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So I've been using those blood pressure monitors that they have at pharmacies and was getting consistently high readings every single time. I feel that I'm fairly healthy so it was getting my concerned.
However, upon reading the the 'fine print' on the machine - it says that it is made for the standard adult arm of 13 inches and that if your arm is larger than that then readings may not be accurate. (Another thing to note is that the cuff is only located on the left side).
So, I decided to order my own at-home monitor with a large cuff. It just came today and I decided to run through some tests, and what I found was interesting.
Within about a 15 minute time frame I ran through four tests for both my right and left arm; here are my readings:
1st) L: 140/69 R:110/67
2nd) L: 125/80 R:125/79
3rd) L: 142/82 R: 136/73
4th) L: 142/94 R: 125/69
So, on average, consistently high readings on my left arm and relatively normal on my right.
Decided to investigate why and came across this article:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/d...e-201202014174
While this does indicate that this could be a symptom of peripheral artery disease, I don't think that this is the case with me. The reason is:
I also have ulnar nerve impingement issues in my left arm which causes frequent loss of feeling in the outside of my hand (especially the pinky & ring finger). Deep tissue massage helps, and even sometimes temporarily alleviates this. My massage therapist says that it's related to tightness and impingement from my pectorals and triceps.
And this supports the other cause cited in the article:
"In younger people, side-to-side differences in blood pressure can occur when a muscle or something else compresses an artery supplying the arm, or by a structural problem that prevents smooth blood flow through an artery."
Anyway, just found this interesting and thought that I'd share.
However, upon reading the the 'fine print' on the machine - it says that it is made for the standard adult arm of 13 inches and that if your arm is larger than that then readings may not be accurate. (Another thing to note is that the cuff is only located on the left side).
So, I decided to order my own at-home monitor with a large cuff. It just came today and I decided to run through some tests, and what I found was interesting.
Within about a 15 minute time frame I ran through four tests for both my right and left arm; here are my readings:
1st) L: 140/69 R:110/67
2nd) L: 125/80 R:125/79
3rd) L: 142/82 R: 136/73
4th) L: 142/94 R: 125/69
So, on average, consistently high readings on my left arm and relatively normal on my right.
Decided to investigate why and came across this article:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/d...e-201202014174
While this does indicate that this could be a symptom of peripheral artery disease, I don't think that this is the case with me. The reason is:
I also have ulnar nerve impingement issues in my left arm which causes frequent loss of feeling in the outside of my hand (especially the pinky & ring finger). Deep tissue massage helps, and even sometimes temporarily alleviates this. My massage therapist says that it's related to tightness and impingement from my pectorals and triceps.
And this supports the other cause cited in the article:
"In younger people, side-to-side differences in blood pressure can occur when a muscle or something else compresses an artery supplying the arm, or by a structural problem that prevents smooth blood flow through an artery."
Anyway, just found this interesting and thought that I'd share.
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