Blood pressure monitors are an amazing invention for those of us who are prone to high or low blood pressure levels
. But, its hard to make up your mind when it comes to buying one. There are so many different options and how do you figure out which one is the right one for you? We think the following 4 steps will get you started:
1) Ask your doctor
This is an obvious first step. But, a lot of people skip this and go straight to the websites and asking other people what they use. For anyone dealing with hypertension, talking to your physician is the best approach. Even though your your doctor or a member of his office staff measures your levels, dont forget that the readings they see are only a snapshot at a specific time of the day. Since he knows what your situation is, he will be able to suggest the best type of monitor for you.
2) Shopping around
Your search starts by checking out different retail catalogues and comparison shopping sites where you can look at specs and sort by price. Note down model numbers and different features so that you can get an idea or what features are available in basic models and what are some of the advanced features.
3) Your specific condition
There are as many different monitors as there are problems that people face. Be aware of the details when you begin your search. For example, lets say you had an irregular heartbeat and wanted a monitor to specifically address this. For you, a Panasonic EW 3153 monitor might serve your needs. What if you and another member of your family wanted to share a blood pressure monitor. For the two of you EW 3153 will still work because it stores data for up to two people. Some monitors have volume controls. This can be very useful feature to keep in mind too.
4) User community
This is the most common approach that people take. Its likely that other friends of yours who have hypertension keep track of blood pressure levels using some device. These people can be great resources for weeding out the bad monitors. Another good resource would be forums and social networks where people who are dealing with hypertension or other medical problems communicate online. You could also check out user reviews on Amazon or Walmart. A lot of people shop online and a small percentage of folks make it a point to leave good or bad reviews. Use both during your research.