The last time I saw my primary doctor my blood pressure was 131/85. He immediately started talking about putting me on blood pressure medicine. I told him I barely had a chance to sit down when I came into the office and to give me five minutes. They came back in five minutes and took it and it was 125/83. He asked me what did I do and I told him I did deep breathing. He told me that's dangerous trying to control your blood pressure with deep breathing. I think it's dangerous going to doctors who don't even understand Human physiology. I'm on my own.
131/85 wouldn't be high enough to put you on medication anyway. Although the approach is changing now from a national statistics point of view to further reduce heart disease numbers etc. But to me high blood pressure is still anything over 140 and anything under isn't worth the side effects of medication.
ABSOLUTELY! However, It would do no good ! Patients are just cattle that they want to hurry through as fast and as many as they can! $$$$$$$ I was a nurse for 43 years! I remember the day they presented us with the electronic blood pressure machines ! I did not like them then and I do not like them today!!! I carry my manual cuff and stethoscope with me to my doctor appointments! I have changed cardiologist 3 times in the last few years for this very reason !! I think I have a good cardiologist now. He was very upset because I did not have many reports for him to look back on.
I went back to school to get my nurse practitioners license, and I was absolutely amazed at how many take pressures incorrectly. I always make the patient sit quietly for five minutes without talking, sit upright legs uncrossed and actually not talk for five minutes. Most of the patients that I see inpatient in the hospital have family with them and I always let them know that I want them to sit quietly without talking to the family for five minutes and I’ll be back to take the pressure. I just let them know. I want their pressure to be the most accurate and I don’t want it any higher than it naturally is. The patients always appreciate this Their arm should be resting on a pillow, palm side up. Make sure the cuff is skin to skin when taking the pressure in the upper arm. Also, make sure the cord is located near the antecubital space (inner elbow). And, like he mentions never over clothing ever. It takes a little longer and my colleagues laugh but this is important. You need an absolute correct pressure. They don’t call it a vital for nothing.
00:30 #1 Over clothing 01:09 #2 Arm not horizontal 01:43 #3 Cuff too tight 03:12 #4 Not testing rested 05:10 #5 Full bladder 05:38 #6 Legs crossed 06:11 #7 Caffeine 07:26 #8 Wrong arm 08:42 #9 Wrist monitor 10:35 #10 Talking 11:20 #11 One take
What about the size of the cuff? I am,.unfortunately , a big lady and my arms are sometimes too big for the regular cuff. I don't know which one to buy. Please help me.
@@aidagonzalez1299 hi, big arms here as well... we have a brand called "Omron", the cuff is perfect for our arms. It is type "OMRON M3 HEM-7154-E". Best regards from The Netherlands.
Welp, it's official, I've been tested, and told to take my own tests, all incorrectly for years now. I even brought in my BP machine and showed them how I did it and they said it's all good. Apparently, no, I've been wrong. I've been doing it over a light shirt, dangling the arm, tightening the cuff about as tight as it can go, and not fully rested. Crazy. And, yes, not only had I been put on one med for years, I just recently got bumped up to a combo BP medicine: Lisinopril and HCTZ.
I'm never in doctor's offices, and no one is putting me on meds, but there are a number of these things happening often enough from either visits to donate blood, or from many years ago when I last saw a doctor. The shirt sleeve business would probably take the top slot for the errors even being aware intuitively all along that that wouldn't be quite the right way. The coffee would be a close second especially if it counts for 2-3 hours.
Last GP visit my doc tested my blood pressure on my right arm over a long sleeved T-shirt and after I'd walked to the office. Declared me to have high blood pressure. Repeated 5 mins later with same result. I said I would test at home. Using these recommendations my blood pressure is actually very normal. Im losing faith in the medical profession.
You should have contacted that GP and told him of your findings, including his own bad practices that contributed to the high readings. A request for a refund of fees would not be amiss.
Well as a retired Registered Nurse of 44 years, I agree with you Adam we were always taught this and I am talking of way back in 1971. One thing that many do ot realise is that t diastolic (or the lower number) pressure is the most important reading because that is the pressure that is exerted inside of a person's arteries all the time and if this pressure is much over 85 mm/Hg then this is what causes the artery walls to thicken and eventually over time harden and that is when a person will get into the area of heart and artery diseases. Of course, the higher number is important but the lower number is sadly overlooked and often forgotten about with the resulting issues associated with it..
@@johngoard8272 Hi! Love This Video! One thing I was taught, when I learned how to take a blood pressure was to not place your own thumb onto the head of your stethoscope because you run the risk of hearing your own heartbeat & should instead place your pointer finger on one side of it & your middle finger on the other. The nurse at my Doctor's office Not Only Uses Her Thumb But ALSO Does Everything You Shared To Not Do!!! Some I Hadn't Heard & I Thank You For The Information & Plan to Speak Up At My Next Appointment For Better Testing Technique!!! 🩺
Not trying to dispute your comment, but I am a trained first aid officer, and taking blood pressure readings was never a part of my training. The aim of First Aid is to keep the patient alive until they can receive appropriate medical care. DRSABCD
@@MKA63I agree but if the patient has severe hypertension 200/110 for example. Dealing with the BP can be needed to keep the patient alive. (Stroke), for me. I am a RN.35+ I understand your point. We both do what is needed for our job and the person. Thank you for all you do. Saving lives is always #1.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes youwonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
The last time I visited the doctor, a nurse rushed me down the hall, sat me down, and immediately applied an automated BP machine to my left arm, over my clothing. She talked the whole time. Those machines, when inflated, feel crushingly tight. I'm surprised my BP was only 142/90. Compare that to an old-school device, administered by a gentle, silent nurse who let me sit for at least five minutes before taking a reading. 110/70.
Ahhhh. Can you believe over 2 million people have watched this video? This is a phenomenal video. Measuring blood pressure is a team effort. The leader of the team is YOU. Every millimeter of mercury counts!
This video is an eye opener for most people.Most GPs and nurses use the arm that they find closest to the computer desk. While the blood pressure cuff is being applied the doctor or the nurse will be asking the patient various questions about their health while inflating the bp machine.This is a wrong method and needs to be stopped. When the patient wants to roll up the sleeve of the arm that the blood pressure cuff is to be applied,the doctor or the nurse will say it is okay not to roll up the sleeve. I am a retired qualify nurse and and from the old school. Many thanks to you for this video and all the others.
@@agnesnewton7057 that’s what nurse or Dr tell me. Its ok to take BP over the sleeves. Many are not taught properly or don’t want to take the proper lessons given.
You did an excellent job and i wish people spread this news because it is very lacking all over.nurses doctor helpers everyone does not know how to take the blood pressure RIGHT THIS ALL WAS SO RIGHT.THANK YOU AND KEEP IT GOING.
Every single thing that you named, happens to me every time I go. I went today and SADLY I checked all your numbers (no wrist monitor) and doctor increased my meds. I find that to cover all that you suggest, seems almost impossible. Up at 6am, had 2-3 small coffees, at 9am drove on busy highway cursing crazy drivers, walked from parking lot in the rain, walked up to his office at in 7 min. I had a cuff on my arm (over shirt, first time ever). Sitting with my legs crossed, arm half way down, reading on the wall what happens when you have hyper tension. I'am both frighten and agitated, the nurse walks in and says.. your pressure is high. I busted wanted to scream. After listening to you today it may be the first time I don't feel hopeless about it. Thank you Adam
@@janeballet And learn what you can do to lower your blood pressure. Mine is unstable, and while it goes up when I'm stressed and agitatitated it nearly always goes down if I run up stairs or do some physical work. Therefore it is nearly always perfect when I go to the dr, but will sometimes drop alarmingly if I do hard work, and be very high if I dont do much, when I get up in the morning ect. Meditation has helped a bit but what has helped the most is learning to breathe properly, and having a daily breathing practice with many times reminding myself during the day. There are heaps of good breathing videos on YT, I find heart coherant breathing the best, but it doesnt stress the importance of breathing through the nose - at least the in breath. James Nestors book "Breathing" is excellent. Good breathing really can help lower BP and avoid unessessary amounts of medication. Get a digital bp monitor and take your BP, then do a few minutes of good breathing and take it again. Repeat that and it will most likely be making a downward dive.
MONITOR yourself at home and only take bites of the pills so you stay in range. Very seriously watch yourself and pay attention to what you ate or did when it's high. Otherwise, you have to just take the drugs and consequences.
I had hypertension last year. My mom died of hypertension. I refused to take meds and i lowered it naturally with beet juice, less carbs, swimming 4 times a week, gardening, mediation, and adopting an old cat . I take magnesium, a daily vitamin, tumeric and inulin in a smoothie daily. I was pretty healthy my whole life but hypertension is common on my moms side.
I am on blood pressure med. and at one point I told the dr. I felt dizzy when I bent down , when I get up . I was told to cut my pill in half. I still get dizzy now even when I skip my half pill once in a while . I am 73 years old and my pressure is rarely high as I take my pressure at home.. The down side I don’t have a doctor anymore and it could take years to have anyone. In Canada some provinces we are lacking doctors.
@@Marianayellowbanana I started doing 5:2 fasting regime (Michael Mosely) before pandemic, I didn’t have a specific goal, just thought I’d give it a crack. At the same time I was regularly taking my BP and recording on an app. Was on BP meds at the time. After about 6 months there was little change in my weight, but my BP had reduced down into the normal range. I got off the BP meds (Dr supervised/approved) and, even after ceasing 5:2 fasting, have not had any meds nor high BP readings….
I love #9. Waiting in a dentist's office in a relaxed environment before getting your blood pressure taken. Knowing you are there to have your teeth drilled on or pulled. Very relaxing.
@@jestillwell1964 Meh, I’m more relaxed at the dentist than the doctor. I know what to expect at the dentist, but at the doctor I’m worried about their diagnosis.
Pumping up the cuff until it causes the patient significant pain is also something that can raise blood pressure. That happens a lot. I have normal blood pressure and I always have to argue with the nurses. Their reply is that it's "standard" to pump it up to over 200. My blood pressure is normally around 120/65. Yet the repeated episodes of my arm getting tightly constricted, and painfully pinched, has given me white coat syndrome.
Yeah, those clinical nurses who seat you in the room should listen better. Lately, the nurses I’ve been dealing with have been argumentative and very stubborn about how you were supposed to tolerate the pain of taking the blood pressure. I don’t know what is happened to nurses, but they are just bullies now. Of course that’s going to elevate my blood pressure. It’s amazing. They don’t understand that.
On May 9th I had an appointment. I felt like my arm was being amputated. It hurt so bad I was afraid to breathe. There is no table to relax my arm on. The bp reading was 191/95. I told the doctor my blood pressure has never been that high. The nurse had to take my bp again and the only thing that was done different was she said I could relax my arm on her shoulder. Just by doing that my bp reading was 163/92. I take my bp at home and it averages at 133/85. I probably won't go back to that doctor office.
I use to work in a primary care clinic for 18 yrs and I must say that the doctors’ offices are all under strict time restraints. I would never talk to my patients while taking a BP; I used the left arm and propped the arm on the level handle of the machine. Our patients were closely monitored at home for at least 6 months before meds were prescribed. Hence is why the video is titled ‘Your own BP.’ Medical staff in the comments stating they didn’t know this basic skill is..Wild! Teach on! 👍🏼
Exactly I personally don’t know any physician who would prescribe medication for one high reading not even for 2 high readings. Apparently reading the comments it seems to happen frequently. 🤔😏
I am a nurse, very recently retired. This doctor is so spot on! Thank God. In my experience, whenever I take the BP, I tell the patient to take a deep breath and to relax and drop their shoulder and think of lying on the beach in Spain. It almost always work if the first reading is high and I discourage them to talk as well.
I have a house on a beach in France, and never lay there! Only go to the beach late when all the naked boobs are gone and most people! I walk all over! Went there since I was a tiny kid! 75 now!
Oh my gosh. Had my blood pressure tested by my doctor a couple of weeks ago. I began to take off my thick knitted jumper (sweater) and the Dr told me no need to and put the cuff over the jumper. I thought that was odd but I didn’t want to argue with her. Doc said my blood pressure was slightly high. Well after that I bought a home blood pressure monitor and appreciate all the information in this video of how to use it correctly.
@@towmlvb3423 I really admire this doctor for being so honest. Doctors are always discovering new things - you can never stop learning about the human body.
10:57, I've never heard a more truthful statement than this, you are so dead-on point with this observation. That's what all of them do, no matter how nice the staff are, & I've never seen it any different.
This is the best video I have seen on this topic. I'm 73 and have had all of these mistakes done to me. I can't tell you how many times I have had to request 'the right way' without letting them know I think they are dopes for not knowing the basics. Twice I have had it so tight I nearly screamed... and I gave birth to my second child without painkillers and am still a tough old bat. Don't even get me started on the different medications I have been subjected to. Terrible side effects or one doctor kept increasing the dose up to 100mg and reading was just getting higher each time until another doctor switched me to something that works better for a 4mg dose.
Well thanks for the warning about bringing up your medications. Side effect issues are no joking mater for sure. Now that you are equipped with this new information, you should be able to fully control the situation when submitting to your next Blood Pressure exam. Your kind comment about this video exposes a soft side of your tough old bat status. God Bess.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
@@mikebryant5702 I've also wondered about slightly faulty equipment giving high readings. In our community of a few hundred people only, it feels as though we always get handed down equipment that the larger clinics hours away have downsized to our clinic. All clinics and hospitals are with the same health system here, so they share equipment or move it around.
As a retired Paramedic, it frustrates me to no end all the "mistakes" made by nurses aids, nurses, and in some cases even physicians when checking BP. I of course correct them all when they check mine improperly. One thing you neglected to mention was cuff size, though you indirectly covered the reason under cuff "tightness". Cuffs come in different sizes and if you use a smaller cuff on a very large upper arm, you will get false elevated readings as well. Thanks Adam for putting this video together. It will no doubt help many people.
@@salthart57 the follow up video has cuff size as well as 8 other mistakes. I didn’t want to make a video titled “19 Mistakes… “ because that is overwhelming. Also Heather will be offended, so I kept it at 11.
I've had a few paramedics screw up as well. Taking it over my shirt, wrong arm and so forth. First words out of their mouth…"Bub, you need to be on BP medicine." When I tell them I have chronic anxiety and I show them my BP machine with the correct readings….they go silent.
Excellent presentation. I am a nurse, and agree 100% with you. I have seen blood pressures taken incorrectly in the clinics, and always have to correct the nurse , and the Dr. They also have these overhead BP monitors, which are horrible. Placed a few feet above your head, placed a few feet above my head sometimes shows my BP high, as much as 30 to 40 points higher than what I get at home. I ask the Dr. to do a manual BP, when this happens. There is always a huge difference. Sometimes patients are afraid to complain to the nurse or Dr, about the way their BP is taken. Thank you so much. You are spot on.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Excellent recommendations…. As a practicing Cardiologist, for over 47 years, I’ve seen significant variations in BP readings in the Rt & Lt arms. I check the BP in both arms , during the 1st visit. I use the Rt arm readings for monitoring the response to BP medications. I’ve also seen lower readings in the Lr arm, with normal readings in the Rt arm.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
I went to the doctor last week. Knowing my 'white coat syndrome' is coming, I tested my own BP that morning at 6 AM. Over 3 rounds, 112 / 78 was my average in a resting state. At the doctor's office at 9 AM, I tested out at 140 / 90, twice. That is significant and it happens every time. I have to explain this yearly.
Same here, I now always take BP twice a day, 2 rounds each (3 if results varied significant between round 1 and 2) for a couple of days before Doctors appointment. Last time I my BP was 117/74 before going to the doctor and 132/92 at the doctor's office.
the problem is you probly dont understand how to do it properly and you just get confused with all the numbers you should let your doctor do it because they are trained on how to do it and they understand what the numbers are
Wow! Just this morning I had my annual physical (age 65), and my blood pressure was 27 points higher than usual 130/85. Doc put me on BP med. I was very surprised and so glad I saw this video. 9 out of 11 mistakes mentioned here were made by the nurse including wrong arm, coffee intake on empty stomach, talking, etc. Fortunately, my doc also gave me a 1 month log to maintain so I am going to check at home and then start meds IF it is consistently high. Thank You for this video.
One of the times my doctor took my blood pressure l summoned the courage to tell him that maybe my pressure was usually higher in his office than at home or at the drug store was because he tightened it to a painful level. He said it shouldn't make a difference. When a nurse at the hospital kept talking during the BP test, l asked her politely to stop and start again while postponing the question period for afterward.
Patients have "white coat" hypertension. This means that we get nervous seeing our doctor and our BP goes a little high. Check your BP at home and record the results for about a week (in the morning after you have emptied your bladder). Doctors are not mind readers or super human. They just went to school longer and have a bigger paycheck. Big deal.
On April 30th, I live in the Chicagoland area. I had a doctor's appointment. I just turned 65. I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure since 2005 or 2006. That doctor put me on Lisinopril 40mg, once a day. Still taking it. In 2018 I had pneumonia, then a different doctor prescribed Metoprolol Tartrate 50mg, 1 tablet twice a day with meals. The doctor I saw on last Tuesday. After watching your video. The nurse did about 3 wrong ways to check my BP. 1) Took my To soon. 2) Used wrist cuff in my right wrist. 3) the nurse put my hand over my heart. 4) My feet was off the floor on the bench. 161/121 was my reading. Didn't repeat at the end of the appointment. Thank you for this information. I will say something next time anybody takes my BP. Kevin.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Very interesting. I'm 56 years old. Never had high blood pressure. Went to 3 months after my physical and it was 144 over 100. I'm now checking it at home. Very informative informative.
This gentleman must have a hidden camera in my house somehow. In March of 2023 I had heart surgery. I have done these readings twice a day since then. I do EVERYTHING he has in this video. For anyone else I strongly urge you to memorize this video.
Loved this information, I’m a CNA and I always take my clients blood pressure on the right side . I noticed tho that when I do go to the doctors office they sometimes have used it on my left arm. I didn’t think 🤔 it made such a difference, now I know better.Thank you for all this information.😊
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
If you search the internet you find all kinds of statements: left arm, right arm and both arms. On some websites they even state the right arm is preferred. Very confusing.
You are the best! I've watched LOTS of your videos and have learned so much. I am 79 and recently started working with the Univ. of Colo. School of Dentistry to get my teeth all fixed up. The first thing that they do is take your blood pressure. My readings were always high (like 171/80). which, even for my extreme stress with dentists was off the charts for me. (My blood pressure often used to be lower than the doctors wanted to see!) After watching some of your videos, I realized all the things that they were doing wrong and corrected them by telling them how to do it right - always take it on the LEFT arm (they were taking it on the right arm), feet up in a tipped position in the dentist chair, legs possibly crossed, etc. I had learned something and the students learned as well! After one session when my BP was still in the 171/80 range, I watched more of your videos, did your exercises before driving to my next session, did deep breathing during my very stressful long drive in heavy traffic, took time after walking to the building and made sure that I was more relaxed and in the right positions with the cuff on my left arm. Low and behold, my BP was 136/71 (and that was after I had had a couple cups of coffee a couple hours earlier!). I then bought a good monitor and began taking my own BP at home. It's still a bit higher than it used to be when I was younger, but I'm finding out a lot about when it is high and when it is lower. My low reading is now 121/68. I do see a big increase (148/71) if I have had caffein, so that will be out whenever I go to an appointment. Thanks for all the information and teaching!
After watching this video, I wonder how good the doctors and nurses are at the medical centre we've been to over 10 years. How the GP took my blood pressure, it all depends on how their desk positions in the room. They had taken my blood pressure on my right arm, because that's how the desk was positioned; asked me questions during testing; on top of my sleeves, because it was too tight that I couldn't roll it up. As for their nurses, I had experienced 3 times, according to the mistakes you mentioned, I wasn't sitting in a proper position and definitely not at a resting stage, my readings were 180+ 😳, while my readings from home were normal. It was fortunate that before my last visit, the GP asked me to take 2 readings per day for 2 weeks. I quited drinking coffee and my readings have been perfect. So the GP took my home readings and declared my blood pressure is normal!
My mother tongue is Spanish but you speak and your pronunciation is very cleat. Great video help me a lot because I used to use a wrist monitor to control my blood pressure and was a big mistake, Until one night my blood pressure went up a lot and I had to visit a doctor who checked that the blood pressure was high. Went to a cardiologist and he confirmed my blood pressure was high, so he prescribed me medication and I purchased a new monitor like the one you use in the video. Your 11 points you explain in the video are very helpful. Thank you so much.
Doc, this was very helpful and wanted to leave you a note of thanks. Covid gave me Afib and Heart Failure in 2020 and I've gone through all the daily B.P. monitoring since at different intervals. I'm doing it right now as my Afib has been acting up, somewhat, and we'll consider about a Defibrilator coming up possibly. Nobody ...even in the Doctors and Cardiologists office has ever thoroughly explained measuring blood pressure accurately and it doe's make a huge difference in the readings we get with each of these things you're saying. Very good on this man, and I really appreciate being shown Blood Pressure Readings at Rest!
If you read the directions on any home blood pressure machine it explains every single step that this doctor explains but when you go to your doctor they break just about every rule there is. I definitely think that most people are misdiagnosed. Incentive for profit? Who knows. I brought my machine in to check against my docs and it’s just about on spot. Trust your own readings in your own environment and take record of your own readings.
I have a top-of-the-line Omron, and it most certainly does NOT say to use only the left arm. In fact, instructions include directions on how to use on either arm. Dr. Storey's other 10 points have merit, however.
IF,IF, IF. Probably the most important two letter word in our vocabulary, even God uses it quite a bit i.e. “If you will be my people, I will be your God.”
@@justayoutuber1906 and you know what I have been going to a Chiropractor for the last 15 years of my life and when the Chiropractor took it, not the nurse it was always normal. Before when I was seeing a Medical Doctor the nurse would take my blood pressure and was it always higher and they wanted to put me on medication but I refused. Now I understand why!! So to just say this guy is a Chiropractor doesn't really matter because my Chiropractor did it the right way and my blood pressure was always between 125/ 70 and 130/75 and he would never tell me to go to a Medical Dr. for treatment that would have been a disaster for my long term health.
@@justayoutuber1906Exactly, I was surprised after hearing he is a chiropractor n not in the profession of the cardiologist dept.However he did his homework well to understand it better the GP/cardiologist I have gone to.
Thanks Doc. I am now an educated self administering bp tech. I now recognize my wild swing of higher blood pressure readings after coffee in the morning.
I have white coat syndrome due to my mother being hysterical about taking any medication for as long as I can remember (early childhood) to her death from a heart attack aged 59. It sub consciously coloured all my interactions with doctors from then on.However what has always shocked me is how indifferent doctors have been to my telling them this They will INSIST on taking my BP, then seemed shocked when it goes through the roof THEN take it again to the point where I literally had no pulse on one occasion. I can't tell you how many times I have been LECTURED about this, like its something I can control..Personally I see no worth in this procedure as there are so many many flaws in it..From the arbitrary 'normal' which was based on a young fit Marine in the 1940's...to the conditions under which its taken..to even the number of times its taken within an hour..Too many doctors are ignorant on this matter...I prefer my home monitor ..
I have white coat syndrome, too. Every single time I have my BP tested in DR or dentist office its super high. When I take it at home resting it's normal. I bring in my smart phone BP app and show them my numbers if they feel like looking. If not, I dont care what those numbers at the DR office display anymore. I tell them it's normal outside a DR office and we move on. No discussion of meds. Sometimes you got to take control of your own health since you know your body better than anyone.
So this is important when diagnosing. As this is considered possibly Hypertension as well due to the strain on your vascular system. If you chart your BP and notate what your activity is this is helpful for the dr to discern if it is true HTN or not.
Sometimes during the day, my BP is 130/88, but just as soon as I relax for a few minutes, it's in the 110's over 70's. I could never FOR THE LIFE OF ME, to get my doctor to understand that. 25 years he wanted me on BP meds, and now at age 45 my resting BP is 110/75. Never took a BP pill in my life and I never will.
Good for you! I was foolish enough to take meds prescribed by an APRN who actually claimed to favor more "natural" remedies. She kept upping and upping my dosage, from 10 mg Lisinopril daily to 20, and I went along with it, because I let her scare me that I was going to have a stroke or heart attack any time. I wound up with tinnitus and hearing loss in a matter of days after taking the high dose. It's permanent. I haven't taken any pills since, and my blood pressure is fine...go figure. Of COURSE it can go up if the first thing they do when you walk into the exam room from the waiting room and they take it immediately, or after you've been zipping around the house doing chores, or exercising. Mine drops too, once I relax. I hate pills.
My cardiologist always says take a reading then a couple of minutes later take it again and that's the the reading you should use and always on the left arm.
@@mariawithington5116 I agree. Mine drops substantially a few minutes after coming in from the waiting room and sitting down. If I take it immediately, it's almost always higher.
I went to my Cardiologist after having back surgery just as a follow up. They determined my pressure was high and started me on new meds. Then told me to track it daily and to come back in a couple months. I did as was told and checked twice a day and plotted it on a spreadsheet and added a graph. The doctor was happy to see it and said keep up the good work. A year latter I saw a different doctor. I walked in and gave him my spreadsheet and graph, he laughed at me and told me I was wasting my time. Next time I went back, I made sure I did not see that doctor again.
They are both right. Chronic high blood pressure is diagnosed by taking several times a day for a couple of weeks. You cannot diagnose it by a single doctors visit. What might have made the doctor laugh is if you did it for many months or maybe the graph you made. Nevertheless the first doctor was not wrong...
@@khitir1500 The last doctor is not one of its kind. I see... your guess makes them right! It is not just a matter of right and wrong. Who should be relied on?
There is another factor that can lead to unusually high blood pressure readings, known as the "white coat effect." This refers to the phenomenon where some individuals experience elevated blood pressure when it is measured by medical professionals, likely due to anxiety or nervousness. However, it's important to note that this does not affect everyone and varies from person to person.
I’ll be 70 in July and have been managing an elevated BP since January with great success. I do it in my reading chair after going to the bathroom every morning and usually start off around 135/75 but after relaxing for a few minutes am able to bring it down to around 110/70. My doctor was stoked at my last visit. Been watching your videos, following your advice, and checked off on all 11 do’s the first time through. Thanks for the advice! Feeling pretty stoked.
I turned 64 last week and I've had the same I'm finally off two bp meds I was on for 30 years all because of White Coat Syndrome. My BPs are running less than 130/80.
Brilliant doctor. You have won hearts of millions of citizens But you may have been cursed by many medical professionals who have been violating the procedures .
Last time the GP took mine he used my right arm, was talking with me about CANCER, expecting me to answer and provide background information, and preparing to refer me to a gynaecologist for further tests. He (whom I had never met before) had also just performed an vaginal exam on me! Funnily enough, my BP was off the scale high. Ludicrous!
Good advice, but 4 points I want to make: 1) I used to have a left-thumb blood pressure monitor from Japan some 30 some years ago. I’d say it’s as accurate as my arm BP monitor. The key point is put it to heart level. The wrist BP monitors should be equally accurate as their technical designs are made for that purpose. 2) All BP monitors need calibration. I’d bring my own to the hospital and GP and cross check if their reading aligned (+- with 10 systolic). You won’t believe it, but at least 3 times in the last 20 years, I spotted the devices in the hospital/clinic were malfunctioning, once on mine. Ageing of the advice and I just replaced it. 3) I take 3 measurements within 5 minutes to get an average of my BP. Usually the first one is highest, and the last one is lowest. 4) Take off your watch before taking a measure. some watch bands are too tight.
Wrist units vary too much, most probably the ideal conditions are very difficult to achieve. Isn't 3 times within 5 minutes too rushed?! I thought the arm needed more time to get into a relaxed condition for another measurement.
Wrist monitors should NOT be used they are not accurate. Smart watches should NEVER be used to measure BP, as they use light / PPG technology and deliver very inaccurate results. Only inflating cuffs placed in the correct position (upper arm) can provide fairly accurate results, not watches and not wrist monitors. Wrist monitors with inflating bands (and not PPG) will give better readings but not as accurate as upper arm monitors !
remember a few years ago when they lowered the acceptable readings and millions more people were put on meds. I was put on lisinipril (snake venom) and had horrible side effects, then switch to amlodipine a year or so ago, well i was feeling tired and when i walked it felt like my ankles were gonna break, then knees hurt, then my elbows hurt and couldn't straighten them out, then my big toes hurt like gout, plus coughing and tired all the time. I quit it a few days ago and I'm feeling much better, jumped up from sitting and wow, my ankles were fine, my arms no longer hurt and i can straighten them all the way, knees fine too, no more joint pain and my cough is almost gone plus feeling like i have more energy and can accomplish more chores around the house. Plus many words were escaping me and now coming back
@@donabuie5256 I quit it all few months ago and my 6 month vist to doc was a week ago and had good bp 125/73. He never said wow thats good, nothing, quite, like he was upset. I told him I wasn't on any bp meds and when I checked out they said come back when you feel like it, no 6 month apt. I think he sh*tcanned me.
So thank you for educating the public. As a recently retired cardiologist after 39 years of practice, I would add a couple things to help get an accurate BP. One of the most important is body position. The patient must be seated, again for T least 5-10 minutes as you stated, with both feet planted on the floor and back resting against the back of the chair. So often BPs are taken with the patient sitting on an exam table with legs dangling and back not rested. Yes the left arm is ideal but on initial exam BP should be taken in both arms to exclude subclavian stenosis giving artificially low BP. From that point arm I am in disagreement that the left arm only dictum.
My doctor had me return to the clinic for a series of blood pressure checks. The first day I waited an hour. After asking the receptionist what was taking so long? She couldn't tell me they were busy since I was the only patient left. Finally, I collected my stuff and started to leave, right away the door opens and I'm greeted by a nurse who takes by BP, of course by BP way very high! I called the clinic and complained and told my doctor that I would no longer waste my time going in. I started to monitor my own BP and took it on my next visit. What sense is asking a patient to go in for a BP check and have them sit on their butt for an hour? I started monitoring my own blood pressure and showed the doctor on my next appointments!
I know that feeling. I had to have my BP checked five times by the practice nurse just before Covid. The reason being was that I also needed to have blood tests at the same time. The last blood test produced less than a teaspoon full, I told them no more blood tests and no more BP checks as each time they were way higher than when I did them. I went to see my GP a few weeks later, her comment was I don't know why they are bothering as there is nothing wrong with my blood, and there wasn't a problem with my BP, not even their readings. Can't be a DIY job!
Followed your channel for nearly 3 years. So far your advices on how to lower BP (excercise, diet & breathing excercise) has helped me significantly. My twice daily monitoring is stable at below 120/80 from 135/85.
UHH. I LOVE YOUR VIDEO!!! I have written about this before. Firstly, thank you for showing people how to take their blood pressure. However, individuals in the medical profession DO NOT follow procedures properly when taking BP. When the BP is taken in the doctor's office, IT IS often DONE INCORRECTLY! Never do they mention emptying your bladder..wait and rest for 5 minutes and better yet, the Nurse/CNA/LPN will talk to the patient while they are checking the BP. The problem lies in the fact that these readings are what they based medication on. Even when a patient brings in their numbers from home, the doctor’s office goes by their nurses reading in the office knowing full well they have done it incorrectly. If the patient points it out professionally, it is NEVER well received. I feel the cardiology community should be taken to review boards on this matter...Frequently I think of how many patients are receiving medication dosages based on incorrect readings. I changed cardiologists because of it. I even asked my last cardiologist why I was on the medication and why I was prescribed a beta blocker. I did this because my primary doctor mentioned to me that I should ask him, because he had me on stuff for lowering heart rate but not pressure and it is for people that have had a heart attack. ( which I have NEVER HAD). HE COULD NOT AND DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER to my question…So, slowly began weaning myself off of that stuff. I tried hibiscus tea… CHANGED MY DIET which was the most important thing… I tried a number of things, such as...started taking a glove of garlic every day... Take 30G of whey protein……beet juice… I didn’t take all of these at once, but I took them at different times over a year to find which was most effective for my body. I found that all of them work, but the duration is what I had to closely monitor. I had to take the beet juice 2-3 times a day, but my caution was the sugar...Hibiscus tea….Again I took it 3 times a day..Whey protein was VERY effective, but some of the research mentioned it my cause nasal congestion and I noticed it was giving me congestion, but my BP was VERY GOOD with WHEY! So the next thing I tried was garlic. The one clove of raw garlic has become my #1 because so far, it is VERY EFFECTIVE!. I peel it and crush it and it works for a full 24 hours... Let’s not forget, I walk every day for 45 minutes to 1 hour every morning(the beach walk clears my head in the morning) I work out 6 times and week and lost weight.
Thank you for all this useful information you are giving to the public. I'm a nurse from the 70's and had to do everything you just described. In the outpatient dept. in medical appointments, if you put the cuff on wrong as a student nurse, or did anything you've described, then the consultant would tear it off and put it on himself teaching you in the process, how to do it properly, otherwise as you say it gives a wrong reading. They don't seem to teach them the same these days and it was harder in the 70's when you had to listen to the change of tone in the artery with a stethoscope to get the correct reading. Thank you again from S. Wales in the Uk
As a former nurse I am horrified to say that if I tested every nurse and every doctor in New Zealand NOT ONE would pass. We were never taught the correct way to properly check blood pressures. Thank you Dr Adam for this very informative video. I am required to check my bp and record it regularly as I have extremely high readings because I have been doing it incorrectly. On March 30th last I was admitted to hospital with a bp of 250/143. No treatment was suggested only more drugs. I no longer take any drugs at all because I'm tired of the side effects. I have been resorting to natural remedies instead. Now after watching your "11 mistakes" video I am 😊 happily commencing your correct proceedure for bp reading. I am not overweight but lethargic and desperately need to exercise so I am following your suggestions for beginning and slowly building up. My primary care Dr will be so pleased to see the difference you have made 🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤ to help bring my bp down to a healthier level. Thank you so much. God bless you and may He help you to continue your amazing work. I will certainly telling everyone the correct way to perform their bp checks. Again thank you. Love❤❤❤❤your videos they are simple well explained and easy to follow. I am subscribed 😊🎉❤😊🎉❤
I was taught correctly and wouldn't pass any practitioner either. Likewise with hand hygiene or aseptic technique including an orthopaedic surgeon who injected my knee. He did his hands right but lifted the bin lid by hand to dispose of paper towels. 😢
they probly dont teach doctors what to do in new zealand and countrys like that and remember nurses are good at bandages and stuff but they dont know much about sciense and medical stuff
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Yes! Every time I go to my Dr, my bp is high. I told him it's because I'm at his office. Lol. When I check it at home, it's always in a normal range. Besides, knowing my bp rises every time I'm there, my mind/body decides, hey, we're here, time to increase. My Dr. allowed me a few months to monitor myself at home. I did so and took several readings throughout the day, wrote them down, and also made note of the time of day, recently had coffee, etc... He was happy with my numbers at my f/u and scheduled me for a yearly exam vs another f/u. Dr.s make me nervous (and I'm an RN 😮). Lol
It's like a comedy. Patient gets high blood pressure from seeing the doctor, doctor gives blood pressure meds, patient gets low blood pressure at home, doctor says "come to my office more often, so your pressure doesn't get too low."
I'm an Assistant in Nursing and I do medical observations constantly. The most common mistake is actually using defective/uncalibrated equipment. No one ever checks these things, they just use them day after day for months on end. The main wear and tear issue is the cuff stretching/developing small leaks. This gives you HIGHLY inaccurate, almost random readings yet most people (even doctors) will still record them! Always check a sphygmomanometer before using it to check patient blood pressure.
it all boils down to profit margins, most company are not run by doctors but money man with no principles. like when i got a marginal case of high cholesterols, instead of advising diet change , exercise first, Nooó the greedy doc insists on me taking statins, even that recommend 20 mg. Why not start with 10 mg n see the next blood test, nooooooo....Doctors are mostly licensed drug pushers working for profits. There was this husband n wife doctors who quit their jobs because their medical centers top executive ate pushing them to prescribe unneccessary expensive drugs to rich or insured patients to boost up profits. Humans are corrupt no matter what profession judges or doctors or traffic wardens and of course politicians, there will be a large portion of corrupted ppl in them. The moment power is given to humans to decide the fate of another, the soon will be corrupt.
The dials used to have a small "window" appearing mark at the bottom of where the gauge needle rests. If it wasn't within that window, it was considered "out of range" and needed calibration.
@@gpilsitz1783 I think most mechanical sphygmomanometers still have a red zone on the end for basic calibration but it's normally the cuff that is the issue. The gauge itself may develop leaks or other faults and these days it's easy to just throw it out and buy another rather than repair/recalibrate that component. The issue is how to actually check the equipment without dedicated specialist tools. Normally I just take my own blood pressure with it to see if it's in range. Not ideal but better than nothing.
An excellent video! My doctor in the past was trying to put me on BP meds for the longest time. My blood pressure resting is 108 / 65...they took my BP with all the mistakes you mention. So glad I didn't take meds!! Thank you!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU & THANK YOU for posting this!! Every time i go into a Dr's office they don't let you rest, they don't let you roll up your sleeve & after you walk in & sit they take it right then, no time to let that get into normal range. I just changed my primary care Dr & they are the first in years of going to the Dr to actually let me sit for 15 minutes & then took it. I was shocked. So this video needs to definitely go very viral. Thank you again.
Every doctor's office I've been in for over a decade has done one or more of those wrong methods of taking my blood pressure. I never thought they were doing it correctly but now I know for sure. Thank you!
thank you so much for this video! I literally cannot take blood pressure medicines. And I am generally running getting things done as the mother of many and with a sick husband. However, when they have tried to put me on blood pressure medicine, my blood pressure shoots up to 200/110 consistently, I get ready to pass out. I have headaches, neck, pain, get rashes, get itchy, back pain, weakness, red eyes, my hands, and feet swell, and so many other symptoms. I am literally allergic to blood pressure medicines, but deep, breathing exercises, the gym, and eating healthy are my best remedy. I don’t feel like if I’m running around all the time and I go up to 140/85 is horrible because when I can get to the gym, I am say 117/74. Blood pressure medicines are not for me. Thank you for your honesty.
12 днів тому
Thank you so much, Dr. Adam for this information. Most of the doctors make the mistakes you mentioned. They take it on the right arm, over the clothes, while talking with us, and do not give the patient time enough to relax. I am so glad I received your videos' notifications with this valuable information. Many blessings.
I found other ones too ....dehydration ,certain painkillers like voltaren , stress ,llike moving house ....low blood sugar ...water retention temporarily ,cold ,flu or infection .. ..im not one upping you .i found this great ! Its my contribution from battling doctors . .in the end ,i had a 24 hr test where i was at home and it was taken every half an hour .i also think if it hurts ,that an added stress . Many doctirs cant be bothered changing to the bug cuff ...
This makes me feel really good about my doctor’s office. I see a Nurse Practitioner and she has sometimes taken my blood pressure 3 times and had me do breathing. It was still too high but it wasn’t until the 2nd physical where this happened that she recommended medication as well as talking me through diet and other things like meditation. She even said that medication doesn’t have to be forever. I’m lucky, I guess! I can’t recommend the Tufts Medical network enough!
Excellent advise.I am a Cardiologist and i would like to complementary comment .As far as office BP measurments are concerned ,taking measurements on BOTH arms is a valid approach and should be performed at least once to compare both upper extremities.Personaly i have the habit to take 3 consecutive measurements starting at the left arm,then right arm and left arm again with one minute intervals.More often than not you notice a gradual drop in BP with the last 3d reading to be the lowest.If BP measurements of each reading is substantialy lower than the previous ,more rest time must be given to the patient for evaluation.In true hypertension the BP remains at same level regardless of how many times you measure it.If for some reason one arm (left or right) consistently shows higher BP values ,further measurments in the future should be made using that arm ! Not only measurements in both arms are important ,at least initially, taking comperative readings of lying down,sitting down and while standing is important.Especially the elderly ,during the summer season,when they have diabetes and/or when taking antihypertensive medications including diuretics ,we get a phenomenon called orthostatic hypotension.This is a sudden and substantial drop of BP when standing upright ,that may cause dizziness and even loss of consciousness.These patients may very well have BP measurements quite high when lying down ( over 150 systolic) that falls abruptly while standing up within seconds over 20 to over 50 mmHg .Its important to recognize this in order to withdraw all antihypertensive drugs at least momentarily.
Today I went to the VA Hospital in Long Beach, California. The nurse took my blood pressure over my long sleeve shirt. It"s not common but I was surprised that the doctor did the same thing. I did not argue so my readings were high. I have the white coat syndrome since 20 years ago. My BP at home in the right range because I am more relax.
Thank you for this!!! As a Nurse, I lose my mind when my PCP’s nurse takes my BP wrong and then do not sanitize the equipment. I mention it every single time and nothing changes!
Another item we can do away with is that 120/80 is normal BP ,perhaps if you are age 18...but BP normally might be higher at age 75 as that age groups ,normal.
As someone who has been through all this, a few comments. 1) Caffeine actually reduces my blood pressure. What happens is I had already changed to a very low sodium diet, but I do drink (too much) caffeine, and recognize that it could give an artificially high reading, but also, I was drinking caffeine during my busy period of the day when I really don't have the extra 10 minutes to settle down and do nothing. Hours later I do have time, and then the result is that the low sodium causes dehydration and lower blood volume, lower blood pressure. This is not just theory but observed through daily monitoring. Of course everyone is different. 2) Along with what I wrote above about not having the extra 10 minutes, I also realized that even though your BP reading is supposed to be resting, that if you are hardly ever in this resting state, then your resting blood pressure of relevance then effectively becomes whatever it is all day long. When I first started monitoring my blood pressure, I would literally try to sit very still, even controlled slow breathing, then realized that this is ridiculous because my BP would not be this at any other moment, no other time of day (possibly asleep, lol) and there's no real benefit to making it look like my BP is lower than it ever is in daily life. That just does me a disservice because my regular blood pressure all day long IS higher than that, not just my super-high-activity blood pressure. I also have a problem with blood pressure cuff tightness in that my arms are fairly muscular and if I put the cuff on straight, meaning straight (lol, overlapping and the velcro attaching like it should), then the muscle results in the upper side being about 1 finger tight, when the lower side can easily get 3 fingers in. Over a sleeve or not, I don't feel like that matters a lot. Yes it can change my BP by a single-digit, but if I'm that close to a high BP, it's not as though a single digit difference means I'm in or out of the woods, as my BP can vary that much from one day to the next anyway. IMO it is more important to be consistent in how you take it and also, of benefit to take your BP monitor with you when you visit your doctor so after s/he gets a reading, you can repeat it with yours to compare the numbers because sometimes those at-home BP monitors and/or the user's technique can make them less accurate. Ultimately I found that stress makes my BP rise more than anything (now that I'm on a lot sodium diet at least) and I am pretty aware that my BP will be high based on how I feel when I take the reading. Some people say you can't feel high BP but I definitely feel it.
But if your BP is very high when resting, imagine how high it is when walking and lifting things and going up the steps! Also, don’t think about a problem or a rude person when you monitor your BP. I have noticed that when I take my BP right away without resting that it is indeed higher. That number may be closer to that general or average BP reading you are talking about here!
Thank you for this, Dr. Story. I have asked at my own doctor’s office and I’ve only gotten vague and/or inaccurate answers. Your video has finally answered all of my questions.
Awesome advice. You could also mention a little more about white coat syndrome. I suffer this terribly. Had to buy my own monitor, and have a great Dr , so no meds needed. So many are on meds that don’t need to be , because they don’t take this step . Once you get stressed about getting it checked, it’s hard to get it down . I had to do check daily for a few weeks to get my real numbers as I was getting worked up even at home checking. Thanks 😊
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
All mistakes have been made for years (I'll withhold the name of the clinic). I drive 40 miles to the clinic after being up for a few hours, drinking a couple cups of coffee, 70 mph on the freeway with idiots all around me, into the office on time and have to wait 1/2 hour, then get in the exam room and immediately am cuffed tight and over my sleeve... usually voluntarily raise my arm... So of course Im 20 or 30 points higher than at home... I mention all this to my doc and he says - "well, you're probably right - our machines haven't been calibrated for quite some time." After many years on BP Meds, I gave them up - nearly all made me feel real bad... So now no meds for 6 years and my BP is around 116/70...I'm 78 and feel fine. I also take my home monitor with me for each appointment. Thanks for the very informative and helpful video!
@carlharding5311 Why would you say that? A chiropractor has to have more education than a gp, not less. It’s simply a specialty field after becoming a Dr.
@carlharding5311 Is it though? What he’s saying is it’s read by the cuff through that area the best, per the manufacturers recommendations. I happen to know this for fact since just yesterday I had an incident at home that needed medical attention. I first saw my daughter, who has been a nurse for almost 20 years and is well trained in this. I asked to check my BP just to be curious at what it was at an event of extreme stress on my part. She put the cuff she had on me sideways to what I thought was correct, without me saying anything about seeing this video. And I looked on her cuff and it said right on the side of it to do that. Just like this guy says.
Those are good numbers! My Dad is slightly younger than you, and I don't think he will ever be able to get off his meds. People say, "often we can lower it with lifestyle changes!" (getting more exercise, losing weight, changing to a healthier diet), but some people have high bp genetically and still need the boost of the medications after having done that. The male side of the family has a certain set of blood vessels that makes bp in the normal range without some help, virtually impossible. Even stepping up my cardio to 5 hours a week, had made it go down 3 points, at best. I often demand that the bp be done over towards the end of the visit and they're usually helpful. I also bring in my own device and show them the numbers I had gotten at home.
Dr Story, I have great respect and appreciation for your knowledge. As a nurse myself, I am tuned in to doctors who are not particularly respectful of nurses. Using the term "idiots" to refer to other healthcare professionals does not reflect well on you. Also, you might want to remember that some nurses are male (unless you think only female nurses lack competency in the many nuances of taking accurate blood pressure readings). You are so knowledgeable, and people are listening to you. Please be a role model for respectful conversation, even when you disagree with other healthcare professionals.
@@RubyW7944 The fact is that many of these Doctors are idiots themselves. They studied for years to be a Doctor and yet many do not learn how the human body works. 🤦🏼♀️
@@RubyW7944 There are ways to present facts and information without being disrespectful to others. It's hard being a female working in most professions, including healthcare. I stand by my reminder to Dr Story, while also appreciating his knowledge.
@@patriciadavismarn7055 My mother was an RN and I was an x-ray tech, and now I am a patient. The absolute incompetent, lazy, unprofessional things I witness by everyone, from top to bottom is ridiculous. It isn't just me that has noticed. Everyone has their own experiences and opinions.
Same here. Could take in car go in doc office it's always higher. I have a new doctor he listens to me and now my White Coat Syndrome doesn't show up at all now. I believe it's the doctor
Thank you so much for the information. At the clinic I visit, the chair is put in such a way that all patients take their blood on the right arm. I just checked using both arms and the readings are totally different.
So glad to hear about this.That was the I learn in nursing school but know they say it doesn't matter .I wish they listen to you and do the right way .
Adam, here are four additional mistakes: 12. Taking your blood pressure in a cold environment. Your exposed arm needs to be warm, not cold with goose bumps. The same applies to your body temperature. Blood vessels contract when we are feeling cold which increases blood pressure. 13. Using an old blood pressure monitor that may have diminished accuracy. 14. Using a blood pressure monitor with diminished batteries. Whatever monitor you use, it needs to be operating at its optimum. 15. Taking your blood pressure when there is a lot loud or distracting noise going on around you. Keeping calm usually goes hand-in-hand with quiet. Personally, whenever I measure my blood pressure at home it is always first thing in the morning, lying in bed, before breakfast, before tea & coffee, and with an empty bladder. I put the cuff on and calm down for a few minutes with deep breathing then press the start button and dream of a sun-soaked sandy beach while the monitor does its work. I always take three readings, allowing a couple of minutes between each one. To be consistent, I believe it helps to measure blood pressure under the same conditions, and let's face it, you are rarely going to be more relaxed than in bed first thing in the morning before the activities of the day - including what you eat and drink - disturb your metabolism. I keep records of all of my 'at home' readings and show them to my doctor.
Ajab khan khattak.I like your method of checking BP n bed,but thinking of being at a beach on a suny day while u r actually not must b confusing the monitor.
Absolutely agree with your #12. I took a series of readings in a cold room and couldn't understand why my BP had gone up by about 10 points. Warm room, back to normal.
Being an RN and having done home health, some additional things I have taught to people at home who check their own blood pressure is to have the palm of their hand facing upward and to first take a deep breath in and upon pressing the automatic blood pressure machine to start, to then blow out with the notion of hopefully helping them relax as the blood pressure machine does it's reading. Otherwise, this was a great video presentation.
As a 96 year old who has to take her blood pressure readings at home from time to time, I found this video very helpful indeed. Thank you. Iris Lee
@@irislee4319 96? You're clearly doing things right
The last time I saw my primary doctor my blood pressure was 131/85. He immediately started talking about putting me on blood pressure medicine. I told him I barely had a chance to sit down when I came into the office and to give me five minutes. They came back in five minutes and took it and it was 125/83. He asked me what did I do and I told him I did deep breathing. He told me that's dangerous trying to control your blood pressure with deep breathing. I think it's dangerous going to doctors who don't even understand Human physiology. I'm on my own.
Breathing deeply gets nitrogen into the blood . Our busy lives are killing us. We need to breath
131/85 is normal
That doctor was so eager to write a prescription for you
131/85 wouldn't be high enough to put you on medication anyway. Although the approach is changing now from a national statistics point of view to further reduce heart disease numbers etc. But to me high blood pressure is still anything over 140 and anything under isn't worth the side effects of medication.
he is a Quack
This video should be mandatory for all doctors and nurses.
ABSOLUTELY! However, It would do no good ! Patients are just cattle that they want to hurry through as fast and as many as they can! $$$$$$$
I was a nurse for 43 years! I remember the day they presented us with the electronic blood pressure machines ! I did not like them then and I do not like them today!!! I carry my manual cuff and stethoscope with me to my doctor appointments! I have changed cardiologist 3 times in the last few years for this very reason !! I think I have a good cardiologist now. He was very upset because I did not have many reports for him to look back on.
@@HopeyDopey143 👍👋
These tips are great and helpful.
I saved this video! Everything he said is true. Thank you...
That’s offensive, they know what they’re doing,he’s a backcracker.
I went back to school to get my nurse practitioners license, and I was absolutely amazed at how many take pressures incorrectly. I always make the patient sit quietly for five minutes without talking, sit upright legs uncrossed and actually not talk for five minutes. Most of the patients that I see inpatient in the hospital have family with them and I always let them know that I want them to sit quietly without talking to the family for five minutes and I’ll be back to take the pressure. I just let them know. I want their pressure to be the most accurate and I don’t want it any higher than it naturally is. The patients always appreciate this Their arm should be resting on a pillow, palm side up. Make sure the cuff is skin to skin when taking the pressure in the upper arm. Also, make sure the cord is located near the antecubital space (inner elbow). And, like he mentions never over clothing ever. It takes a little longer and my colleagues laugh but this is important. You need an absolute correct pressure. They don’t call it a vital for nothing.
00:30 #1 Over clothing
01:09 #2 Arm not horizontal
01:43 #3 Cuff too tight
03:12 #4 Not testing rested
05:10 #5 Full bladder
05:38 #6 Legs crossed
06:11 #7 Caffeine
07:26 #8 Wrong arm
08:42 #9 Wrist monitor
10:35 #10 Talking
11:20 #11 One take
thank you for the summary!!
What about the size of the cuff? I am,.unfortunately , a big lady and my arms are sometimes too big for the regular cuff. I don't know which one to buy. Please help me.
Size of cuff makes a huge difference.
I have been told that by testing both arms, the doctor can tell if there a constriction in the artery's on one side of the body.
@@aidagonzalez1299 hi, big arms here as well... we have a brand called "Omron", the cuff is perfect for our arms. It is type "OMRON M3 HEM-7154-E". Best regards from The Netherlands.
This video should be shown in every doctor's office and in medical school. It's crazy how doctor's are so quick to put you on meds.
Welp, it's official, I've been tested, and told to take my own tests, all incorrectly for years now. I even brought in my BP machine and showed them how I did it and they said it's all good. Apparently, no, I've been wrong. I've been doing it over a light shirt, dangling the arm, tightening the cuff about as tight as it can go, and not fully rested. Crazy.
And, yes, not only had I been put on one med for years, I just recently got bumped up to a combo BP medicine: Lisinopril and HCTZ.
I'm never in doctor's offices, and no one is putting me on meds, but there are a number of these things happening often enough from either visits to donate blood, or from many years ago when I last saw a doctor. The shirt sleeve business would probably take the top slot for the errors even being aware intuitively all along that that wouldn't be quite the right way. The coffee would be a close second especially if it counts for 2-3 hours.
Last GP visit my doc tested my blood pressure on my right arm over a long sleeved T-shirt and after I'd walked to the office. Declared me to have high blood pressure. Repeated 5 mins later with same result. I said I would test at home. Using these recommendations my blood pressure is actually very normal. Im losing faith in the medical profession.
Sad😢
Same here, I have to bring my numbers with me to prove I’m not like that at home..
You should have contacted that GP and told him of your findings, including his own bad practices that contributed to the high readings. A request for a refund of fees would not be amiss.
They want to keep you as a customer.💴 💰 💵
That's very bad.
Well as a retired Registered Nurse of 44 years, I agree with you Adam we were always taught this and I am talking of way back in 1971. One thing that many do ot realise is that t diastolic (or the lower number) pressure is the most important reading because that is the pressure that is exerted inside of a person's arteries all the time and if this pressure is much over 85 mm/Hg then this is what causes the artery walls to thicken and eventually over time harden and that is when a person will get into the area of heart and artery diseases. Of course, the higher number is important but the lower number is sadly overlooked and often forgotten about with the resulting issues associated with it..
@@johngoard8272 Hi! Love This Video! One thing I was taught, when I learned how to take a blood pressure was to not place your own thumb onto the head of your stethoscope because you run the risk of hearing your own heartbeat & should instead place your pointer finger on one side of it & your middle finger on the other. The nurse at my Doctor's office Not Only Uses Her Thumb But ALSO Does Everything You Shared To Not Do!!! Some I Hadn't Heard & I Thank You For The Information & Plan to Speak Up At My Next Appointment For Better Testing Technique!!! 🩺
The world needs more people like this guy to set things straight.
He still sees us as patients instead of customers.
I agree
For are 67 years old w/is normal
I take the sheet were I put down my pressure numbers and handed to the doctor.
@@irap21 you have said it 👏
Dear Adam, this video shud be part of all medical l clinics and First Aid training centres...outstanding service to humanity!!
Not trying to dispute your comment, but I am a trained first aid officer, and taking blood pressure readings was never a part of my training. The aim of First Aid is to keep the patient alive until they can receive appropriate medical care. DRSABCD
@@MKA63I agree but if the patient has severe hypertension 200/110 for example. Dealing with the BP can be needed to keep the patient alive. (Stroke),
for me. I am a RN.35+
I understand your point. We both do what is needed for our job and the person. Thank you for all you do. Saving lives is always #1.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes youwonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
The last time I visited the doctor, a nurse rushed me down the hall, sat me down, and immediately applied an automated BP machine to my left arm, over my clothing. She talked the whole time. Those machines, when inflated, feel crushingly tight. I'm surprised my BP was only 142/90. Compare that to an old-school device, administered by a gentle, silent nurse who let me sit for at least five minutes before taking a reading. 110/70.
I have just taken mine . 1st time 143 / 82 , after your advice with proper preparation and positiioning .......120 / 63 not bad for a 65 year old ! ☺
wow
Ahhhh. Can you believe over 2 million people have watched this video? This is a phenomenal video. Measuring blood pressure is a team effort. The leader of the team is YOU. Every millimeter of mercury counts!
Never check it , dont become a Pharma Slave
Yea, but doctors don´t like it!
Now 3.3 Million
Where is mercury? only microprocessor.
My blood pressure might have come down a bit while watching just due to the calm and calming voice in this video.
How right he is !
I noticed that too! Bookmarked to watch when I take my BP each day! Very helpful. Lots of hints.
Mine too
😂. Yes
@@davidhunter3140 same here. I have to distract myself. Otherwise I get nervous and my heart just starts pumping hard even while measuring at home.
This video is an eye opener for most people.Most GPs and nurses use the arm that they find closest to the computer desk.
While the blood pressure cuff is being applied the doctor or the nurse will be asking the patient various questions about their health while inflating the bp machine.This is a wrong method and needs to be stopped.
When the patient wants to roll up the sleeve of the arm that the blood pressure cuff is to be applied,the doctor or the nurse will say it is okay not to roll up the sleeve.
I am a retired qualify nurse and and from the old school.
Many thanks to you for this video and all the others.
its all a business, they trying to get you out of there as soon as possible, so they can get the next patient in.
@@floggyWM1go to a better doctor. They are out there. Good luck.
@@agnesnewton7057 that’s what nurse or Dr tell me. Its ok to take BP over the sleeves. Many are not taught properly or don’t want to take the proper lessons given.
As a Home Health Aid, I found this information EXCELLENT! I learned a couple things.
Based on this video, I'd say most doctor's offices don't know how to take BP!
Yea and as far as I am concerned, they are all full of crap. Yea the nurse or whoever just work there like in some assembly line.
😂
or how to record a voice without deep ominous rumble...
If it is high. They get patients . And on tablets
You did an excellent job and i wish people spread this news because it is very lacking all over.nurses doctor helpers everyone does not know how to take the blood pressure RIGHT
THIS ALL WAS SO RIGHT.THANK YOU AND KEEP IT GOING.
Every single thing that you named, happens to me every time I go. I went today and SADLY I checked all your numbers (no wrist monitor) and doctor increased my meds. I find that to cover all that you suggest, seems almost impossible. Up at 6am, had 2-3 small coffees, at 9am drove on busy highway cursing crazy drivers, walked from parking lot in the rain, walked up to his office at in 7 min. I had a cuff on my arm (over shirt, first time ever). Sitting with my legs crossed, arm half way down, reading on the wall what happens when you have hyper tension. I'am both frighten and agitated, the nurse walks in and says.. your pressure is high. I busted wanted to scream. After listening to you today it may be the first time I don't feel hopeless about it. Thank you Adam
@@azjendrasik start to go to a pharmacy sometimes and have it done, just to make sure.
@@janeballet And learn what you can do to lower your blood pressure. Mine is unstable, and while it goes up when I'm stressed and agitatitated it nearly always goes down if I run up stairs or do some physical work. Therefore it is nearly always perfect when I go to the dr, but will sometimes drop alarmingly if I do hard work, and be very high if I dont do much, when I get up in the morning ect. Meditation has helped a bit but what has helped the most is learning to breathe properly, and having a daily breathing practice with many times reminding myself during the day.
There are heaps of good breathing videos on YT, I find heart coherant breathing the best, but it doesnt stress the importance of breathing through the nose - at least the in breath. James Nestors book "Breathing" is excellent. Good breathing really can help lower BP and avoid unessessary amounts of medication. Get a digital bp monitor and take your BP, then do a few minutes of good breathing and take it again. Repeat that and it will most likely be making a downward dive.
How is a leaky valve replaced,is there medication one can take?I have had surgery before.@@Waitingformarty
Legs dangling off doctors table is one I often get at the office .
MONITOR yourself at home and only take bites of the pills so you stay in range. Very seriously watch yourself and pay attention to what you ate or did when it's high. Otherwise, you have to just take the drugs and consequences.
Thank you for teaching me how to take my blood pressure. You have answered all my questions. 💯
I had hypertension last year. My mom died of hypertension. I refused to take meds and i lowered it naturally with beet juice, less carbs, swimming 4 times a week, gardening, mediation, and adopting an old cat . I take magnesium, a daily vitamin, tumeric and inulin in a smoothie daily. I was pretty healthy my whole life but hypertension is common on my moms side.
@@Marianayellowbanana I’m sorry about mom.. just curious how old was she.. it’s always a scary for me.. thx dear!
@@Marianayellowbanana AWESOME
@@Marianayellowbanana it would be easier to take a pill.
I am on blood pressure med. and at one point I told the dr. I felt dizzy when I bent down , when I get up . I was told to cut my pill in half. I still get dizzy now even when I skip my half pill once in a while . I am 73 years old and my pressure is rarely high as I take my pressure at home.. The down side I don’t have a doctor anymore and it could take years to have anyone. In Canada some provinces we are lacking doctors.
@@Marianayellowbanana
I started doing 5:2 fasting regime (Michael Mosely) before pandemic, I didn’t have a specific goal, just thought I’d give it a crack. At the same time I was regularly taking my BP and recording on an app. Was on BP meds at the time.
After about 6 months there was little change in my weight, but my BP had reduced down into the normal range.
I got off the BP meds (Dr supervised/approved) and, even after ceasing 5:2 fasting, have not had any meds nor high BP readings….
I love #9. Waiting in a dentist's office in a relaxed environment before getting your blood pressure taken. Knowing you are there to have your teeth drilled on or pulled. Very relaxing.
🤣Yes indeed, very relaxing! Not much better going to see my GP, so now I don't go.
hahah so true its so stressful there ! how can you be 'relax' plus you get the super bill after all ! that's anything but relaxing !
@@jestillwell1964
Meh, I’m more relaxed at the dentist than the doctor. I know what to expect at the dentist, but at the doctor I’m worried about their diagnosis.
yes, I find it difficult to relax at the dentists... particularly if you know that you are going to get drilled straight after the BP test.
I dread the 6 month cleaning.
Thank you Doctor. I am almost 67 years old and am on 128-133 with 78. I am not interested in living longer but I want to live healthy.
Thank you for the info.im 66 years old taking maintenance now i have idea how to take my own BP GOD BLESS DOC
Thanks a lot for great info
I am 75
I have same reading
I want to live more
God bless me
Love from Rajasthan India
Are you sure of those numbers,if they equalize your done,no blood flow.Just simple hydraulics.😎🌴🐊🇺🇸
@pedrorodriguez2914 😂😂😂 oh lord... l believe he or she means BETWEEN 128-133 OVER 78, maybe not worded the best but still...🤦♀️
Pumping up the cuff until it causes the patient significant pain is also something that can raise blood pressure. That happens a lot. I have normal blood pressure and I always have to argue with the nurses. Their reply is that it's "standard" to pump it up to over 200. My blood pressure is normally around 120/65. Yet the repeated episodes of my arm getting tightly constricted, and painfully pinched, has given me white coat syndrome.
I only let them take my blood pressure manually
That's unbelievable what they' do to us
Patients
To. Push meds 😱
Yeah, those clinical nurses who seat you in the room should listen better. Lately, the nurses I’ve been dealing with have been argumentative and very stubborn about how you were supposed to tolerate the pain of taking the blood pressure. I don’t know what is happened to nurses, but they are just bullies now. Of course that’s going to elevate my blood pressure. It’s amazing. They don’t understand that.
On May 9th I had an appointment. I felt like my arm was being amputated. It hurt so bad I was afraid to breathe. There is no table to relax my arm on. The bp reading was 191/95. I told the doctor my blood pressure has never been that high. The nurse had to take my bp again and the only thing that was done different was she said I could relax my arm on her shoulder. Just by doing that my bp reading was 163/92. I take my bp at home and it averages at 133/85. I probably won't go back to that doctor office.
Boy that's so true
I use to work in a primary care clinic for 18 yrs and I must say that the doctors’ offices are all under strict time restraints. I would never talk to my patients while taking a BP; I used the left arm and propped the arm on the level handle of the machine. Our patients were closely monitored at home for at least 6 months before meds were prescribed. Hence is why the video is titled ‘Your own BP.’ Medical staff in the comments stating they didn’t know this basic skill is..Wild! Teach on! 👍🏼
Exactly I personally don’t know any physician who would prescribe medication for one high reading not even for 2 high readings. Apparently reading the comments it seems to happen frequently. 🤔😏
I am a nurse, very recently retired. This doctor is so spot on! Thank God. In my experience, whenever I take the BP, I tell the patient to take a deep breath and to relax and drop their shoulder and think of lying on the beach in Spain. It almost always work if the first reading is high and I discourage them to talk as well.
@@faithpurkis7663 I too picture myself lying on the beach 🏖️
I have a house on a beach in France, and never lay there! Only go to the beach late when all the naked boobs are gone and most people! I walk all over! Went there since I was a tiny kid! 75 now!
Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for serving the public we really appreciate you
Oh my gosh. Had my blood pressure tested by my doctor a couple of weeks ago. I began to take off my thick knitted jumper (sweater) and the Dr told me no need to and put the cuff over the jumper. I thought that was odd but I didn’t want to argue with her. Doc said my blood pressure was slightly high. Well after that I bought a home blood pressure monitor and appreciate all the information in this video of how to use it correctly.
@@jillking4751 Hi Jill, how's your day going with you?
I've been a doctor for 35 years and I learned something today. Good video.
?
@@towmlvb3423 😂 😆
Nice to hear from a doctor humble enough to publicly admit he didn't already know everything. Good for you- and for your patients!
@@towmlvb3423 I really admire this doctor for being so honest. Doctors are always discovering new things - you can never stop learning about the human body.
It doesn’t surprise me that you and your peers have so much to learn.
explained very well....simple and lucid.....why can't there be more docs like this?
My BP goes up while I'm waiting the hour and a half to two hours past apt. time to see doctor. I'm always in a fowl mood by the time I get seen
You must live in Canada.
@@Mrdubomb Or the uk
@@fredasidaravicius232 Or the US
Took the words right out of mouth🙂!
@@Mrdubomb agree, same experience here
10:57, I've never heard a more truthful statement than this, you are so dead-on point with this observation. That's what all of them do, no matter how nice the staff are, & I've never seen it any different.
This is the best video I have seen on this topic. I'm 73 and have had all of these mistakes done to me. I can't tell you how many times I have had to request 'the right way' without letting them know I think they are dopes for not knowing the basics. Twice I have had it so tight I nearly screamed... and I gave birth to my second child without painkillers and am still a tough old bat.
Don't even get me started on the different medications I have been subjected to. Terrible side effects or one doctor kept increasing the dose up to 100mg and reading was just getting higher each time until another doctor switched me to something that works better for a 4mg dose.
Well thanks for the warning about bringing up your medications. Side effect issues are no joking mater for sure. Now that you are equipped
with this new information, you should be able to fully control the situation when submitting to your next Blood Pressure exam. Your kind
comment about this video exposes a soft side of your tough old bat status. God Bess.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
@@mikebryant5702 I've also wondered about slightly faulty equipment giving high readings. In our community of a few hundred people only, it feels as though we always get handed down equipment that the larger clinics hours away have downsized to our clinic. All clinics and hospitals are with the same health system here, so they share equipment or move it around.
