Feb 2012 One of the main types of automatic digital blood pressure monitor recommended by the British Hypertension Society is the Omrom Digital Blood Pressure Monitor. Research in the British Medical Journal has shown that people taking their own blood pressure measurements at home in a stress-free environment get more accurate readings, and they want to know the best type of equipment recommended by medical associations.

The British Hypertension Society has approved the Omron Digital Blood Pressure Monitor A and D machines as they were shown to be accurate after thorough independent testing. The devices in the Omron range are compact and easy to store or carry around, with clear large numbers on the screen to make it easy to read the blood pressure measurement. Some of the models give a printout of the reading.

It’s essential to have the cuff fitted correctly to get an accurate reading and some blood pressure monitors only have a standard cuff size. With Omron digital blood pressure monitors you can find models with cuffs to fit very large or small arm sizes, so even if different family members want to use the device for thin and large arms this would be possible.

On a thin arm the wrong sized cuff can give a false low blood pressure reading, while a large arm in a tight cuff can give an inaccurate high result. All Omron digital blood pressure monitors have a choice of small, standard and large cuffs, and the Omron M10 IT model has a dual-sized ComfortCuff for accurate measurements on various arm sizes.

Although Omron digital blood pressure monitors are accurate and well designed, as well as being recommended by the British Hypertension society, the price starts at around £40. The difference in cost between one of these recommended devices and a less accurate machine isn’t great so it’s worth considering one of the better devices from Omron.

Your reading appears very clearly on an Omron digital blood pressure monitor with the numbers large and in order on the screen. The top number is the systolic or highest pressure in an artery when your heart is pumping blood to your body. Beneath this a lower number appears and this is the diastolic or lowest pressure in an artery when your heart is at rest. To make a record of this reading to show to the doctor you write down the measurement with the high and low number like this 120/80.

A reading of 120/80 is normal, while measurements higher than this up to 139/89 are prehypertension or slightly raised blood pressure. Stage one of high blood pressure ranges from the top end of prehypertension up to 159/99, and readings above this up to 160/100 or more indicate high blood pressure. None of these readings should concern you until you check with a doctor who will also be able to recommend and start treatment.

Hypotension, or low blood pressure, can lead to feelings of dizziness and fainting and should also be treated when you see systolic readings of lower than 90 or if your reading falls by 25 or more points below normal.

Home checks should never completely replace professional medical advice and treatment, but a well chosen digital blood pressure monitor will help you to keep an accurate check on your health and report readings accurately to the doctor.

To see the full range of Omron Digital Blood Pressure Monitors available click here now!