11 MISTAKES IN MEASURING YOUR OWN BLOOD PRESSURE 

Based on this video, I'd say most doctor's offices don't know how to take BP!

The last time I saw my primary doctor my blood pressure was 131/85. He immediately started talking about putting me on blood pressure medicine. I told him I barely had a chance to sit down when I came into the office and to give me five minutes. They came back in five minutes and took it and it was 125/83. He asked me what did I do and I told him I did deep breathing. He told me that's dangerous trying to control your blood pressure with deep breathing. I think it's dangerous going to doctors who don't even understand Human physiology. I'm on my own.

Pumping up the cuff until it causes the patient significant pain is also something that can raise blood pressure. That happens a lot. I have normal blood pressure and I always have to argue with the nurses. Their reply is that it's "standard" to pump it up to over 200. My blood pressure is normally around 120/65. Yet the repeated episodes of my arm getting tightly constricted, and painfully pinched, has given me white coat syndrome.

Dear Adam, this video shud be part of all medical l clinics and First Aid training centres...outstanding service to humanity!!

Last GP visit my doc tested my blood pressure on my right arm over a long sleeved T-shirt and after I'd walked to the office. Declared me to have high blood pressure. Repeated 5 mins later with same result. I said I would test at home. Using these recommendations my blood pressure is actually very normal. Im losing faith in the medical profession.

00:30 #1 Over clothing 01:09 #2 Arm not horizontal 01:43 #3 Cuff too tight 03:12 #4 Not testing rested 05:10 #5 Full bladder 05:38 #6 Legs crossed 06:11 #7 Caffeine 07:26 #8 Wrong arm 08:42 #9 Wrist monitor 10:35 #10 Talking 11:20 #11 One take

I went to my Cardiologist after having back surgery just as a follow up. They determined my pressure was high and started me on new meds. Then told me to track it daily and to come back in a couple months. I did as was told and checked twice a day and plotted it on a spreadsheet and added a graph. The doctor was happy to see it and said keep up the good work. A year latter I saw a different doctor. I walked in and gave him my spreadsheet and graph, he laughed at me and told me I was wasting my time. Next time I went back, I made sure I did not see that doctor again.

OMG! When I was diagnosed with HBP I had spent 10 minutes driving around in the parking lot trying to find a place to park, and on top of that I was late for my appointment! Then once I get in there the nurse immediatley checked my BP and wieght and said "Oh! Your blood pressure is really high! Let me get the doctor right away!". So now I'm stressed because my BP has always been good, and my reason for being there in the first place was for a shoulder pain from hyper extending my arm at work! I've been on this rollercoaster for the last 4 years and so disgusted! I just went out today to get some Beet Root suppliments as I've been off the BP medication for the last 6 months per my new Primarycare Doctor. Thank you so much for confirming what I've suspected since that first diagnosis!

My BP goes up while I'm waiting the hour and a half to two hours past apt. time to see doctor. I'm always in a fowl mood by the time I get seen

My blood pressure might have come down a bit while watching just due to the calm and calming voice in this video.

Brilliant doctor. You have won hearts of millions of citizens But you may have been cursed by many medical professionals who have been violating the procedures .

I've been a doctor for 35 years and I learned something today. Good video.

Sometimes during the day, my BP is 130/88, but just as soon as I relax for a few minutes, it's in the 110's over 70's. I could never FOR THE LIFE OF ME, to get my doctor to understand that. 25 years he wanted me on BP meds, and now at age 45 my resting BP is 110/75. Never took a BP pill in my life and I never will.

One of the times my doctor took my blood pressure l summoned the courage to tell him that maybe my pressure was usually higher in his office than at home or at the drug store was because he tightened it to a painful level. He said it shouldn't make a difference. When a nurse at the hospital kept talking during the BP test, l asked her politely to stop and start again while postponing the question period for afterward.

My aunt is the head nurse for over 30 years and she said that taking your pressure on your left arm correctly is more accurate than your right arm because it's CLOSEST to your HEART.

