Your doctor may use a blood pressure diary to review your blood pressure numbers at home and see how your treatment is working. You still need to see your doctor regularly, but a blood pressure diary gives you something to talk about.
Before you start measuring, see the American Heart Association's instructions for preparation and positioning when measuring your blood pressure at home. You need to have a validated automatic upper arm blood pressure monitor and an appropriately sized cuff. Take two measurements one minute apart every time you check your blood pressure.
Record the date, the time, the top number and the bottom number on every measurement. Record both readings for each session. The American Heart Association provides a printable diary. If your blood pressure monitor can save your measurements, use those too, as long as you know how to show them to your doctor.
Ask your doctor when you should measure, how often, and how many days of readings you should bring to your appointment. Ask your doctor what your target numbers should be, and what numbers should trigger a call. Bring your monitor and the current list of medications you are taking with the diary. Ask your doctor to check that you are using your monitor correctly and compare it with the one in the office.
If your numbers are normal, do you still need to take your medicine? Anling's December 2022 podcast discusses this question. Your medicine may be keeping your numbers down. Ask your doctor about stopping your medicine before changing it. Do not stop or change your medicine on your own.
If you are seeing Anling Health in Sunrise or Coconut Creek for regular blood pressure follow-up, ask the office how to send your blood pressure diary to your clinician.
If you have warning signs of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 even if you have not yet measured your blood pressure. Don't wait for a doctor to call you. If your blood pressure is very high, follow the action steps for repeat measurements and emergency care provided by the American Heart Association. Do not wait until your next appointment.
The question about medicine is paraphrased from Anling's podcast. Measurement, blood pressure diary and emergency information comes from the linked American Heart Association sources.
Prepared with AI assistance and checked against the linked sources. General patient education; follow your clinician's instructions for your care.