Monitor your health – but get a precise reading on blood pressure. Do you know that the position of your arm can mess up this test? One of the simplest things, the attitude you take with the arm in case they will take a measure either in a doctor’s office or checking at home, is apparently significant in providing the right measure. Now let us look at how incorrect positioning is wrong especially when it comes to arm positioning as well as identifying how one can avoid the problem.
Why Arm Position Matters in Blood Pressure Readings
There is actually a question that may come to your mind stating that, “Does arm position really make that much of a difference?” To these questions, the answer is a categorical yes. Arm positioning played a very crucial functional role on how the heart and the arteries react to the pressure cuff and any slight changes in position greatly influences the output.
The Impact of Arm Position on Accuracy
The positioning of your arm can significantly affect your blood pressure reading. If your arm is positioned too high, it may cause you to have falsely low results. Conversely, if your arm is placed too low, elevated numbers may be shown. The most important criterion of the blood pressure measurements is that the arm must be parallel to your heart.
Precautions to be Taken to Obtain Correct Blood Pressure Figures
- Always sit quietly for five minutes prior to taking a measurement.
- You can either have your arm drape across a firm cushion, or you can have it propped up so that the arm is on the same level as the heart.
- Do not speak or rotate your head when having your blood pressure checked.
- Best time to measure your blood pressure would be to do this at the same time in the day.
- Take measurements in both arms when you first start taking your blood pressure to recognize a difference and talk to your doctor.
Left Arm vs. Right Arm – Does It Matter?
Incredibly, measuring both the left or the right arm may result in slightly different measurements. Doctors and nurses will sometimes insist you use your left side because it’s closer to the heart, but you must first measure both arms. If there is a similar discrepancy between both readings, then you need to begin checking the arm that produces the higher reading.
How Mispositioning Your Arm Result in Incorrect Readings
When one positions the arm wrongly, the readings could have huge deviations. This may bring about false alarms of having higher pressure or, worst still, false thinking that one has normal pressure when it is pathological.
Common Mistakes That People Conduct with Regards to Positioning the Arm
The most common mistake that people do is to position the arm in a low or high support. The most common error here is letting the arm hang at one’s side without support. This makes it not only skewed but also an unpleasant process.
Good Arm Positioning for Accurate Readings
In taking a blood pressure reading, you should be seated with your back supported, feet level, and arm flexed at the elbow, resting on a table or cushion at the level of heart. The cuff should be snugly placed but not tight on the arm. Your arm should be relaxed.