Another thing that's kinda related to the last point, but when taking your BP at home, it is a good practice to take three readings a couple of minutes apart and then average them. You'll often find your subsequent readings will have a dropping tendency because you can get white coat syndrome (anxiety) even at home. Thankfully, more and more doctors are now starting to rely on pacient's own readings at home, as they should (provided your BP meter is calibrated properly, but that's easily tested by just taking it with you on your next checkup). Also, when it comes to the talking, it's not so much about not being calm when talking while taking your reading, but the main issue and the reason why you'll get a wrong reading while talking is because blood pressure measurement relies on sound, or rather more specifically, on vibrations. There's a sensor in the machine that's "listening" to the sound of the blood in your artery, detecting the point where it disappears/appears. So if you're talking while that's going on, the sound of your voice (the vibrations it causes) will interfere with this reading and make it inaccurate. And one other thing that's a bit unfortunate - all of the digital meters, regardless of brand or calibration, tend to read a bit higher. Even those used by doctors and in hospitals. Every single time a nurse verified my BP the "old fashioned" way with manual BP meter and stethoscope to listen for the artery sounds, it was a bit lower than what a digital meter was reading. Even with highly experienced cardiology experts where "user error" was pretty much out of the question. But, I mean, the fact that we can now check our BP at home at any moment and quite accurately still makes the technology excellent anyway :)

I have white coat syndrome due to my mother being hysterical about taking any medication for as long as I can remember (early childhood) to her death from a heart attack aged 59. It sub consciously coloured all my interactions with doctors from then on.However what has always shocked me is how indifferent doctors have been to my telling them this They will INSIST on taking my BP, then seemed shocked when it goes through the roof THEN take it again to the point where I literally had no pulse on one occasion. I can't tell you how many times I have been LECTURED about this, like its something I can control..Personally I see no worth in this procedure as there are so many many flaws in it..From the arbitrary 'normal' which was based on a young fit Marine in the 1940's...to the conditions under which its taken..to even the number of times its taken within an hour..Too many doctors are ignorant on this matter...I prefer my home monitor ..

THIS GUY IS SPOT ON

Every single thing that you named, happens to me every time I go. I went today and SADLY I checked all your numbers (no wrist monitor) and doctor increased my meds. I find that to cover all that you suggest, seems almost impossible. Up at 6am, had 2-3 small coffees, at 9am drove on busy highway cursing crazy drivers, walked from parking lot in the rain, walked up to his office at in 7 min. I had a cuff on my arm (over shirt, first time ever). Sitting with my legs crossed, arm half way down, reading on the wall what happens when you have hyper tension. I'am both frighten and agitated, the nurse walks in and says.. your pressure is high. I busted wanted to scream. After listening to you today it may be the first time I don't feel hopeless about it. Thank you Adam

That's exactly the correct way to take Blood Pressure. Very educative to many professionals, please take heed.

Went on a BP training course a few weeks ago in the U.K. Agree with everything here, I was taught to take 3 BP readings for an average, also provided with a thermometer to take the room temperature. The guy with the highest reading was the young, fit male nurse teaching us.

That left arm thing is eye opening. The doctor office always tested my right arm.

Fortunately, my blood-pressure monitor came with a leaflet that explained everything you just said. And yes, the readings I take at home are done correctly unlike in a doctor's office. I've had it all: talking, cuff over a sweater, too tight, right arm, white-coat syndrome, having it taken at 5pm after a long stressful day, rushing to the appointment only to be made to wait over an hour and thusly really pissed off!! Higher than normal reading? Duh! Ya think so?! At home, whilst relaxed and doing it slowly, calmly and properly I have excellent BP and pulse readings. Great video! I smiled the whole way through, nodding and thinking yup, every profession has them...idiots!

One of the best instructions on the subject, thanks a million. BP is a grey area, with very dangerous consequences.

All mistakes have been made for years (I'll withhold the name of the clinic). I drive 40 miles to the clinic after being up for a few hours, drinking a couple cups of coffee, 70 mph on the freeway with idiots all around me, into the office on time and have to wait 1/2 hour, then get in the exam room and immediately am cuffed tight and over my sleeve... usually voluntarily raise my arm... So of course Im 20 or 30 points higher than at home... I mention all this to my doc and he says - "well, you're probably right - our machines haven't been calibrated for quite some time." After many years on BP Meds, I gave them up - nearly all made me feel real bad... So now no meds for 6 years and my BP is around 116/70...I'm 78 and feel fine. I also take my home monitor with me for each appointment. Thanks for the very informative and helpful video!

If you read the directions on any home blood pressure machine it explains every single step that this doctor explains but when you go to your doctor they break just about every rule there is. I definitely think that most people are misdiagnosed. Incentive for profit? Who knows. I brought my machine in to check against my docs and it’s just about on spot. Trust your own readings in your own environment and take record of your own readings.

