DIY BPM

           In the USA, shops are called stores. In the UK, shops are called shops, unless they are department shops, in which case they’re called stores. Not that it matters now. In our city centre, there used to be five department stores, but in a few weeks the last will be closing down. What to do with these massive buildings is a question that concerns most councils, though according to a study published in today’s news, there are easier options for the redundant smaller shops around them, many of which are becoming restaurants or gyms.

          Online shopping is one cause for the demise of retail. Last week, I went into town to purchase a blood pressure monitor – BPM – from a large pharmacy (one that still can be found on most high streets) and, although they had several models, there was nobody available to help me choose which would best suit my requirements. Can I be blamed, then, for resorting to the internet, where I readily found advice, easy purchase, keen prices and prompt delivery? It feels a lot like progress.

          Why would the ownership of a BPM occur to me as a good idea? Well, it all started with my reading a book titled Too Many Pills, in which the author, James Le Fanu, investigates the statistics behind certain mass medication programmes and concludes that the health risks are exaggerated for certain demographic populations, one of which includes myself. A critical indicator of risk is blood pressure and the author highlights the fact that occasional checks, such as we experience at our doctor’s behest, are not as meaningful as more frequent, regular measurements. Now, since clinically approved BPMs are inexpensive, you can have one at home and take daily readings. (I should add that, recently, I’ve been experiencing dizzy spells, defined – by NHS online – as postural hypotension, caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure when getting up from a sitting or lying position. So, the pressure was on for me to act.)

          The device is small, neat and clever. It remembers readings for two people, so you don’t have to write them down. It also works in tandem with an optional phone app, which produces useful charts and can send data to your doctor.

          The key to getting an accurate blood pressure reading is to be relaxed prior to and during the process. This is not as easy as it may seem – especially the first time you do it yourself. Having unpacked the device and eager to get monitoring, I was convinced that my readings would be normal. But what is ‘normal’? Well, back to the internet, where I found that it depends on whether you take the US or the European standard indicators as your guide. Anxiety began to surface and, what with having to read the instructions while the device was charging up, download the app and set up an account (another password!) and choose a time that I could schedule daily, which must be an hour before or after eating meals and imbibing caffeine and/or alcohol, it rose steadily.

          Even after a calming down period, by the time I had fitted the cuff correctly according to the diagram and instructions, the chances of my getting a reading that didn’t flash red and warn of hypertension were quite slim. Sure enough, my first reading was alarmingly high, which caused me to rise my seat too quickly, which made me dizzy, which caused me to sit down abruptly. Don’t panic, I told myself. Familiarity with the procedure will ease inherent tension and, over time, the averaged results will be more meaningful than any one-off.

          On reflection, perhaps the DIY approach is not for everyone. Come to think of it, one of those vacant shops in town would be ideal for conversion into a BPM Drop-In Centre.