Dear LPG, 

In these days of ‘seeing’ the doctor via telephone they depend on us patients to become health DIY experts in our own right.  Until recently having your blood pressure taken was something that you would expect your doctor to do even if you had a machine of your own.

I remember reading RM’s thoughts regarding long-distance medical consultations on your website about two years ago (►►►) and feeling in agreement with the reservations voiced there, but oh how a couple of years and a pandemic can change the goal posts!

When the whole idea of video and telephone GP consultations was first introduced to the British public a couple of years ago, they were ‘sold’ to us as an optional extra for those who could afford it and wanted to avoid the normal wait involved, but now that the risk of infection is so much more real to us they also have become a reality for everyone who has had to seek medical help recently, and many patients are required to do the blood pressure thing for themselves. 

I do have a machine and my high blood pressure got me exercising and measuring regularly during lockdown.  But I have just found out that I am doing a few things wrong when I have a go.  We all know how to put the cuff around the upper arm but I seem to have forgotten that the palm of your hand should be facing upwards or that you really need to be sitting down to get a good and accurate reading.  I just get it done as quickly as possible often while multitasking; using the remote to change the television channel, taking a bite out of my sandwich or checking my mobile phone for messages with the other hand.  I hate to waste time. 

I do it quite often, about three times a week, to check for any changes and it is a bit like anything you do regularly.  Somehow you forget the bit about being relaxed before you start and sitting with your feet flat on the floor or making sure that you take your readings at the same time of the day if you are trying to compare them.

My friend visited me the other day just as I was about to get started and I saw no reason not to get it done while we were having a cup of tea, but my methods came up in conversation as we chatted and had a biscuit, and she offered a comment or two.  The experience reminded me that it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of a refresher course. 

So I took a look on the internet to remind me of the secret of getting an accurate reading and, I have found some pointers which I would like to pass on to the blood-pressure taking, LPG-reading public.

A telephone call leaves your GP relatively blind in my view, while a video call leaves him, at best, relatively short sighted, so we may as well arm them with the best readings that we can. 

EL, Forest Hill.

EL shares a quick self-blood-pressure monitoring refresher course…

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