This gentleman must have a hidden camera in my house somehow. In March of 2023 I had heart surgery. I have done these readings twice a day since then. I do EVERYTHING he has in this video. For anyone else I strongly urge you to memorize this video.

Excellent recommendations…. As a practicing Cardiologist, for over 47 years, I’ve seen significant variations in BP readings in the Rt & Lt arms. I check the BP in both arms , during the 1st visit. I use the Rt arm readings for monitoring the response to BP medications. I’ve also seen lower readings in the Lr arm, with normal readings in the Rt arm.

I recently had my blood pressure taken by a paramedic. I was very unwell and it was an urgent appointment at my GP’s surgery, but no appointment with a GP was available. The paramedic put the BP cuff on my left forearm - Forearm! She was using a standard BP cuff. I asked her what she was doing and she said it was fine. She said your BP is extremely high (it’s not normally) to which I retorted that’s because it’s agony, like a Chinese burn! I walked out. Every medic I’ve mentioned this to since has been incredulous.

Adam, here are four additional mistakes: 12. Taking your blood pressure in a cold environment. Your exposed arm needs to be warm, not cold with goose bumps. The same applies to your body temperature. Blood vessels contract when we are feeling cold which increases blood pressure. 13. Using an old blood pressure monitor that may have diminished accuracy. 14. Using a blood pressure monitor with diminished batteries. Whatever monitor you use, it needs to be operating at its optimum. 15. Taking your blood pressure when there is a lot loud or distracting noise going on around you. Keeping calm usually goes hand-in-hand with quiet. Personally, whenever I measure my blood pressure at home it is always first thing in the morning, lying in bed, before breakfast, before tea & coffee, and with an empty bladder. I put the cuff on and calm down for a few minutes with deep breathing then press the start button and dream of a sun-soaked sandy beach while the monitor does its work. I always take three readings, allowing a couple of minutes between each one. To be consistent, I believe it helps to measure blood pressure under the same conditions, and let's face it, you are rarely going to be more relaxed than in bed first thing in the morning before the activities of the day - including what you eat and drink - disturb your metabolism. I keep records of all of my 'at home' readings and show them to my doctor.

Thousands of mistakes about everything we do and then we die.... Im glad im saved by the blood of Jesus!

My mother tongue is Spanish but you speak and your pronunciation is very cleat. Great video help me a lot because I used to use a wrist monitor to control my blood pressure and was a big mistake, Until one night my blood pressure went up a lot and I had to visit a doctor who checked that the blood pressure was high. Went to a cardiologist and he confirmed my blood pressure was high, so he prescribed me medication and I purchased a new monitor like the one you use in the video. Your 11 points you explain in the video are very helpful. Thank you so much.

The "dangling arm" advice needs to be adopted by just about every Doctor I have seen seen.

I love #9. Waiting in a dentist's office in a relaxed environment before getting your blood pressure taken. Knowing you are there to have your teeth drilled on or pulled. Very relaxing.

Three words: "Health insurance business"!

I just drove 1 hour to my local hospital. My BP was 180. They made me rest for 5 minutes. It went to 160. 5 minutes later it was 155. I just did it at home following your advice... 155. The doctor prescribed some pills.

The proper way to check your blood pressure is to get your own portable machine and check it when you are rested!

Wow … I’m 67 … BP issues for over 40 years… never heard 70% of this info… thanks

I've called out several docs for improper BPs. They aren't following the protocols for taking BPs! When I was diagnosed with High BP, I started monitoring my BP multiple times of the day and recorded on an app on my phone. The Nurse Practitioner that I was seeing at the time was impressed when I showed her the charts. That became the norm for me to email my previous month's readings to her before my appt. She agreed that I didn't have true high BP. Her doc advisor didn't agree. Over time, I found a new doc

Very interesting. I'm 56 years old. Never had high blood pressure. Went to 3 months after my physical and it was 144 over 100. I'm now checking it at home. Very informative informative.

