Blood pressure: technique matters
- Sit quietly for 5 minutes first — no tea, tobacco or exercise in the 30 minutes before.
- Sit with back supported, feet flat, arm resting at heart level on a table.
- Cuff on the bare arm, correct size. Take 2 readings a minute apart and note both.
- Measure at the same times daily (typically morning before medicines, and evening).
Blood sugar: getting reliable readings
- Wash and fully dry hands before pricking — sugar residue on fingers falsely raises readings.
- Use the side of the fingertip and rotate fingers day to day.
- Check at the times your doctor sets — commonly fasting and 2 hours after meals.
- Keep strips capped, dry and within expiry; heat-damaged strips misread.
Keep a record — it changes your treatment
A simple notebook or phone note with date, time and reading turns scattered numbers into a pattern your doctor can act on. Carry it to every appointment — trends matter far more than any single reading.
Call your doctor the same day if…
- BP repeatedly above 180/110, or above your doctor's set limit with headache, chest pain or vision changes.
- Fasting sugar persistently above 250 mg/dL, or any reading with vomiting, drowsiness or rapid breathing.
- Sugar below 70 mg/dL — treat immediately with glucose/sugar water, then inform your doctor.
- Never adjust medicine doses yourself based on home readings — always confirm with your doctor.