UNDER PRESSURE....... (Argos Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor H1888)

Member Name: Gingaro

Product:	Argos Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor H1888
Date:	04/06/07 (313 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Takes accurate blood pressure readings, is easy to use, large and clear LCD screen, affordable

Disadvantages: The cuff can feel a little tight at first and takes a bit of getting use to

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood within the arteries, and is measured usually by a General Practitioner. The results are given as two numbers, the systolic pressure (the pressure on the arteries when the heart contracts) and the diastolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart rest in between each beat). A reading over 140/90 is consider to be elevated and 'mild' high blood pressure, a reading over 160/100 is classed as Hypertension. High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease, strokes and other serious conditions that will ultimately do increased life expectancy no good at all and is known as the silent killer.

A routine visit to the doctors 4 years ago revealed that my blood pressure was 185/110, not good and I was immediately put onto a course of medication that ultimately did no good at all and I started developing daily headaches, became incredibly fatigued and generally felt as rough as a badgers bum for what seemed no reason at all. A more recent visit to the doctor revealed a blood pressure of 196/115, a high reading that was inevitably increased due to my fear of doctors and hospitals.

To combat 'dodgy' readings induced due to my adverse reaction to medical professionals lead to my wife buying an IBP home blood pressure monitor from Argos for £29.99.

I am not going to go into a huge amount of detail of how the machine looks as the picture above shows pretty much it as it comes in the packaging. In terms of actual dimensions, the monitor is only 17cm (W) x 17cm (L) x 10cm (H) and weighs only 350g with the batteries inserted.

As with a blood pressure machine at the doctors, the readings are taken after a cuff is strapped around the upper arm and inflated automatically by the machine until a pulse is detected and blood pressure is picked up within the artery in the arm. A diagram on the cuff makes the process of strapping it on very straightforward and easy to do. As the cuff inflates the sensation is very strange and it does tighten to an extent that it feels as though the blood is being cut off to the lower arm and the feeling of a strong pulse in the arm is a tad freaky!

The cuff is plugged into a large LCD screen that records the blood pressure as the cuff inflates and slowly deflates. At the same time a little heart flashes on the screen in time with your pulse. As the cuff finally deflates the actual blood pressure reading is displayed on the monitor. From opening the box to taking a reading literally took only minutes as the machine is very easy to assemble and it's ready to go once the 4 AAA batteries are inserted. The LCD screen is 12cm by 10cm and gives the date, time, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and pulse. On the front of the screen are two large buttons, one to start and stop the inflation process and a memory button that allows up to 30 readings for up to 3 users to be stored over a period of time.

I have now owned the machine for just over 2 months so cannot really comment on durability, but the instruction booklet is very informative, the machine incredibly easy to use and provides me with the ability to keep track of whether my new medication is working.

I am incredibly pleased with this purchase, it has taken on something of novelty value with friends and family (who think it's funny how high my readings go), but in short, it gives me peace of mind and will as I start to make adjustments to my lifestyle (no smoking or drinking alcohol) allow me to record the actual benefits, making the suffering that little bit more bearable!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

As around 50% of over 65's and 25% of those in middle age suffer from high blood pressure the chances are that you could be at risk without actually knowing and therefore this is an essential piece of kit for any home.

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.



Steve :o)

Summary: A must have device for the home.....