Yes! Every time I go to my Dr, my bp is high. I told him it's because I'm at his office. Lol. When I check it at home, it's always in a normal range. Besides, knowing my bp rises every time I'm there, my mind/body decides, hey, we're here, time to increase. My Dr. allowed me a few months to monitor myself at home. I did so and took several readings throughout the day, wrote them down, and also made note of the time of day, recently had coffee, etc... He was happy with my numbers at my f/u and scheduled me for a yearly exam vs another f/u. Dr.s make me nervous (and I'm an RN 😮). Lol

Awesome advice. You could also mention a little more about white coat syndrome. I suffer this terribly. Had to buy my own monitor, and have a great Dr , so no meds needed. So many are on meds that don’t need to be , because they don’t take this step . Once you get stressed about getting it checked, it’s hard to get it down . I had to do check daily for a few weeks to get my real numbers as I was getting worked up even at home checking. Thanks 😊

I went to the doctor last week. Knowing my 'white coat syndrome' is coming, I tested my own BP that morning at 6 AM. Over 3 rounds, 112 / 78 was my average in a resting state. At the doctor's office at 9 AM, I tested out at 140 / 90, twice. That is significant and it happens every time. I have to explain this yearly.

Absolutely Excellent Video! The doctors offices are notoriously wrong taking blood pressure. Many of the mistakes you mentioned have happened to me in doctors offices. The only way I can convince them that I don’t have high blood pressure is to show them the numbers I’ve taken at home.

I'm an Assistant in Nursing and I do medical observations constantly. The most common mistake is actually using defective/uncalibrated equipment. No one ever checks these things, they just use them day after day for months on end. The main wear and tear issue is the cuff stretching/developing small leaks. This gives you HIGHLY inaccurate, almost random readings yet most people (even doctors) will still record them! Always check a sphygmomanometer before using it to check patient blood pressure.

Well explained and it makes so much sense . i have white coat syndrome always goes up when i go to the doctors , at home is fine .

“Have 5-10 minutes before taking my bp at the doctor’s office”? The nurse just slaps on a bp cuff as soon as I’m there, over my long sleeved clothing, and enters the number in my chart. 😢

I have anxiety... the white coat syndrome.

Dr Story, I have great respect and appreciation for your knowledge. As a nurse myself, I am tuned in to doctors who are not particularly respectful of nurses. Using the term "idiots" to refer to other healthcare professionals does not reflect well on you. Also, you might want to remember that some nurses are male (unless you think only female nurses lack competency in the many nuances of taking accurate blood pressure readings). You are so knowledgeable, and people are listening to you. Please be a role model for respectful conversation, even when you disagree with other healthcare professionals.

When going to the ER they used a huge machine to take my blood pressure. Since I was wearing my wrist BP monitor that day I immediately took my own reading. The reading was only 4 to 6 numbers different. It is much better than a ball park reading.

Wow. There must be some horrible medical professionals out there. My nurses always make sure I'm sitting properly and not talking while my blood pressure is being taken. My current doc also understands that a doctor's office visit can be stressful. My eye doctor actually caught my hypertension because I wasn't going to regular checkups at the time. She was super concerned, but didn't want to worry me too much and encouraged me to go to my doc and get it checked out. He had me monitor myself over a few weeks and when the results showed my BP was consistently high, I got a mild prescription and made a couple of changes to my diet. Now I'm at a healthier BP.

You are 100% right, most people don’t know, even Nurses in doctors offices. Thanks

Thank you Doctor Story for clarifying the proper way to take BP!

Thank you very much for educating me, I am changing doctors.

Today I went to the VA Hospital in Long Beach, California. The nurse took my blood pressure over my long sleeve shirt. It"s not common but I was surprised that the doctor did the same thing. I did not argue so my readings were high. I have the white coat syndrome since 20 years ago. My BP at home in the right range because I am more relax.

Hi Dr. Story, I actually knew of these mistakes before I watched your video, I am someone diagnosed with HTN and have done a lot of my own research. I will watch your next video From my research: I would add room temperature to the mix of things, while not technically a mistake it can affect the BP. Coming in out of the heat into a very cold AC office, or during the winter time the BP can read high because it can shunt the blood in the peripheral arteries. And conversely, on the opposite side of the coin: heat can be a physical stressor, body pain, or the meds can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and elevate the pressure. Or if you're working out and you have stronger muscles in the arm that can resist the cuff more. Makes me wonder what we're really measuring at times. Lastly I would call into question this whole notion of hitting BP targets set for everyone as a whole, which by the why has been changed over the decades, but wouldn't individuals have various needs for higher BP as an adaptation to their body's environment, such as pain, and shouldn't the doctor should ask: Why does the body require a high BP? No, they do not, the MD's call it "Essential HTN" and write a prescription for Lisinopril (ACE Inhibitor) or Amlodipine (Calcium Channel Blocker) with all those wonderful "side effects"

1) over clothing 2) not parallel to the heart 3) cuff is too tight, should be able to fit 2 fingers 4) in line with the artery mark 5) test at rest, sit relaxed 5-10 minutes, perhaps at end of exam 6) don't have a full bladder 7) don't cross your legs. Have feet resting in the floor 8) don't drink caffeine prior, dont eat 2-3 hours before 9) Test on LEFT arm unless necessary, i.e pain, lymph node edema, etc 10) Don't use a wrist cuff, or test on calf, ankle. Left bicep is standard. 11) Talking while checking BP. 12) One take is high? Then rushes to medicate. Should only be done with a wide range of data points.

Good advice, but 4 points I want to make: 1) I used to have a left-thumb blood pressure monitor from Japan some 30 some years ago. I’d say it’s as accurate as my arm BP monitor. The key point is put it to heart level. The wrist BP monitors should be equally accurate as their technical designs are made for that purpose. 2) All BP monitors need calibration. I’d bring my own to the hospital and GP and cross check if their reading aligned (+- with 10 systolic). You won’t believe it, but at least 3 times in the last 20 years, I spotted the devices in the hospital/clinic were malfunctioning, once on mine. Ageing of the advice and I just replaced it. 3) I take 3 measurements within 5 minutes to get an average of my BP. Usually the first one is highest, and the last one is lowest. 4) Take off your watch before taking a measure. some watch bands are too tight.

Loved this information, I’m a CNA and I always take my clients blood pressure on the right side . I noticed tho that when I do go to the doctors office they sometimes have used it on my left arm. I didn’t think 🤔 it made such a difference, now I know better.Thank you for all this information.😊

After watching this video, I wonder how good the doctors and nurses are at the medical centre we've been to over 10 years. How the GP took my blood pressure, it all depends on how their desk positions in the room. They had taken my blood pressure on my right arm, because that's how the desk was positioned; asked me questions during testing; on top of my sleeves, because it was too tight that I couldn't roll it up. As for their nurses, I had experienced 3 times, according to the mistakes you mentioned, I wasn't sitting in a proper position and definitely not at a resting stage, my readings were 180+ 😳, while my readings from home were normal. It was fortunate that before my last visit, the GP asked me to take 2 readings per day for 2 weeks. I quited drinking coffee and my readings have been perfect. So the GP took my home readings and declared my blood pressure is normal!

Last time the GP took mine he used my right arm, was talking with me about CANCER, expecting me to answer and provide background information, and preparing to refer me to a gynaecologist for further tests. He (whom I had never met before) had also just performed an vaginal exam on me! Funnily enough, my BP was off the scale high. Ludicrous!

I reduced my BP from an avg. of 146/88 to 121/74 and recently thought I could go back to some of my bad habits (specifically coffee and sugar). Big mistake. My BP has started going back up to 135/83. I take my BP 3 times a day (morning, noon and night) and have been measuring, and recording, for 3 months. The most significant improvements have been to do breathing exercises twice a day and dramatically reduce my salt intake. I walk approx. 3 miles a day and also take beet root, potassium, and manganese supplements. I listen to Dr. Story religiously and definitely think he has increased my lifespan (I'm 72) and intend to live a lot longer because of his input. I got scared approx. 4 months ago when I measured my BP and it was 182/106 - and that was enough to make me change a lot of established (bad) habits. Thank you Dr. Story, you are enjoyable to listen to and provide easy to understand recommendations.

I am a professional driver and have been taking Lisinopril for hypertension for a number of years. I monitor my BP a few times a month to guard against readings climbing higher than the prescribed limit of 140/90 dictated by the DOT. One thing I have found is that my numbers can, and do change, sometimes to a great degree, within the space of just a few minutes. As an example, I checked my BP this morning about 90 min after breakfast. Initial reading was 137/78; five minutes later, it was 124/72.

Very valuable advice. Oh my, why didn't I watch this video before I died!!!!

You are absolutely correct. I have been saying this for the longest. I get high reading everytime I go to doctors or dentist too. They use my rt arm, ask questions while taking bp, legs dangling, cuff to tight or small , arm down instead of at heart level.... I feel I do t need meds. They just need to stop stressing about the wrong reads They get for incorrectly Taking my pressure PERIOD. RESTING READINGS AT HOME IS ALWAYS LOWER Than the medical assistants give me!!!!!!! I know My body and it will tell me if pressure is high with ugly SYMPTOMS that can not be ignored. WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO OUR SELVES FOR OUR SELF....

