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Originally Posted by *Paul HI,
I have been measuring my BP for about a year now. My readings vary all the time, the only consistency seems to be that the readings are greater in the morning than the evening. |
Blood pressure varies by hour, by day and by season. Your blood pressure readings during the spring might be quite different than your readings during the fall.
Normal blood pressure varies during the day, with the highest readings when you first get up.
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Anyway, I have heard conflicting views from doctors regarding taking readings. One doc told me to take my reading at the same time during the day after relaxing (it is true to say this would give me more consistant readings).
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When you take your own blood pressure readings depends upon what YOU want to learn about your own blood pressure. Since everyone is different, and many people might have different experiences with blood pressure, you might want to continue taking your blood pressure on a daily basis, and learn more about what your blood pressure does during your normal day.
I'm probably considered a blood pressure extremist. I've got advanced heart disease, heart rhythm problems and high blood pressure. About seven years ago, my symptoms got worse and I started checking my own blood pressure. Among my first readings were some around 195/126. I knew that if I had any chance to survive my heart disease, I had to get my blood pressure down. At the doctor's office my readings were always low, so I had no idea that I had a blood pressure problem.
I wanted to know how my blood pressure behaved all day long. Was it just high a couple of hours per day, a couple of days per week, or what?
The more hours, during the day, that one's blood pressure is high, the worse it is on one's health.
After seven years, I've taken over 14,000 readings, by hour and date, or an average of about 6 readings per day, with corresponding notes about my activities. I enter these readings into my PC and do charts and reports so I can see the results over time, and to see if my blood pressure is getting better or worse.
I've found out that many things that I eat, many things that touch my skin, and many things that I breathe, can have a negative and prolonged effect on my blood pressure.
It's taken me years, but I've been able to greatly reduce my blood pressure problems.
In summary....... how many times, and when you take your blood pressure, depends upon what you want to learn about your own blood pressure situation. If you constantly get low readings, then there is less need to continue to take frequent readings.
When to measure BP 
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