Blood pressure monitoring unobtrusively records your blood pressure for 24 hours while you go about your day. Here’s why your doctor wants it for you.  
 
What is 24-hour blood pressure monitoring?
Blood pressure monitoring (BPM) or, to be medically precise, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) unobtrusively records your blood pressure over a single 24-hour period while you go about your day in your ordinary way. A small digital gadget is attached to a belt around your body, which connects to a cuff around your upper arm. You even sleep with it on.  We have onsite blood pressure monitors for your convenience.
 
Why monitor your blood pressure?
BPM/ ABPM allows your doctor to monitor changes in your blood pressure over the day so that they can:
-   find out if your readings in the clinic are higher than elsewhere (the so-called white coat
effect)
-   see how well your medicines are controlling your blood pressure throughout the day
-   see if your blood pressure stays high at night. If so, we may need to change or adjust
your treatment.
 
What should I do during Blood Pressure Monitoring? 
During monitoring, you’ll need to ensure that the tube to the machine is not twisted or bent.  Just ​​before the machine is about to take a reading, it will beep.

When this happens, you should:
-   sit down, if possible
-   keep the BPM cuff at the same level as your heart
-   keep your arm steady.
 
Anything else?
After 24 hours, you return the monitor to your practice, and your results are analysed and used to inform any treatment plan, if required.