As soon as you walk back to the exam room the nurse is there to take your blood pressure. They need to put you in the room tell you to sit still and rest your arm on the counter at heart level BEFORE they take your BP. My doctor also told me to take a deep breath before they pump it up and slowly release my breath.

I had a nurse freak out cause my BP was super high after a bad car accident I had to tell her multiple times it was that way because of the adrenaline and stress😂😂😂😂she couldn't hardly believe it 😂😂😂😂😂

White Coat Syndrome makes a huge difference. I can be about 40 to 50 points higher at a doctor's office than at home. Same thing even at a pharmacy for their blood pressure machines. Even stressful events coming up 2-3 days later will affect it significantly. Trying to relax while taking readings at home is the only way to get something near accurate I think. I usually need to take 3 readings to get the truer one.

On April 30th, I live in the Chicagoland area. I had a doctor's appointment. I just turned 65. I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure since 2005 or 2006. That doctor put me on Lisinopril 40mg, once a day. Still taking it. In 2018 I had pneumonia, then a different doctor prescribed Metoprolol Tartrate 50mg, 1 tablet twice a day with meals. The doctor I saw on last Tuesday. After watching your video. The nurse did about 3 wrong ways to check my BP. 1) Took my To soon. 2) Used wrist cuff in my right wrist. 3) the nurse put my hand over my heart. 4) My feet was off the floor on the bench. 161/121 was my reading. Didn't repeat at the end of the appointment. Thank you for this information. I will say something next time anybody takes my BP. Kevin.

As someone who has been through all this, a few comments. 1) Caffeine actually reduces my blood pressure. What happens is I had already changed to a very low sodium diet, but I do drink (too much) caffeine, and recognize that it could give an artificially high reading, but also, I was drinking caffeine during my busy period of the day when I really don't have the extra 10 minutes to settle down and do nothing. Hours later I do have time, and then the result is that the low sodium causes dehydration and lower blood volume, lower blood pressure. This is not just theory but observed through daily monitoring. Of course everyone is different. 2) Along with what I wrote above about not having the extra 10 minutes, I also realized that even though your BP reading is supposed to be resting, that if you are hardly ever in this resting state, then your resting blood pressure of relevance then effectively becomes whatever it is all day long. When I first started monitoring my blood pressure, I would literally try to sit very still, even controlled slow breathing, then realized that this is ridiculous because my BP would not be this at any other moment, no other time of day (possibly asleep, lol) and there's no real benefit to making it look like my BP is lower than it ever is in daily life. That just does me a disservice because my regular blood pressure all day long IS higher than that, not just my super-high-activity blood pressure. I also have a problem with blood pressure cuff tightness in that my arms are fairly muscular and if I put the cuff on straight, meaning straight (lol, overlapping and the velcro attaching like it should), then the muscle results in the upper side being about 1 finger tight, when the lower side can easily get 3 fingers in. Over a sleeve or not, I don't feel like that matters a lot. Yes it can change my BP by a single-digit, but if I'm that close to a high BP, it's not as though a single digit difference means I'm in or out of the woods, as my BP can vary that much from one day to the next anyway. IMO it is more important to be consistent in how you take it and also, of benefit to take your BP monitor with you when you visit your doctor so after s/he gets a reading, you can repeat it with yours to compare the numbers because sometimes those at-home BP monitors and/or the user's technique can make them less accurate. Ultimately I found that stress makes my BP rise more than anything (now that I'm on a lot sodium diet at least) and I am pretty aware that my BP will be high based on how I feel when I take the reading. Some people say you can't feel high BP but I definitely feel it.

#12 having a dentist taking your blood pressure if you absolutely hate sitting in a dentist's chair. The dentist's chair is man's first crude time machine - time comes to almost a standstill while the drill is opeeating.

When it comes to blood pressure, I have found very few competent people in the medical profession. It is an extremely rare occurrence, when they find an uncomfortable way to elevate your arm, after calling you into the little room and taking your weight, and immediately taking your blood pressure, with some cheap off brand machine that I have already determined to be a random number generator. 20 years ago, they would tell you, those Omron machines aren't reliable, and now they use similar looking, unknown brands, that are garbage. Same for the off brand pulse oximeters. At my cardiologists office, the no name machine shows my oxygen to be at 88% and the nurse agrees that isn't accurate, but they don't buy a medical grade replacement. They just keep using it. After 20 years of being sick, I could talk for a hundred hours straight, and not finish telling you about malpractice and incompetence.

