Blood pressure (BP) measurement is crucial to gauge one’s health and well-being. This tool comes in handy during emergencies. Some individuals may feel a fast heartbeat with elevated blood pressure, while others with low blood pressure may experience fatigue and dizziness. Having recorded data on blood pressure levels can help the doctor customize a treatment plan. However, there are some mistakes cardiologists want their patients to avoid when recording BP at home. Incorrect sitting position A consistent mistake among most blood pressure patients is the sitting position. People tend to forget that blood flow is highly impacted by gravity. By standard directions, blood pressure needs to be measured at the heart’s level. This is applicable to both direct and indirect modes of measurement. Measuring blood pressure with the cuff placed lower than the heart level produces high blood pressure levels. Similarly, placing the cuff higher than the heart level means the readings might indicate low blood pressure. The rule applies to either of the extremities, arms, or legs. These false results could be highly erroneous. For the most accurate reading, the patient needs to be seated upright, with the patient’s arm beside them. If the patient is lying on their side, this too could pose a problem for the reading.