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How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone

 
Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: August 3, 2020
How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone

Heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States. A startling average of one person every 40 seconds dies from heart disease related conditions. Causes include congenital heart defects (those you are born with), diabetes, smoking, drug abuse and even high stress levels. One of the biggest causes of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) is high blood pressure. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, can cause heart disease. It can lead to heart failure and even hypertrophy. This is where the ventricle in the heart hardens to the point it no longer functions. Monitoring your BP levels can prove difficult. Let oneHOWTO show you how to use blood pressure monitor for Smartphone and find ways to reduce heart stress.

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Do Blood Pressure Reading Apps Work?

You need to be particularly careful of maintaining good blood pressure levels if you are of an advanced age, suffer from obesity, have a history of drug/alcohol abuse or have high stress levels. With the high costs of medical bills and busy day-to-day lives, getting regular checkups for your BP is difficult. It can counter-productively add more stress to our attempts at healthier living.

One solution is checking on your BP at home with a downloadable app. This uses the in-built technology of your phone to give an estimated reading. Services like the Instant Blood Pressure and Instant Heart Rate apps use the phone's camera. The camera flash estimates your heart beat and calculates your likely BP. You need to hold your finger over the camera aperture and the phone's receiver next to your chest. This is how it provides a calculation.

IMPORTANT

These type of apps come with a warning. Although not very visible, it does state the app is for entertainment purposes only. Because of this you cannot rely on the app for medical advice or diagnosis. Medical app specialist Dr. Iltifat Husain has written extensive research about the dangers of these apps. He points to the lack of medical research to back up their claims as likely warning signs for the user.

How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone - Do Blood Pressure Reading Apps Work?
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Sphygmomanometer (Blood Pressure Monitor)

If you have been advised by a medical professional to check your blood pressure at home, then you will have been told to purchase a sphygmomanometer. This is a blood pressure monitor you wrap around your arm. A medical professional can use this to check your BP manually using a stethoscope. If you don't have the correct training you will need a digital reader to do it for you.

Once you have your reading you can download an app which will help you to keep track of your BP's progress. Apps such as the Family Lite Blood Pressure Monitor or Blood Pressure Watch allow you to record your BP level. They also record other vital statistics (weight, height, exercise levels, etc.) to help analyze how your blood pressure is affecting your overall health.

Some, like the Smart Blood Pressure App from Evolve Medical Systems, allow you to tag activities and food. This will show you what not to do or eat to keep your BP level. It also calculates your BMI (Body Mass Index). It can even email your statistics direct to your doctor to ensure you are staying on top of any health concerns.

How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone - Sphygmomanometer (Blood Pressure Monitor)

Smartphone Blood Pressure Monitor

The wireless ease blood pressure monitor from iHealth has come up with a way to streamline this service. It combines the sphygmomanometer and the app to help you best track your blood pressure. The inflatable cuff goes round your arm and attaches to a device with a base. Insert your smartphone in the base while the cuff reads your blood pressure. The results are fed straight into your phone.

You can have unlimited user profiles for other members of your family or friends to use. It inputs the information to a program called 'MyVitals' which charts your BP history and even detects irregular heartbeats. It is FDA approved and, importantly, it is very affordable, retailing around the $40 mark. It works with both Android and iOS devices. The information it stores can also be sent to your doctor or medical adviser via wireless connection.

How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone - Smartphone Blood Pressure Monitor

A device like the iHealth wireless blood pressure monitor seems to be one of the best ways to track your BP at home. It does so by combining in one handy package the hardware and software needed to chart your stats.

If you need to look after blood pressure levels you must first discuss it with your doctor. They can also diagnose any possible underlying conditions.

If you want to read some more articles related to this topic, check out how to raise low blood pressure or how to lower my high blood pressure.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Use Blood Pressure Monitor for Smartphone, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

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