I just took my blood pressure. It was 106 over 74. They told me my blood pressure was high and I had chf. Let me explain. Why the reason was diagnosed with CHF was because I had almost died because of alcohol poisoning. My feet were swollen, my heart was barley pumping. They also told me I had clogged arteries! I really knew better than that! Because I didn't eat snacks, red meat or chips in many years, and didn't hardly eat any fast food. But to make my point, I believe I'm healthier now. than I've ever been. We should know our body better than anybody does. Always take care of yourself. Watch what u eat, don't drink, and don't smoke

Well, this means no nurse I've ever seen is competent to take BP 😂 I knew it.

Thank you for this video- I was taking my blood pressure after drinking 2 cups of coffee- no wonder it was high.

From my experience in the medical field. This video was very necessary. Thank you kindly for caring! ❤

I found other ones too ....dehydration ,certain painkillers like voltaren , stress ,llike moving house ....low blood sugar ...water retention temporarily ,cold ,flu or infection .. ..im not one upping you .i found this great ! Its my contribution from battling doctors . .in the end ,i had a 24 hr test where i was at home and it was taken every half an hour .i also think if it hurts ,that an added stress . Many doctirs cant be bothered changing to the bug cuff ...

Afer finding out the doctor is 45 minutes to an hour behind my blood pressure is always high!

So glad to hear about this.That was the I learn in nursing school but know they say it doesn't matter .I wish they listen to you and do the right way .

Thanks Doc. I am now an educated self administering bp tech. I now recognize my wild swing of higher blood pressure readings after coffee in the morning.

Every doctor's office I've been in for over a decade has done one or more of those wrong methods of taking my blood pressure. I never thought they were doing it correctly but now I know for sure. Thank you!

Problem is for those of us who took BPS for many EONS, no one listens to us when we say this! They wont take the time to do these things and if I dare to ask to please do it, they assume just because Im a retired RN Im a know it all and thats just NOT my intention. Just do it RIGHT please !

My cardiologist, yes a cardiologist that I paid good money for, made several of these mistakes. Cuff over the clothes, right arm, not rested, arm not at heart height, talking about high blood pressure making me anxious.. Obviously my pressure result was incorrectly high and then he wanted to put me on medication...

I have a left subclavian artery stenosis. The blood pressure in my left arm reads 108/75 - right arm reads 154/87. GP only ever checked the pressure in my left arm. After years of shoulder pain and misdiagnosed frozen shoulder an mri found the stenosis. The right arm is the most reliable because of the stenosis and I would advise everyone to check both now and again.

I experienced a TIA stroke in April, and the doctors tried to put me on a lot medications that I knew I didn’t need. Also, Ive found that now Im having to use State-funded Medicare/Medicaid: they want to keep me in a unhealthy tier of senior patients. Which is so disconcerting 😢 I took my BP as Im watching the reading was: 134/78 Pulse was 76. Which is a healthy reading for my age: I'm 65. YET, MY READINGs "ALWAYS" 10-15 HIGHER IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE 😢 Yep. I'm in the process of changing my medical care Thanks so much for this information...😢

LEFT out LEFT handed people 😢I due have High BP. Yet as a donor to the Red Cross, I could drop my BP 30 pts in less than 5 minutes by not making an appointment. If you have fast relexes, quick to emotional response, you might have high BP. In an emergency, that is a good thing 🎉

Excellent info. Thanks

My own GP (pretty good) usually remains quiet during the BP test. In the practice I go to, there is an occasional stand-in doctor, and he/she usually talks during the test. I would in future have no hesitation in asking them to "shut up" during the test, and tell them why, and if they wanted to take the readings too early in the consultation I would refuse and tell them it is more correct to do so at the end of the consultation.. So many doctors are under-educated and are, in effect, "quacks".

One issue about monitoring BP at home whether with a cuff or a wrist monitor. Don't be put off making the check because you are worried about it's "accuracy". What is far more important than the actual number is tracking any changes. Take your BP with the same device at the same time and in the same way. That will tell you about how your condition is changing.

