The blood pressure measurer arrived, and I've been trying it out. It's very easy to use!
You put it round your wrist, fasten the Velcro, and press the on button. A motor tightens the Velcro, this must be analogous to the way that the doctor pumps up the cuff. Then it slackens it, and then it displays the results.
It says, for me, systolic 165 (that's the pressure when the heart is pumping), diastolic 100 (that's the pressure when the heart isn't actually pumping) and a pulse rate of 55
It means that, according to the device, my blood pressure is a bit high and my pulse rate is that of a well-conditioned athlete. When I was at the doctor the other day, she did comment about my low pulse rate, and she wasn't concerned about my blood pressure.
I'm not confident that the device is accurate on pressure. What I'll do is, next time I'm at the surgery, they have a public blood pressure measurer (sphygmomanometer)
so I'll use that, and also this little electronic device, and that will give me a calibration. These digital sphygmomanometers aren't as accurate as the kind the doctors use.
The home ones vary in accuracy, but the ones that work on your upper arm are generally more accurate than the ones on your wrist.
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