As a retired Paramedic, it frustrates me to no end all the "mistakes" made by nurses aids, nurses, and in some cases even physicians when checking BP. I of course correct them all when they check mine improperly. One thing you neglected to mention was cuff size, though you indirectly covered the reason under cuff "tightness". Cuffs come in different sizes and if you use a smaller cuff on a very large upper arm, you will get false elevated readings as well. Thanks Adam for putting this video together. It will no doubt help many people.
@@salthart57 the follow up video has cuff size as well as 8 other mistakes. I didn’t want to make a video titled “19 Mistakes… “ because that is overwhelming. Also Heather will be offended, so I kept it at 11.
I've had a few paramedics screw up as well. Taking it over my shirt, wrong arm and so forth. First words out of their mouth…"Bub, you need to be on BP medicine." When I tell them I have chronic anxiety and I show them my BP machine with the correct readings….they go silent.
Excellent presentation. I am a nurse, and agree 100% with you. I have seen blood pressures taken incorrectly in the clinics, and always have to correct the nurse , and the Dr. They also have these overhead BP monitors, which are horrible. Placed a few feet above your head, placed a few feet above my head sometimes shows my BP high, as much as 30 to 40 points higher than what I get at home. I ask the Dr. to do a manual BP, when this happens. There is always a huge difference. Sometimes patients are afraid to complain to the nurse or Dr, about the way their BP is taken. Thank you so much. You are spot on.
Thank you for contributing.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Excellent recommendations…. As a practicing Cardiologist, for over 47 years, I’ve seen significant variations in BP readings in the Rt & Lt arms. I check the BP in both arms , during the 1st visit. I use the Rt arm readings for monitoring the response to BP medications. I’ve also seen lower readings in the Lr arm, with normal readings in the Rt arm.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
I went to the doctor last week. Knowing my 'white coat syndrome' is coming, I tested my own BP that morning at 6 AM. Over 3 rounds, 112 / 78 was my average in a resting state. At the doctor's office at 9 AM, I tested out at 140 / 90, twice. That is significant and it happens every time. I have to explain this yearly.
Wow same here
God, me too
Same here, I now always take BP twice a day, 2 rounds each (3 if results varied significant between round 1 and 2) for a couple of days before Doctors appointment.
Last time I my BP was 117/74 before going to the doctor and 132/92 at the doctor's office.
Same!!
the problem is you probly dont understand how to do it properly and you just get confused with all the numbers
you should let your doctor do it because they are trained on how to do it and they understand what the numbers are
Wow! Just this morning I had my annual physical (age 65), and my blood pressure was 27 points higher than usual 130/85. Doc put me on BP med. I was very surprised and so glad I saw this video. 9 out of 11 mistakes mentioned here were made by the nurse including wrong arm, coffee intake on empty stomach, talking, etc. Fortunately, my doc also gave me a 1 month log to maintain so I am going to check at home and then start meds IF it is consistently high. Thank You for this video.
One of the times my doctor took my blood pressure l summoned the courage to tell him that maybe my pressure was usually higher in his office than at home or at the drug store was because he tightened it to a painful level. He said it shouldn't make a difference. When a nurse at the hospital kept talking during the BP test, l asked her politely to stop and start again while postponing the question period for afterward.
Patients have "white coat" hypertension. This means that we get nervous seeing our doctor and our BP goes a little high. Check your BP at home and record the results for about a week (in the morning after you have emptied your bladder). Doctors are not mind readers or super human. They just went to school longer and have a bigger paycheck. Big deal.
On April 30th, I live in the Chicagoland area. I had a doctor's appointment. I just turned 65. I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure since 2005 or 2006. That doctor put me on Lisinopril 40mg, once a day. Still taking it. In 2018 I had pneumonia, then a different doctor prescribed Metoprolol Tartrate 50mg, 1 tablet twice a day with meals. The doctor I saw on last Tuesday. After watching your video. The nurse did about 3 wrong ways to check my BP.
1) Took my To soon.
2) Used wrist cuff in my right wrist.
3) the nurse put my hand over my heart.
4) My feet was off the floor on the bench. 161/121 was my reading. Didn't repeat at the end of the appointment.
Thank you for this information. I will say something next time anybody takes my BP. Kevin.
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Very interesting. I'm 56 years old. Never had high blood pressure. Went to 3 months after my physical and it was 144 over 100. I'm now checking it at home. Very informative informative.
Hi Sonya, how's your day going with you?
This video has helped me very much I have seen so many mistakes when it comes to my blood pressure.
This gentleman must have a hidden camera in my house somehow. In March of 2023 I had heart surgery. I have done these readings twice a day since then. I do EVERYTHING he has in this video. For anyone else I strongly urge you to memorize this video.
youre so funny buddy
Loved this information, I’m a CNA and I always take my clients blood pressure on the right side . I noticed tho that when I do go to the doctors office they sometimes have used it on my left arm. I didn’t think 🤔 it made such a difference, now I know better.Thank you for all this information.😊
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
That left arm thing is eye opening. The doctor office always tested my right arm.
If you search the internet you find all kinds of statements: left arm, right arm and both arms. On some websites they even state the right arm is preferred. Very confusing.
@@maxeisert7466 But WHY does it make a difference? It was never explained in this video.
You are the best! I've watched LOTS of your videos and have learned so much. I am 79 and recently started working with the Univ. of Colo. School of Dentistry to get my teeth all fixed up. The first thing that they do is take your blood pressure. My readings were always high (like 171/80). which, even for my extreme stress with dentists was off the charts for me. (My blood pressure often used to be lower than the doctors wanted to see!) After watching some of your videos, I realized all the things that they were doing wrong and corrected them by telling them how to do it right - always take it on the LEFT arm (they were taking it on the right arm), feet up in a tipped position in the dentist chair, legs possibly crossed, etc. I had learned something and the students learned as well! After one session when my BP was still in the 171/80 range, I watched more of your videos, did your exercises before driving to my next session, did deep breathing during my very stressful long drive in heavy traffic, took time after walking to the building and made sure that I was more relaxed and in the right positions with the cuff on my left arm. Low and behold, my BP was 136/71 (and that was after I had had a couple cups of coffee a couple hours earlier!). I then bought a good monitor and began taking my own BP at home. It's still a bit higher than it used to be when I was younger, but I'm finding out a lot about when it is high and when it is lower. My low reading is now 121/68. I do see a big increase (148/71) if I have had caffein, so that will be out whenever I go to an appointment. Thanks for all the information and teaching!
Hawthorne berry they say!
After watching this video, I wonder how good the doctors and nurses are at the medical centre we've been to over 10 years.
How the GP took my blood pressure, it all depends on how their desk positions in the room. They had taken my blood pressure on my right arm, because that's how the desk was positioned; asked me questions during testing; on top of my sleeves, because it was too tight that I couldn't roll it up. As for their nurses, I had experienced 3 times, according to the mistakes you mentioned, I wasn't sitting in a proper position and definitely not at a resting stage, my readings were 180+ 😳, while my readings from home were normal.
It was fortunate that before my last visit, the GP asked me to take 2 readings per day for 2 weeks. I quited drinking coffee and my readings have been perfect. So the GP took my home readings and declared my blood pressure is normal!
Good advice! The one thing we must remember is that your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day.
My mother tongue is Spanish but you speak and your pronunciation is very cleat. Great video help me a lot because I used to use a wrist monitor to control my blood pressure and was a big mistake, Until one night my blood pressure went up a lot and I had to visit a doctor who checked that the blood pressure was high. Went to a cardiologist and he confirmed my blood pressure was high, so he prescribed me medication and I purchased a new monitor like the one you use in the video. Your 11 points you explain in the video are very helpful. Thank you so much.
Doc, this was very helpful and wanted to leave you a note of thanks. Covid gave me Afib and Heart Failure in 2020 and I've gone through all the daily B.P. monitoring since at different intervals. I'm doing it right now as my Afib has been acting up, somewhat, and we'll consider about a Defibrilator coming up possibly. Nobody ...even in the Doctors and Cardiologists office has ever thoroughly explained measuring blood pressure accurately and it doe's make a huge difference in the readings we get with each of these things you're saying. Very good on this man, and I really appreciate being shown Blood Pressure Readings at Rest!
If you read the directions on any home blood pressure machine it explains every single step that this doctor explains but when you go to your doctor they break just about every rule there is. I definitely think that most people are misdiagnosed. Incentive for profit? Who knows. I brought my machine in to check against my docs and it’s just about on spot. Trust your own readings in your own environment and take record of your own readings.
They are there to buy big house, and Merc brother, not for you 😊
I have a top-of-the-line Omron, and it most certainly does NOT say to use only the left arm. In fact, instructions include directions on how to use on either arm. Dr. Storey's other 10 points have merit, however.
I have had my pressure measured hundreds of times. I have never had it done incorrectly.
@@BrianRossiter-f7b Same here.
IF,IF, IF. Probably the most important two letter word in our vocabulary, even God uses it quite a bit i.e. “If you will be my people, I will be your God.”
THIS GUY IS SPOT ON
This guy is not a medical doctor. He's a chiropractor.
@@justayoutuber1906 and you know what I have been going to a Chiropractor for the last 15 years of my life and when the Chiropractor took it, not the nurse it was always normal. Before when I was seeing a Medical Doctor the nurse would take my blood pressure and was it always higher and they wanted to put me on medication but I refused. Now I understand why!! So to just say this guy is a Chiropractor doesn't really matter because my Chiropractor did it the right way and my blood pressure was always between 125/ 70 and 130/75 and he would never tell me to go to a Medical Dr. for treatment that would have been a disaster for my long term health.
@@justayoutuber1906Exactly, I was surprised after hearing he is a chiropractor n not in the profession of the cardiologist dept.However he did his homework well to understand it better the GP/cardiologist I have gone to.
Thanks Doc. I am now an educated self administering bp tech. I now recognize my wild swing of higher blood pressure readings after coffee in the morning.
Doing it at home, i hadn't realized there was a particular way to put on the cuff. BP went from too high to perfectly normal. Thank you!
I have white coat syndrome due to my mother being hysterical about taking any medication for as long as I can remember (early childhood) to her death from a heart attack aged 59. It sub consciously coloured all my interactions with doctors from then on.However what has always shocked me is how indifferent doctors have been to my telling them this They will INSIST on taking my BP, then seemed shocked when it goes through the roof THEN take it again to the point where I literally had no pulse on one occasion. I can't tell you how many times I have been LECTURED about this, like its something I can control..Personally I see no worth in this procedure as there are so many many flaws in it..From the arbitrary 'normal' which was based on a young fit Marine in the 1940's...to the conditions under which its taken..to even the number of times its taken within an hour..Too many doctors are ignorant on this matter...I prefer my home monitor ..
I have white coat syndrome, too. Every single time I have my BP tested in DR or dentist office its super high. When I take it at home resting it's normal. I bring in my smart phone BP app and show them my numbers if they feel like looking. If not, I dont care what those numbers at the DR office display anymore. I tell them it's normal outside a DR office and we move on. No discussion of meds. Sometimes you got to take control of your own health since you know your body better than anyone.
So this is important when diagnosing. As this is considered possibly Hypertension as well due to the strain on your vascular system. If you chart your BP and notate what your activity is this is helpful for the dr to discern if it is true HTN or not.
Sometimes during the day, my BP is 130/88, but just as soon as I relax for a few minutes, it's in the 110's over 70's. I could never FOR THE LIFE OF ME, to get my doctor to understand that. 25 years he wanted me on BP meds, and now at age 45 my resting BP is 110/75. Never took a BP pill in my life and I never will.
Good for you! I was foolish enough to take meds prescribed by an APRN who actually claimed to favor more "natural" remedies. She kept upping and upping my dosage, from 10 mg Lisinopril daily to 20, and I went along with it, because I let her scare me that I was going to have a stroke or heart attack any time. I wound up with tinnitus and hearing loss in a matter of days after taking the high dose. It's permanent. I haven't taken any pills since, and my blood pressure is fine...go figure. Of COURSE it can go up if the first thing they do when you walk into the exam room from the waiting room and they take it immediately, or after you've been zipping around the house doing chores, or exercising. Mine drops too, once I relax. I hate pills.
That pretty much sums it up for me too!
110 is far too low for me, I feel faint and crook.
My cardiologist always says take a reading then a couple of minutes later take it again and that's the the reading you should use and always on the left arm.
@@mariawithington5116 I agree. Mine drops substantially a few minutes after coming in from the waiting room and sitting down. If I take it immediately, it's almost always higher.
I went to my Cardiologist after having back surgery just as a follow up. They determined my pressure was high and started me on new meds. Then told me to track it daily and to come back in a couple months. I did as was told and checked twice a day and plotted it on a spreadsheet and added a graph. The doctor was happy to see it and said keep up the good work. A year latter I saw a different doctor. I walked in and gave him my spreadsheet and graph, he laughed at me and told me I was wasting my time. Next time I went back, I made sure I did not see that doctor again.
Perhaps he was right?
@@kitcat4512 He wasn't.
@kitcat4512 The last doctor believed medicine is "God," no matter your BP.
They are both right. Chronic high blood pressure is diagnosed by taking several times a day for a couple of weeks. You cannot diagnose it by a single doctors visit. What might have made the doctor laugh is if you did it for many months or maybe the graph you made. Nevertheless the first doctor was not wrong...
@@khitir1500 The last doctor is not one of its kind. I see... your guess makes them right! It is not just a matter of right and wrong. Who should be relied on?
