Understanding the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor   

Has your doctor done some testing in relation to your blood pressure?  Has he or she mentioned that they might want to try an ambulatory blood pressure monitor to see what is really going on?  If so, your head may be spinning because you don’t even know what this means.  Many doctors forget that most people don’t understand what these terms mean, and how they will affect our day to day lives.  The good news is that an ambulatory blood pressure monitor won’t hurt but will give your doctor vital information that will help him or her to treat you in the best way possible. 

An ambulatory blood pressure monitor is a very small monitor that is about the size of your standard MP3 player.  The unit is attached to a blood pressure cuff that is worn under the clothes where no one will be able to see it, so you needn’t feel uncomfortable about wearing the unit. 

The ambulatory blood pressure monitor basically lets your doctor see where your blood pressure is every 15 to 30 minutes throughout a normal day.  Your doctor may have you wear the unit for 24 hours to get a good gauge of what is going on inside your body during a typical day. 

There are many reasons that your doctor might want to have you wear and ambulatory blood pressure monitor.  In some cases, you may have borderline high blood pressure and your doctor wants to determine exactly what is going on.  When a doctor is having a difficult time controlling blood pressure they’ll often choose this device as it will give them more information.  Doctors also choose to use an ambulatory blood pressure monitor when you have changed medicines, if you are pregnant, if you pass out a lot, or if you have medications that are caused by the medications. 

When you wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor the monitor will automatically check your blood pressure every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on what it has been programmed to do.  While it may be a bit startling and uncomfortable, the benefits of wearing such a monitor far outweigh the discomfort.  Many find that they are most uncomfortable during the night time hours.  If this is the case for you, just remind yourself that the testing is for the best and will help your doctor create a more refined treatment plan for you.