If anyone is looking to invest in a smartwatch, the first thing they are going to look for is whether it will keep you updated about your health or not. After all, the best options available do way more than simply keep track of your health. Believe it or not; high blood pressure is the cause of many, many deaths around the world. That should be one of the reasons you would want to keep your health in check!
Normally, you need those huge cuffs to measure your blood pressure. If you are someone who is always on the go, carrying that huge machine is an obvious no-no! The inconvenience and discomfort that the machine is a huge problem to anyone looking to monitor their health regularly. That is where the latest smartwatches come into play! These watches have become more accessible than ever before and they do a pretty good job at keeping track of your health.
But the question that still needs to be cleared up is: How do smartwatches measure blood pressure? Today, that is what we will be looking to answer.
So, let’s get into it.
The Importance of Keeping Track of Your Blood Pressure
We have already talked about it before, but high blood pressure levels are amongst the leading reasons of death around the world. And this is mostly because it goes undiagnosed. By keeping track of your own health, you have a much better chance of detecting any big changes or fluctuations in your blood pressure. In turn, this puts you in a much better position to contact your doctor to learn more about what may be causing it.
Another important reason to start keeping track of your blood pressure levels is because of what is called the “White Coat Syndrome.” Have you had that one friend who is deathly scared of doctors? If you take that friend to the doctor to get their blood pressure levels checked, they will definitely be higher than normal.
As a result, your doctor is going to think something is wrong and you will end up with prescriptions that you never needed in the first place. The best way to be able to avoid that is checking the levels yourself. This way, you will have a clearer understanding of whether or not your BP levels are actually higher than normal.
How Do Smartwatches Measure Blood Pressure Levels?
If you have ever owned a smartwatch you must have noticed a small, usually circular, design at the bottom. That design is the watch’s sensor and it is the device used to measure your blood pressure levels.
Traditional blood pressure machines come with cuffs that tighten around your arm. However, with smartwatches you can consider the wrist-band to be that cuff.
Now, your blood pressure levels are measured using your heart rates. The simplest way to understand how is by picturing the way your pulse moves. Consider the point of your wrist under the sensor to be the pulse’s starting point. The pulse then travels around your body straight to the heart and back. The time taken for the pulse to travel to the heart and back to the starting position we imagined is how your BPM is measured.
High blood pressures just mean that the pulse is moving around your body a lot faster than normal. And low blood pressure means the exact opposite! That is how you can keep check of your blood pressure levels.
How to Make Sure You Are Getting the Most Accurate Possible Blood Pressure Reading
The last thing you want when checking your BP levels is for the values to be unnecessarily higher or lower. In order to ensure that you get the best possible blood pressure measurements there are a couple of things you can do:
Be Comfortable and In a Calm Environment
Your blood pressure levels will be influenced by the world around you. If you are in a place where there is a lot of people and noises and your heart rate is a little faster than normal, this may lead to higher BP levels. To ensure that does not end up happening you should take your readings once you are completely comfortable and calm.
Keep Your Arms Steady On a Table
This does not seem like a big thing. However, you would be surprised. After all, we cannot forget about gravity. By keeping your arms steady on a table you can ensure that there are no other outside factors forcing your blood to move faster or slower. Think about it: If you keep your arms next to your hips or raise them right high in the air, would that not slow down or speed up your blood’s movements? To stop that from affecting the readings just put your hands on a table!