There is another factor that can lead to unusually high blood pressure readings, known as the "white coat effect." This refers to the phenomenon where some individuals experience elevated blood pressure when it is measured by medical professionals, likely due to anxiety or nervousness. However, it's important to note that this does not affect everyone and varies from person to person.
Thank you Doctor Story for clarifying the proper way to take BP!
I’ll be 70 in July and have been managing an elevated BP since January with great success. I do it in my reading chair after going to the bathroom every morning and usually start off around 135/75 but after relaxing for a few minutes am able to bring it down to around 110/70. My doctor was stoked at my last visit. Been watching your videos, following your advice, and checked off on all 11 do’s the first time through. Thanks for the advice! Feeling pretty stoked.
I turned 64 last week and I've had the same I'm finally off two bp meds I was on for 30 years all because of White Coat Syndrome. My BPs are running less than 130/80.
Stoked?..
Me, too. Turning 70 on July 28th! WAIT!!! That can't be right! I'm sure I'm only 30!!!
Excited. @@user-xs9fp3ic9y
@@user-xs9fp3ic9y How about happy?!
Brilliant doctor. You have won hearts of millions of citizens
But you may have been cursed by many medical professionals who have been violating the procedures .
UNless your bp is being checked ,. .🌩United WE STAND 🎯. .🤺against 🤥----fal--se --fa--c--ts🤥
He is NOT a doctor he is a chiropractor.
“Violating” jeez the conspiracy fueled word choice
@@Gringosaurus He's right!
@@weathergenerator Service has went down signifantly,watch and pray.
Dr. nimeshukuru sana kwa kisomo chako, nimejifunza kutoka kwako, asante sana.
Last time the GP took mine he used my right arm, was talking with me about CANCER, expecting me to answer and provide background information, and preparing to refer me to a gynaecologist for further tests. He (whom I had never met before) had also just performed an vaginal exam on me! Funnily enough, my BP was off the scale high. Ludicrous!
Good advice, but 4 points I want to make:
1) I used to have a left-thumb blood pressure monitor from Japan some 30 some years ago. I’d say it’s as accurate as my arm BP monitor. The key point is put it to heart level. The wrist BP monitors should be equally accurate as their technical designs are made for that purpose.
2) All BP monitors need calibration. I’d bring my own to the hospital and GP and cross check if their reading aligned (+- with 10 systolic). You won’t believe it, but at least 3 times in the last 20 years, I spotted the devices in the hospital/clinic were malfunctioning, once on mine. Ageing of the advice and I just replaced it.
3) I take 3 measurements within 5 minutes to get an average of my BP. Usually the first one is highest, and the last one is lowest.
4) Take off your watch before taking a measure. some watch bands are too tight.
Wrist units vary too much, most probably the ideal conditions are very difficult to achieve.
Isn't 3 times within 5 minutes too rushed?! I thought the arm needed more time to get into a relaxed condition for another measurement.
Wrist monitors should NOT be used they are not accurate. Smart watches should NEVER be used to measure BP, as they use light / PPG technology and deliver very inaccurate results. Only inflating cuffs placed in the correct position (upper arm) can provide fairly accurate results, not watches and not wrist monitors. Wrist monitors with inflating bands (and not PPG) will give better readings but not as accurate as upper arm monitors !
remember a few years ago when they lowered the acceptable readings and millions more people were put on meds. I was put on lisinipril (snake venom) and had horrible side effects, then switch to amlodipine a year or so ago, well i was feeling tired and when i walked it felt like my ankles were gonna break, then knees hurt, then my elbows hurt and couldn't straighten them out, then my big toes hurt like gout, plus coughing and tired all the time. I quit it a few days ago and I'm feeling much better, jumped up from sitting and wow, my ankles were fine, my arms no longer hurt and i can straighten them all the way, knees fine too, no more joint pain and my cough is almost gone plus feeling like i have more energy and can accomplish more chores around the house. Plus many words were escaping me and now coming back
So dif you change med ?
@jazziez6467 ... are you on a diff med now? I am searching for something other than lisinopril
@@donabuie5256 I quit it all few months ago and my 6 month vist to doc was a week ago and had good bp 125/73. He never said wow thats good, nothing, quite, like he was upset. I told him I wasn't on any bp meds and when I checked out they said come back when you feel like it, no 6 month apt. I think he sh*tcanned me.
So thank you for educating the public. As a recently retired cardiologist after 39 years of practice, I would add a couple things to help get an accurate BP. One of the most important is body position. The patient must be seated, again for T least 5-10 minutes as you stated, with both feet planted on the floor and back resting against the back of the chair. So often BPs are taken with the patient sitting on an exam table with legs dangling and back not rested. Yes the left arm is ideal but on initial exam BP should be taken in both arms to exclude subclavian stenosis giving artificially low BP. From that point arm I am in disagreement that the left arm only dictum.
My doctor had me return to the clinic for a series of blood pressure checks. The first day I waited an hour. After asking the receptionist what was taking so long? She couldn't tell me they were busy since I was the only patient left. Finally, I collected my stuff and started to leave, right away the door opens and I'm greeted by a nurse who takes by BP, of course by BP way very high!
I called the clinic and complained and told my doctor that I would no longer waste my time going in. I started to monitor my own BP and took it on my next visit.
What sense is asking a patient to go in for a BP check and have them sit on their butt for an hour?
I started monitoring my own blood pressure and showed the doctor on my next appointments!
I know that feeling. I had to have my BP checked five times by the practice nurse just before Covid. The reason being was that I also needed to have blood tests at the same time. The last blood test produced less than a teaspoon full, I told them no more blood tests and no more BP checks as each time they were way higher than when I did them. I went to see my GP a few weeks later, her comment was I don't know why they are bothering as there is nothing wrong with my blood, and there wasn't a problem with my BP, not even their readings. Can't be a DIY job!
Good for you!
Followed your channel for nearly 3 years. So far your advices on how to lower BP (excercise, diet & breathing excercise) has helped me significantly. My twice daily monitoring is stable at below 120/80 from 135/85.
UHH. I LOVE YOUR VIDEO!!! I have written about this before. Firstly, thank you for showing people how to take their blood pressure. However, individuals in the medical profession DO NOT follow procedures properly when taking BP. When the BP is taken in the doctor's office, IT IS often DONE INCORRECTLY! Never do they mention emptying your bladder..wait and rest for 5 minutes and better yet, the Nurse/CNA/LPN will talk to the patient while they are checking the BP. The problem lies in the fact that these readings are what they based medication on. Even when a patient brings in their numbers from home, the doctor’s office goes by their nurses reading in the office knowing full well they have done it incorrectly. If the patient points it out professionally, it is NEVER well received. I feel the cardiology community should be taken to review boards on this matter...Frequently I think of how many patients are receiving medication dosages based on incorrect readings. I changed cardiologists because of it. I even asked my last cardiologist why I was on the medication and why I was prescribed a beta blocker. I did this because my primary doctor mentioned to me that I should ask him, because he had me on stuff for lowering heart rate but not pressure and it is for people that have had a heart attack. ( which I have NEVER HAD). HE COULD NOT AND DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER to my question…So, slowly began weaning myself off of that stuff. I tried hibiscus tea… CHANGED MY DIET which was the most important thing… I tried a number of things, such as...started taking a glove of garlic every day... Take 30G of whey protein……beet juice… I didn’t take all of these at once, but I took them at different times over a year to find which was most effective for my body. I found that all of them work, but the duration is what I had to closely monitor. I had to take the beet juice 2-3 times a day, but my caution was the sugar...Hibiscus tea….Again I took it 3 times a day..Whey protein was VERY effective, but some of the research mentioned it my cause nasal congestion and I noticed it was giving me congestion, but my BP was VERY GOOD with WHEY! So the next thing I tried was garlic. The one clove of raw garlic has become my #1 because so far, it is VERY EFFECTIVE!. I peel it and crush it and it works for a full 24 hours... Let’s not forget, I walk every day for 45 minutes to 1 hour every morning(the beach walk clears my head in the morning) I work out 6 times and week and lost weight.
Thank you for all this useful information you are giving to the public. I'm a nurse from the 70's and had to do everything you just described. In the outpatient dept. in medical appointments, if you put the cuff on wrong as a student nurse, or did anything you've described, then the consultant would tear it off and put it on himself teaching you in the process, how to do it properly, otherwise as you say it gives a wrong reading. They don't seem to teach them the same these days and it was harder in the 70's when you had to listen to the change of tone in the artery with a stethoscope to get the correct reading. Thank you again from S. Wales in the Uk
That's exactly the correct way to take Blood Pressure. Very educative to many professionals, please take heed.
One of the best instructions on the subject, thanks a million. BP is a grey area, with very dangerous consequences.
From my experience in the medical field. This video was very necessary. Thank you kindly for caring! ❤
thank you ❤ I have been a victim of all that wrong mention of taking my blood pressure and I thank you for this information .
As a former nurse I am horrified to say that if I tested every nurse and every doctor in New Zealand NOT ONE would pass. We were never taught the correct way to properly check blood pressures.
Thank you Dr Adam for this very informative video. I am required to check my bp and record it regularly as I have extremely high readings because I have been doing it incorrectly. On March 30th last I was admitted to hospital with a bp of 250/143. No treatment was suggested only more drugs. I no longer take any drugs at all because I'm tired of the side effects. I have been resorting to natural remedies instead.
Now after watching your "11 mistakes" video I am 😊 happily commencing your correct proceedure for bp reading. I am not overweight but lethargic and desperately need to exercise so I am following your suggestions for beginning and slowly building up. My primary care Dr will be so pleased to see the difference you have made 🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤ to help bring my bp down to a healthier level.
Thank you so much. God bless you and may He help you to continue your amazing work.
I will certainly telling everyone the correct way to perform their bp checks. Again thank you. Love❤❤❤❤your videos they are simple well explained and easy to follow.
I am subscribed
😊🎉❤😊🎉❤
I was taught correctly and wouldn't pass any practitioner either. Likewise with hand hygiene or aseptic technique including an orthopaedic surgeon who injected my knee. He did his hands right but lifted the bin lid by hand to dispose of paper towels. 😢
they probly dont teach doctors what to do in new zealand and countrys like that and remember nurses are good at bandages and stuff but they dont know much about sciense and medical stuff
@@thethinkingman- you need to rethink your handle and change it to something like iamunabletothinkcoherently
@@Christina-or4hx your dum
you should listen and learn
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Yes! Every time I go to my Dr, my bp is high. I told him it's because I'm at his office. Lol. When I check it at home, it's always in a normal range. Besides, knowing my bp rises every time I'm there, my mind/body decides, hey, we're here, time to increase. My Dr. allowed me a few months to monitor myself at home. I did so and took several readings throughout the day, wrote them down, and also made note of the time of day, recently had coffee, etc... He was happy with my numbers at my f/u and scheduled me for a yearly exam vs another f/u.
Dr.s make me nervous (and I'm an RN 😮). Lol
Isn't it interesting that the doctor tells you that your blood pressure is high... so that you need medicine?
It,s called white coat fever
I've always been the same way. I stopped going to the Doctor in 1986. 82 and still very healthy. Exercise and eat well.
It's like a comedy. Patient gets high blood pressure from seeing the doctor, doctor gives blood pressure meds, patient gets low blood pressure at home, doctor says "come to my office more often, so your pressure doesn't get too low."
@@peter5.056 Now, they have discovered cholesterol isn't bad. We all need it to make hormones.
I'm an Assistant in Nursing and I do medical observations constantly.
The most common mistake is actually using defective/uncalibrated equipment.
No one ever checks these things, they just use them day after day for months on end.
The main wear and tear issue is the cuff stretching/developing small leaks.
This gives you HIGHLY inaccurate, almost random readings yet most people (even doctors) will still record them!
Always check a sphygmomanometer before using it to check patient blood pressure.
it all boils down to profit margins, most company are not run by doctors but money man with no principles. like when i got a marginal case of high cholesterols, instead of advising diet change , exercise first, Nooó the greedy doc insists on me taking statins, even that recommend 20 mg. Why not start with 10 mg n see the next blood test, nooooooo....Doctors are mostly licensed drug pushers working for profits.
There was this husband n wife doctors who quit their jobs because their medical centers top executive ate pushing them to prescribe unneccessary expensive drugs to rich or insured patients to boost up profits.
Humans are corrupt no matter what profession judges or doctors or traffic wardens and of course politicians, there will be a large portion of corrupted ppl in them. The moment power is given to humans to decide the fate of another, the soon will be corrupt.
People with thorasic aneurysm they take in both arms at time of visit ...
Unbelievable.
The dials used to have a small "window" appearing mark at the bottom of where the gauge needle rests. If it wasn't within that window, it was considered "out of range" and needed calibration.
@@gpilsitz1783 I think most mechanical sphygmomanometers still have a red zone on the end for basic calibration but it's normally the cuff that is the issue.
The gauge itself may develop leaks or other faults and these days it's easy to just throw it out and buy another rather than repair/recalibrate that component.
The issue is how to actually check the equipment without dedicated specialist tools. Normally I just take my own blood pressure with it to see if it's in range.
Not ideal but better than nothing.
An excellent video! My doctor in the past was trying to put me on BP meds for the longest time. My blood pressure resting is 108 / 65...they took my BP with all the mistakes you mention. So glad I didn't take meds!! Thank you!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU & THANK YOU for posting this!! Every time i go into a Dr's office they don't let you rest, they don't let you roll up your sleeve & after you walk in & sit they take it right then, no time to let that get into normal range. I just changed my primary care Dr & they are the first in years of going to the Dr to actually let me sit for 15 minutes & then took it. I was shocked. So this video needs to definitely go very viral. Thank you again.
