Most healthcare providers don’t take blood pressure in the ideal way, says Wexler. It’s not very efficient. Ideally, you’d be sitting in a chair with your feet on the floor and your back supported. After resting there quietly for five minutes, your arm would be held up at heart level. But, in the interest of efficiency, he says, healthcare providers typically take the patient back to the exam room and measure his or her arterial pressure immediately. Your feet might be dangling off the exam table. Your back may not be supported. If that was how your blood pressure was taken, and it came up a little high, ask your provider to take it again at the end of your appointment. You may not be fully rested, since you’ve been talking throughout the appointment, but you’ll have been sitting for a bit and can find a comfortable position in a chair. Your reading might come up lower. Some other factors that can lead to hypertension reading:
Having had coffee within the last 30 minutes
Having smoked a cigarette in the last 30 minutes
Having exercised in the last hour
Having a full bladder
Having your legs crossed or dangling off the table
“If we’re talking about wanting to get blood pressure controlled, first we need to understand the right way to obtain it,” says Wexler.