Taking Your Blood Pressure at HomeIt is important to understand that all people have a normal variation in blood pressure throughout the day, so do not be alarmed by these differences. In addition, other factors can have a short-term effect on blood pressure measurements including stress, dietary factors and your position when taking your blood pressure ((see “Additional Tips for Taking An Accurate Blood Pressure”). That is why several blood pressure readings in a week are a more accurate representation of a person’s true blood pressure than a single measurement obtained in the office a few times per year. Today, there are several FDA approved blood pressure units available that provide an accurate, reliable and easy method for measuring blood pressure at home.

Some variation in blood pressure throughout the day is normal, especially as a response to small changes

in daily life like stress, exercise, or how well you slept the night before.

Blood pressure typically has a daily pattern. Blood pressure is normally

lower at night while you’re sleeping. Your blood pressure starts to

rise a few hours before you wake up and continues to rise during the

day, usually peaking in the middle of the afternoon. Then in the late

afternoon and evening, your blood pressure begins dropping again.

Typically, this range will be about 10 to 15 millimeters of mercury on

the upper, or systolic, value; and 5 to 10 millimeters of mercury on

the lower, or diastolic, value.

Thus, a person with a resting blood pressure of 125/70 at 3 AM might have a reading of 140/80 by late afternoon.

Blood pressure is influenced by several factors including:

What Is White Coat Hypertension and Masked Hypertension?It’s important to distinguish fluctuating blood pressures from two phenomena known as white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension.

In white coat hypertension, a person’s blood pressure is considered to be “high” at a doctor’s office, but normal when at home. This high blood pressure is attributed to the stress of being in a doctor’s office, which is why a nurse will often wait for a person to rest comfortably for five minutes before taking a reading.

Masked hypertension is the opposite and occurs when doctor visit blood pressures are normal but readings at home are high. Masked hypertension is actually more common than white coat hypertension and often goes undetected.

• Anxiety • Tobacco use • Too much stress

• Dietary salt • Exercise • Sleep

• CaffeineAdditional Tips for Taking An Accurate Blood Pressure

DON’T HAVE A

CONVERSATIONTalking or active listening adds 10

mm Hg

EMPTY BLADDER

FIRSTFull bladder

adds 10 mm Hg

KEEP LEGS UNCROSSED

Crossed legs add 2-8 mm Hg

SUPPORT ARM AT

HEART LEVELUnsupported arm adds 10 mm Hg

USE CORRECT CUFF SIZE

Cuff too small adds 2-10 mm HG

PUT CUFF ON

BARE ARMCuff over

clothing adds 5-50 mm Hg

SUPPORT BACK/FEETUnsupported back

and feet adds 6.5 mm Hg

Digital Blood Pressure Cuff Setup Guide

Measuring Your Blood Pressure

1. Pull the cuff end through the metal loop, keeping the Velcro on the outside.

2. Stretch out your arm, palm up. Place your bare arm through the cuff with the hose running down the bottom.

3. Position the cuff an inch above your elbow. Make sure the tubing is not coiled or tangled. The tube should fall over the front center of your arm.

4. Pull the end of the cuff, so it is evenly tight around your arm, and secure the Velcro fastener. It should fit comfortably, yet snugly, around your arm. You should be able to only fit two fingers side by side under the top edge of the cuff.

• Ensure the cuff is properly fastened each time. • Never slip on the cuff if it is already fastened.

5. If this is the first time using your cuff, ensure that it is the right size.

• When properly positioned, the arrow should fall within the “OK” guidelines.

• If you do not have the right-sized cuff, contact Ochsner Digital Medicine Technical Support at 504-842-1635 or visit an Ochsner O Bar.

6. Once your cuff is set up, sit quietly and relax for 3 to 5 minutes without outside stimulation such as talking, looking at your phone, watching TV, or reading, before taking a blood pressure measurement.

7. When ready, place your feet flat on the floor, with your legs uncrossed, and lean against the back of the chair with your arm outstretched, palm up.

• Use the diagram below to check that you are ready for your reading.

© 2020 Ochsner Health System

8. Open the iHealth MyVitals app. • Tap the menu icon (“hamburger” or three lines) in the upper left

corner of the screen then tap Blood Pressure to initiate connection to your device. The indicator light should be solid green.

• If connection is unsuccessful, repeat the steps on the previous page to establish a connection.

9. Tap Start to begin the measurement. The cuff will inflate then slowly deflate. Remain still during the reading.

Using Your iHealth® Ease Blood Pressure Monitor and iHealth MyVitals App

Setting Up Your iHealth Ease Blood Pressure Cuff

Setting Up the iHealth MyVitals App on Your Android Device

Setting Up the iHealth MyVitals App on Your iOS Device

ENABLE

Slide your finger upward from the bottom of your screen (or on iPhone X or later, downward from the upper right corner of your screen) to access the Control Center. If the Bluetooth icon is not blue, tap it.

ENABLE Slide your finger downward from the top of your screen to open the Control Center. If the Bluetooth icon is not blue, tap it.

Emergency Stop Button and Indicator Light

Air Port

1. From the App Store, download the FREE iHealth MyVitals and MyChart apps.

2. Open the iHealth MyVitals app. • When prompted, tap Allow on any pop-ups to ensure

the app functions as intended. • When prompted, select Turn All Categories On

to connect the app to Apple Health. Then tap Allow to save this setting.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to sign up for an iHealth account, or log in using your existing iHealth account.

3. Open the MyChart app. • Search for and select your healthcare provider. • Log in using your existing MyChart account.

4. From the MyChart app home screen, tap Track My Health. • Tap Manage Connections to see available links. • Tap Connect to Health to link your MyChart app to your

iHealth MyVitals app through Apple Health.

1. From the Google Play Store, download the FREE iHealth MyVitals app.

2. Open the iHealth MyVitals app. • When prompted, tap Allow on any pop-ups to ensure

the app functions as intended. • Follow the on-screen instructions to sign up for an iHealth

account, or log in using your existing iHealth account.

3. From your internet browser, navigate to MyChart.com. • Log in using your existing MyChart account.

4. From the website navigation bar, select Health then Track My Health.

• Click Manage Accounts to see available links. • Next to the iHealth logo, click Connect Account. • On the iHealth sign-in page, log in using your iHealth

username and password.

1. Charge the battery before first use. • Connect the monitor to a USB port using the charging cable provided. • Charge until the flashing green light is solid. Disconnect from

the charging cable before using the monitor.

2. Connect the blood pressure cuff to your iHealth Ease monitor by inserting the cuff tubing connector into the air port on the left side of the monitor. Make sure the connector is completely inserted to avoid air leakage during measurements.

3. Sync the blood pressure cuff to the iHealth MyVitals app. • Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your mobile device. See instructions

on previous page. • Open the iHealth MyVitals app. • Tap the menu icon (“hamburger” or three lines) in the upper left corner

of the screen. • Tap Set Up My Devices, then tap Select New Device. • Tap Blood Pressure Monitors, then select the Ease (BP3L) model. • On the pop-up list, tap the serial number of your blood pressure cuff.

The serial number is found on a silver sticker on the underside of the monitor. • Within 3–6 seconds, the cuff should connect to your mobile device.

Connection is successful when the indicator light is solid green.

Measuring Your Blood Pressure instructions on back.

Charging Port