Sunbeam 7689 - Manual (Page 3)

remains high over a long period of time.
Untreated, hypertension can cause many seri-
ous medical problems including strokes and
heart attacks. To control hypertension, the
American Heart Association recommends that
you not smoke, reduce fat and salt intake, main-
tain proper weight, exercise and get regular
physical check-ups.
Why Is It Important to Measure Your Blood
Pressure at Home?
Having your blood pressure taken at the doctor’s
office may cause you to become nervous, thus
artificially raising your reading. Having the ability
to take your blood pressure at home makes it easy
to record a log of your daily readings. This will
help you gain a greater understanding of your
blood pressure reading and the factors that effect
it. Be sure that you share your information with
your physician.
Hints for Accurate Measurement
1) Relax and try to remain still for 5 to 10 min-
utes before a measurement.
2) Remove shirts or other tight-fitting garments
on the wrist (for example wristwatches) and
upper arm before applying the wrist cuff.
3) Refrain from eating, smoking, and drinking
(especially alcoholic beverages) before a
measurement since these activities can
affect your blood pressure.
4) Remember that blood pressure varies contin-
uously throughout the day. Try to take your
blood pressure at time each day.