Blood pressure is usually lower at night while sleeping. The blood pressure measurement at night is called nocturnal blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Cuff Placement
If the cuff is too small, it can add 2 to 10 points to your bp measurement. Be sure to roll up your sleeve for a blood pressure test and also let your doctor know if the cuff feels too tight around your arm.
In the American Heart Association BP measurement guideline [12], the following statement was described without any citation: 'three readings should be taken in succession, separated by at least 1 min. The first is typically the highest, and the average should be used as the blood pressure reading.
Get to the Heart of the Study Results
Dozens of at home blood pressure machines were tested in the study. According to the results, the participants' home blood pressure monitor readings were off by around 5 mmHg a shocking 70% of the time.
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood around your body. Blood pressure does not stay the same all the time. It changes to meet your body's needs and it is normal for your blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day.
Taking your blood pressure at home can help doctors see the trend. “But I caution patients not to take it every five minutes, which can happen if they are concerned about high readings. That becomes a bad cycle. Do it intermittently—once or twice a week,” she said.
How often should you check? At first, take your blood pressure twice a day for a week. The best times are early in the morning (before you have taken any blood pressure medications) and again in the evening. After you've done this for a week, once or twice a month—or whatever your doctor recommends—is fine.
Do not smoke, exercise or use caffeine for 30 minutes to an hour before the test. Such activities increase blood pressure and heart rate. Wear a short-sleeved shirt so that the blood pressure cuff can be placed more easily around your arm. Relax in a chair for at least five minutes before the test.
Your first blood pressure reading will almost always be higher than the second due to a wide range of factors, both environmental and psychological. These factors include white coat syndrome, stress, and having a full bladder.
(It's best to take your blood pressure from your left arm if you are right-handed. However, you can use the other arm if you have been told to do so by your healthcare provider.) Rest in a chair next to a table for 5 to 10 minutes. (Your left arm should rest comfortably at heart level.)
Most studies show a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (especially strokes) related to high systolic pressure as opposed to elevated diastolic pressure.
The top number is more important because it gives a better idea of your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Having a raised systolic blood pressure but normal or low diastolic blood pressure is called Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH).
A normal blood pressure is at or under 120 systolic over 80 diastolic. If your blood pressure reading is at or under 120 over 80, you have healthy blood pressure and you can keep doing what you're doing.
Everyone's blood pressure rises and falls many times during the course of a single day, sometimes even within minutes. Many factors contribute to these changes, including physical activity, emotion, body position, diet (especially salt and alcohol intake), and sleep deprivation.
Blood pressure changes naturally many times a day. Most changes are normal and predictable. When these spikes and valleys in your blood pressure occur, you may not experience unusual signs or symptoms. These fluctuations may be brief and fleeting.
Blood pressure increases when we first wake up due to the body's normal circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that affects our sleep/wake patterns. In the morning, the body releases hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline.