In this article, I'll tell you how reliable they are and exactly why this is the case. I'll also tell you about superior ways of obtaining reliable and accurate b.p. readings.
The answer is, unfortunately, "not very reliable". The typical drugstore blood pressure monitor is a device where you place a finger or thumb onto a button. These are good for measuring your pulse but are notoriously inaccurate for measuring your blood pressure.
You simply cannot get a good reading via the thumb or fingers. You won't find any monitor like this inside a hospital, a doctor's surgery or any other medical establishment. An accurate monitor will measure via the upper arm (ideally) or the wrist. That is because the upper arm contains the brachial artery which can be used to make an accurate determination.
The second reason why they do not give good readings is because you typically stand to get a reading. To get an accurate reading you need to be sitting and at rest for a few minutes. Your legs should not be crossed and the point on your body from where the reading is obtained needs to be at the same level as your heart. As you can now see, the typical drugstore blood pressure monitor does not do this!
How To Get A Reliable Reading
Even an occasional visit to your doctor is not good enough if you want reliable and accurate readings. That is because many people experience "white coat syndrome" which means that they get readings that are too high or too low when they are in the presence of a doctor. Also, your b.p. fluctuates during the day by quite a lot so you need to obtain several readings and take an average.
The best way to get reliable readings is to buy your own monitor. Frankly, every house should have one because it is the only way to know for sure if you have high b.p. or not.
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