Thank you so much Dr
Every doctor's office I've been in for over a decade has done one or more of those wrong methods of taking my blood pressure. I never thought they were doing it correctly but now I know for sure. Thank you!
Indeed. Makes you wonder what else they do wrong.
thank you so much for this video! I literally cannot take blood pressure medicines. And I am generally running getting things done as the mother of many and with a sick husband. However, when they have tried to put me on blood pressure medicine, my blood pressure shoots up to 200/110 consistently, I get ready to pass out. I have headaches, neck, pain, get rashes, get itchy, back pain, weakness, red eyes, my hands, and feet swell, and so many other symptoms. I am literally allergic to blood pressure medicines, but deep, breathing exercises, the gym, and eating healthy are my best remedy. I don’t feel like if I’m running around all the time and I go up to 140/85 is horrible because when I can get to the gym, I am say 117/74. Blood pressure medicines are not for me. Thank you for your honesty.
Thank you so much, Dr. Adam for this information. Most of the doctors make the mistakes you mentioned. They take it on the right arm, over the clothes, while talking with us, and do not give the patient time enough to relax. I am so glad I received your videos' notifications with this valuable information. Many blessings.
I found other ones too ....dehydration ,certain painkillers like voltaren , stress ,llike moving house ....low blood sugar ...water retention temporarily ,cold ,flu or infection .. ..im not one upping you .i found this great ! Its my contribution from battling doctors . .in the end ,i had a 24 hr test where i was at home and it was taken every half an hour .i also think if it hurts ,that an added stress . Many doctirs cant be bothered changing to the bug cuff ...
This makes me feel really good about my doctor’s office. I see a Nurse Practitioner and she has sometimes taken my blood pressure 3 times and had me do breathing. It was still too high but it wasn’t until the 2nd physical where this happened that she recommended medication as well as talking me through diet and other things like meditation. She even said that medication doesn’t have to be forever. I’m lucky, I guess! I can’t recommend the Tufts Medical network enough!
Excellent advise.I am a Cardiologist and i would like to complementary comment .As far as office BP measurments are concerned ,taking measurements on BOTH arms is a valid approach and should be performed at least once to compare both upper extremities.Personaly i have the habit to take 3 consecutive measurements starting at the left arm,then right arm and left arm again with one minute intervals.More often than not you notice a gradual drop in BP with the last 3d reading to be the lowest.If BP measurements of each reading is substantialy lower than the previous ,more rest time must be given to the patient for evaluation.In true hypertension the BP remains at same level regardless of how many times you measure it.If for some reason one arm (left or right) consistently shows higher BP values ,further measurments in the future should be made using that arm ! Not only measurements in both arms are important ,at least initially, taking comperative readings of lying down,sitting down and while standing is important.Especially the elderly ,during the summer season,when they have diabetes and/or when taking antihypertensive medications including diuretics ,we get a phenomenon called orthostatic hypotension.This is a sudden and substantial drop of BP when standing upright ,that may cause dizziness and even loss of consciousness.These patients may very well have BP measurements quite high when lying down ( over 150 systolic) that falls abruptly while standing up within seconds over 20 to over 50 mmHg .Its important to recognize this in order to withdraw all antihypertensive drugs at least momentarily.
Thanks Doctor never had no one telling it like you do God bless you as you teach us the right way to test our Blood Pressure
Today I went to the VA Hospital in Long Beach, California. The nurse took my blood pressure over my long sleeve shirt. It"s not common but I was surprised that the doctor did the same thing. I did not argue so my readings were high. I have the white coat syndrome since 20 years ago. My BP at home in the right range because I am more relax.
Thank you for this!!! As a Nurse, I lose my mind when my PCP’s nurse takes my BP wrong and then do not sanitize the equipment. I mention it every single time and nothing changes!
Another item we can do away with is that 120/80 is normal BP ,perhaps if you are age 18...but BP normally might be higher at age 75 as that age groups ,normal.
@@kimberlycorasio7603 DO you sanitize the fuel nozzle, the handle on conveniont stores ,the pin pad etc.etc.
You are 100% right, most people don’t know, even Nurses in doctors offices. Thanks
This video is gold, thank you Dr Adam for educating us with such a clear manner. God bless you
As someone who has been through all this, a few comments.
1) Caffeine actually reduces my blood pressure. What happens is I had already changed to a very low sodium diet, but I do drink (too much) caffeine, and recognize that it could give an artificially high reading, but also, I was drinking caffeine during my busy period of the day when I really don't have the extra 10 minutes to settle down and do nothing. Hours later I do have time, and then the result is that the low sodium causes dehydration and lower blood volume, lower blood pressure. This is not just theory but observed through daily monitoring. Of course everyone is different.
2) Along with what I wrote above about not having the extra 10 minutes, I also realized that even though your BP reading is supposed to be resting, that if you are hardly ever in this resting state, then your resting blood pressure of relevance then effectively becomes whatever it is all day long. When I first started monitoring my blood pressure, I would literally try to sit very still, even controlled slow breathing, then realized that this is ridiculous because my BP would not be this at any other moment, no other time of day (possibly asleep, lol) and there's no real benefit to making it look like my BP is lower than it ever is in daily life. That just does me a disservice because my regular blood pressure all day long IS higher than that, not just my super-high-activity blood pressure.
I also have a problem with blood pressure cuff tightness in that my arms are fairly muscular and if I put the cuff on straight, meaning straight (lol, overlapping and the velcro attaching like it should), then the muscle results in the upper side being about 1 finger tight, when the lower side can easily get 3 fingers in.
Over a sleeve or not, I don't feel like that matters a lot. Yes it can change my BP by a single-digit, but if I'm that close to a high BP, it's not as though a single digit difference means I'm in or out of the woods, as my BP can vary that much from one day to the next anyway. IMO it is more important to be consistent in how you take it and also, of benefit to take your BP monitor with you when you visit your doctor so after s/he gets a reading, you can repeat it with yours to compare the numbers because sometimes those at-home BP monitors and/or the user's technique can make them less accurate.
Ultimately I found that stress makes my BP rise more than anything (now that I'm on a lot sodium diet at least) and I am pretty aware that my BP will be high based on how I feel when I take the reading. Some people say you can't feel high BP but I definitely feel it.
But if your BP is very high when resting, imagine how high it is when walking and lifting things and going up the steps! Also, don’t think about a problem or a rude person when you monitor your BP. I have noticed that when I take my BP right away without resting that it is indeed higher. That number may be closer to that general or average BP reading you are talking about here!
Thank you for this, Dr. Story. I have asked at my own doctor’s office and I’ve only gotten vague and/or inaccurate answers. Your video has finally answered all of my questions.
Awesome advice. You could also mention a little more about white coat syndrome. I suffer this terribly. Had to buy my own monitor, and have a great Dr , so no meds needed. So many are on meds that don’t need to be , because they don’t take this step . Once you get stressed about getting it checked, it’s hard to get it down . I had to do check daily for a few weeks to get my real numbers as I was getting worked up even at home checking. Thanks 😊
Isn't it ABSOLUTELY incredible that a chiropractor ( a non-medical health professional) knows more about correctly measuring blood pressure than most medical doctors and their office MA's. For years, I have been making the same observations and recommendations upon my visits to the doctor only to have some ill-trained MA (and doctor for that matter) tell me it doesn't make any difference which arm is used or if their is clothing under the cuff. It makes you wonder if doctors do this intentionally to help create new patients for life-time hypertension drugs aggressively marketed to them by the pharmaceutical companies and their field representatives. It's the big pharma companies that set the "guidelines" doctors follow in determining hypertension.....not the doctor !!! It's a nefarious and dangerous relationship between doctors and big pharma that has a needless debilitating effect on so many people. How do I know ? I am a former pharma rep and I know the rotten game played in the doctor's office !!!
Wow! I was diagnosed wrong. Saved me from taking drugs! Thank you! I will definitely consult you!
All mistakes have been made for years (I'll withhold the name of the clinic). I drive 40 miles to the clinic after being up for a few hours, drinking a couple cups of coffee, 70 mph on the freeway with idiots all around me, into the office on time and have to wait 1/2 hour, then get in the exam room and immediately am cuffed tight and over my sleeve... usually voluntarily raise my arm... So of course Im 20 or 30 points higher than at home... I mention all this to my doc and he says - "well, you're probably right - our machines haven't been calibrated for quite some time." After many years on BP Meds, I gave them up - nearly all made me feel real bad... So now no meds for 6 years and my BP is around 116/70...I'm 78 and feel fine. I also take my home monitor with me for each appointment. Thanks for the very informative and helpful video!
Wow. That’s awesome
@carlharding5311
Why would you say that?
A chiropractor has to have more education than a gp, not less. It’s simply a specialty field after becoming a Dr.
@@scostie the comments you saw were a troll. Don’t worry about it
@carlharding5311
Is it though? What he’s saying is it’s read by the cuff through that area the best, per the manufacturers recommendations.
I happen to know this for fact since just yesterday I had an incident at home that needed medical attention. I first saw my daughter, who has been a nurse for almost 20 years and is well trained in this. I asked to check my BP just to be curious at what it was at an event of extreme stress on my part. She put the cuff she had on me sideways to what I thought was correct, without me saying anything about seeing this video. And I looked on her cuff and it said right on the side of it to do that. Just like this guy says.
Those are good numbers! My Dad is slightly younger than you, and I don't think he will ever be able to get off his meds. People say, "often we can lower it with lifestyle changes!" (getting more exercise, losing weight, changing to a healthier diet), but some people have high bp genetically and still need the boost of the medications after having done that. The male side of the family has a certain set of blood vessels that makes bp in the normal range without some help, virtually impossible. Even stepping up my cardio to 5 hours a week, had made it go down 3 points, at best. I often demand that the bp be done over towards the end of the visit and they're usually helpful. I also bring in my own device and show them the numbers I had gotten at home.
Dr Story, I have great respect and appreciation for your knowledge. As a nurse myself, I am tuned in to doctors who are not particularly respectful of nurses. Using the term "idiots" to refer to other healthcare professionals does not reflect well on you. Also, you might want to remember that some nurses are male (unless you think only female nurses lack competency in the many nuances of taking accurate blood pressure readings). You are so knowledgeable, and people are listening to you. Please be a role model for respectful conversation, even when you disagree with other healthcare professionals.
Sometimes the truth hurts, facts are facts.
Also an RN. You're exactly right. Thank you so much.
@@RubyW7944 The fact is that many of these Doctors are idiots themselves. They studied for years to be a Doctor and yet many do not learn how the human body works. 🤦🏼♀️
@@RubyW7944 There are ways to present facts and information without being disrespectful to others. It's hard being a female working in most professions, including healthcare. I stand by my reminder to Dr Story, while also appreciating his knowledge.
@@patriciadavismarn7055 My mother was an RN and I was an x-ray tech, and now I am a patient. The absolute incompetent, lazy, unprofessional things I witness by everyone, from top to bottom is ridiculous. It isn't just me that has noticed. Everyone has their own experiences and opinions.
Well explained and it makes so much sense . i have white coat syndrome always goes up when i go to the doctors , at home is fine .
Same here. Could take in car go in doc office it's always higher. I have a new doctor he listens to me and now my White Coat Syndrome doesn't show up at all now. I believe it's the doctor
Thank you so much for the information. At the clinic I visit, the chair is put in such a way that all patients take their blood on the right arm. I just checked using both arms and the readings are totally different.
So glad to hear about this.That was the I learn in nursing school but know they say it doesn't matter .I wish they listen to you and do the right way .
Adam, here are four additional mistakes: 12. Taking your blood pressure in a cold environment. Your exposed arm needs to be warm, not cold with goose bumps. The same applies to your body temperature. Blood vessels contract when we are feeling cold which increases blood pressure. 13. Using an old blood pressure monitor that may have diminished accuracy. 14. Using a blood pressure monitor with diminished batteries. Whatever monitor you use, it needs to be operating at its optimum. 15. Taking your blood pressure when there is a lot loud or distracting noise going on around you. Keeping calm usually goes hand-in-hand with quiet. Personally, whenever I measure my blood pressure at home it is always first thing in the morning, lying in bed, before breakfast, before tea & coffee, and with an empty bladder. I put the cuff on and calm down for a few minutes with deep breathing then press the start button and dream of a sun-soaked sandy beach while the monitor does its work. I always take three readings, allowing a couple of minutes between each one. To be consistent, I believe it helps to measure blood pressure under the same conditions, and let's face it, you are rarely going to be more relaxed than in bed first thing in the morning before the activities of the day - including what you eat and drink - disturb your metabolism. I keep records of all of my 'at home' readings and show them to my doctor.
What has Adam got to say on all these points?
Ajab khan khattak.I like your method of checking BP n bed,but thinking of being at a beach on a suny day while u r actually not must b confusing the monitor.
I have definitely noticed the issue with cold temperatures.
@@ajabkhan9320 Great humour!🤣
Absolutely agree with your #12. I took a series of readings in a cold room and couldn't understand why my BP had gone up by about 10 points. Warm room, back to normal.
Being an RN and having done home health, some additional things I have taught to people at home who check their own blood pressure is to have the palm of their hand facing upward and to first take a deep breath in and upon pressing the automatic blood pressure machine to start, to then blow out with the notion of hopefully helping them relax as the blood pressure machine does it's reading. Otherwise, this was a great video presentation.
Thanks
Indeed, it's valuable information for those who have been checking their BP at home. Thank you.