UHH. I LOVE YOUR VIDEO!!! I have written about this before. Firstly, thank you for showing people how to take their blood pressure. However, individuals in the medical profession DO NOT follow procedures properly when taking BP. When the BP is taken in the doctor's office, IT IS often DONE INCORRECTLY! Never do they mention emptying your bladder..wait and rest for 5 minutes and better yet, the Nurse/CNA/LPN will talk to the patient while they are checking the BP. The problem lies in the fact that these readings are what they based medication on. Even when a patient brings in their numbers from home, the doctor’s office goes by their nurses reading in the office knowing full well they have done it incorrectly. If the patient points it out professionally, it is NEVER well received. I feel the cardiology community should be taken to review boards on this matter...Frequently I think of how many patients are receiving medication dosages based on incorrect readings. I changed cardiologists because of it. I even asked my last cardiologist why I was on the medication and why I was prescribed a beta blocker. I did this because my primary doctor mentioned to me that I should ask him, because he had me on stuff for lowering heart rate but not pressure and it is for people that have had a heart attack. ( which I have NEVER HAD). HE COULD NOT AND DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER to my question…So, slowly began weaning myself off of that stuff. I tried hibiscus tea… CHANGED MY DIET which was the most important thing… I tried a number of things, such as...started taking a glove of garlic every day... Take 30G of whey protein……beet juice… I didn’t take all of these at once, but I took them at different times over a year to find which was most effective for my body. I found that all of them work, but the duration is what I had to closely monitor. I had to take the beet juice 2-3 times a day, but my caution was the sugar...Hibiscus tea….Again I took it 3 times a day..Whey protein was VERY effective, but some of the research mentioned it my cause nasal congestion and I noticed it was giving me congestion, but my BP was VERY GOOD with WHEY! So the next thing I tried was garlic. The one clove of raw garlic has become my #1 because so far, it is VERY EFFECTIVE!. I peel it and crush it and it works for a full 24 hours... Let’s not forget, I walk every day for 45 minutes to 1 hour every morning(the beach walk clears my head in the morning) I work out 6 times and week and lost weight.

Thank you.Very useful.About coffee;in some people,in special situation, coffee can decrease blood pressure.

Thank you very much for this information. I have been taking my own BP for years and I didn't know that it's important to always use the L arm, or that the correct tightness of the cuff is important, or about the importance of being rested and relaxed before taking the measurement. I just found a better BP app called BP Journal that let's me take note of things like, e.g., just ate a meal, just exercised, coffee two hours ago, just woke up, etc. I have just finished putting in all the measurements since about the beginning of April that I had put into another app. This new app has charts, including a trend chart, and I was glad to see that there has been a very gradual downward trend since I started keeping track. I'm sure that it has helped that I have been walking every day since watching your video about things one can do to naturally lower blood pressure, and I think it and some of the other suggestions are having a positive effect, so I'm very motivated to keep going. Thank you for all your videos! (P.S. The technician measured my BP on my R arm two days ago! Argggh!)

Such a simple video with huge implications. Thank you so much, basic grass roots information like this gives us all the power to take control of our own health 🎉

I struggle with blood pressure, I appreciate this video.

Nothing raises my blood pressure more than driving in traffic, potentially rushing to make your appointment, were just marched into the doctor's office, are being asked a bunch of questions, and may have substantial anxiety about being in the doctor's office.

Thank you for taking the time to explain many different situations in detail. 🙏

I’ll be 70 in July and have been managing an elevated BP since January with great success. I do it in my reading chair after going to the bathroom every morning and usually start off around 135/75 but after relaxing for a few minutes am able to bring it down to around 110/70. My doctor was stoked at my last visit. Been watching your videos, following your advice, and checked off on all 11 do’s the first time through. Thanks for the advice! Feeling pretty stoked.

My FAA doctor’s nurse has been checking my bp on my right arm ever since they got a digital bp tester 10 years ago. 😮

Please consider my #12: use the wrist if you have significant upper arm fat as it takes greater force to compress through the fat in order to compress the artery.

You can also get a different reading between the left and right arm, upwards of 10-20 points. It depends if one arm is much stronger than the other. Left handers need to pay attention to this especially. My doc I had for 40 years experimented with me way back when with BP. I used the deep breathing to drop my HR by 10-15 b/min as well which was way low. 50 years later HR is where most would say it is ok, lol. With an extra 40 pounds over racing weight. If being operated make sure the docs know what your normal resting HR is too, otherwise they freak out.