Some patients are treated by prescribersregularly check their blood pressure, while others themselves take the initiative and want to track it yourself. Daily visit to a specialist for this purpose is impractical, and tonometers in public places, such as pharmacies, may give inaccurate readings due to insufficiently frequent calibration. In this case, you need a blood pressure monitor that you can use at home. Many different models are produced, but which tonometer is better? Price, accuracy and functionality in many ways predetermine the choice of the user, and this article should help find the most optimal option.
Shoulder tonometers with flexible or semi-rigidthe cuff that wraps around the shoulder most resembles a device that can be seen in the doctor's office. Owners sometimes find it difficult to properly fix them on their hands, but devices of this type allow you to sit in a natural position and, as a rule, are the least demanding to the position of the user.
Those who shoulder cuff causes inconvenience,or who have problems with finding the right size, can use a model for the wrist. However, this type of instrument for measuring blood pressure requires precise positioning - the wrist should be kept at the level of the heart. If you deviate only a few centimeters or move during the operation of the instrument, the results will be incorrect. The good news is that the best wrist tonometers have light indicators that help to find the right position.
Determination of blood pressure at home is notreplaces medical advice. But in combination with the doctor's measurements, it can become a powerful tool for controlling one's health. All the home blood pressure monitors mentioned in this article are automatic digital models. They themselves inflate the cuff and take readings, usually by pressing one button. The whole process takes 30-50 s.
Regardless of the instrument used, expertsrecommend to visit a specialist to compare the measurements with the results of measurements of professional medical equipment. This gives a basic level for determining how accurate and consistent the home blood pressure monitor is.
In addition, in order to obtain correct testimony,Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully and follow them carefully. A home blood pressure monitor has not yet been created, the accuracy of which would not have been complained, but one can confidently say that often incorrect results are associated with a violation of the measurement rules.
When choosing which tonometer is best for the home, you should make sure that it has the following:
Which automatic tonometer is best for travel? The one that comes with the case or bag, and can work from both the battery and the AC adapter.
Which automatic tonometer is better suited forsharing? If there are more than one user, you should buy a monitor with multiple accounts so that you can store the readings separately, or a model that does not save them automatically so that the logs do not contain mixed measurement results.
Which tonometer is best used for export?data? There are more and more models that allow you to send a testimony journal to the treating doctor. If this function is not used, then you can save by choosing a simpler device.
Which tonometer is best for people with limited eyesight? The one that has a large, backlit screen, large buttons, simple controls and sounded readings.
Experts recommend showing the tonometer to the doctordoctor, so that he could compare the results of measurements with the data of a high-precision professional blood pressure monitor. This procedure should be repeated every 6 months, immediately after the fall of the device or with a sudden sharp change in readings.
If you have problems gettingreliable measurements, you should ask the doctor to check the technique of using the tonometer and follow the recommendations of cardiologists that you should not smoke, drink caffeinated drinks or do physical exercises 30 minutes before using the device. Ideally, before taking the testimony, you need to sit quietly and rest for at least 5 minutes.
Tonometers are becoming more common,Sending data directly to the application on your smartphone. Just a few years ago it was a new technology, but now it is on the verge of becoming a standard feature. Like most wireless technologies, soon it will be the norm in models of all price levels.
Feedback from owners of all shoulder gaugesBlood pressure is most often distinguished by the Omron BP786N with a cuff of 23-43 cm. This model is easy to use and very accurate. Useful functions of the Omron BP786N are:
However, the most impressive feature of the BP786Nis a wireless connection with mobile devices iOS and Android. Immediately after downloading the free Omron Wellness application, the user from anywhere can access their data and share or import them into the Apple Health application. The smartphone can also be used to read the results out loud. This is a very useful function for people with limited vision or those who better perceive information by ear.
Despite these functionalities,a smartphone or tablet for use Omron BP786 is not needed. Many people appreciate the simplicity of the device: all you need to do is to press the bright Start / Stop button. A large backlit screen is easy to read even by people with poor eyesight.
Reviews of owners about the Omron BP786N almost everythingpositive, although they do not unambiguously evaluate its wireless capabilities: the device connects quickly and easily to iOS devices, but it may take several attempts to connect to Android devices, not all of which are supported.
Some complain that the tonometer gives toohigh readings. Although these complaints are relatively few compared to devices of other manufacturers, they are a good reminder that it is necessary to follow the recommendations of cardiologists and check the accuracy of measurements at the doctor.
The tonometer is covered by a 5-year warranty and can be powered by a power adapter and 4 AA batteries.
There are other great options. For people who need large cuffs (42-62 cm), the best choice will be LifeSource UA-789AC.
Which tonometer is better than the price? According to reviews, inexpensive, but accurate and reliable models are ReliOn BP200 (2300 rubles.) And Panasonic EW3109W (2550 rubles.).
And the most suitable device for measuring blood pressure in the whole family experts call the A & D 767F, which supports 4 user profiles.
It is not easy for some users to find a suitableby the size of the cuff, while others find the whole process of hand compression very uncomfortable. In this case, a wrist tonometer is suitable, which, in the opinion of the majority, is much more convenient.
The biggest disadvantage of monitors of this typeis that the user must locate them so that each time they receive accurate and consistent readings. Omron BP652N simplifies this work by the presence of an indicator that signals the correct positioning: orange when the monitor is oriented incorrectly and blue when its position is correct. You can also set the sound of beeps.
According to reviews, the tonometer is very accurate. However, this depends on how much the user follows the instructions of the positioning control system.
The BP652N stores up to 100 counts with a date andtime, warns of arrhythmia, automatically assigns readings to ranges defined by international recommendations, and can average up to three results measured within 10 minutes. There is a case and a 5-year warranty.
Owners are positive about comfortuse, although some are disappointed with the latest update, replacing the semi-rigid cuff, which was easy to put on and remove, on the elastic. Nevertheless, most believe that this device is much more convenient than shoulder models.
According to reviews, other good carpal tonometers are the Omtron BP629N and Ozeri BP01K.