Many individuals have high blood pressure in our society. The majority of individuals only get their blood pressure measured when they visit their physician, which may average about 1-3 times a year. Most of these individuals take several medications to help control the blood pressure but have little idea what the blood pressure is like on a daily basis. High blood pressure is a silent disease and there are generally no symptoms. When high blood pressure is not adequately treated, serious complications can occur.
Measuring blood pressure at home has many advantages including making an early diagnosis. Individuals who have had a diagnosis of borderline hypertension, diabetes or kidney problems are always at risk for developing full blown hypertension in the future. Routinely measuring blood pressure can help one make the diagnosis much earlier.
