Does anyone absolutely HATE the feeling of blood pressure cuff?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I'm wondering if it's my sensory issues that make this so hard, but I cannot physically stop myself from squirming - the more I try to stop myself the more my breathing goes wrong and I end up sort of gulping down air and dissolving into anxious stupid giggles

It's really embarrassing! Plus I have to get blood pressure done quite a lot due to type 1 diabetes.

We got a machine for me to practise at home to try to get used to it, but although I'm much better at home (my wife sits next to me and murmurs soothing words and pats my other arm ) I STILL cannot stop my breathing going wonky.

I just hate the vice like squeezing and the sensation of blood pulsating through my arm, it makes me panic and feels like the circulation is being dangerously cut off. Which is ridiculous, obviously.

Who else dreads the blood pressure cuff? Who else is as odd as me?!

My hate is the sinks you lay your head back in at hairdressers for washing your hair, physically can’t stand them so have a mobile hairdresser instead

When I was a child my Mum had one and put the fear of God into us children, saying if we used it our veins would explode. I still have that fear now when it reaches peak pressure!

Awful. I had to have BP taken before a smear and told the nurse I'd rather the smear than the BP taken. She did the manual cuff instead which was so much better.

I'm sure my BP goes up because of the stress of the auto cuff 🙃

@Retrievemysanity

I hate it too but not as much as a contact lens check up when they turn your eyelids inside out!

I refuse to have it done. They tried to force me once and I threw up. On the optician They made a note on my file after that

I onece had to sit through about 50 medical students trying to do my manual BP for their exams. I got bruises, free lunch, taxi and £10!

Are they using the right size cuff for your arm? Asking them to check might make it more comfortable. Also, a manual reading would necessarily squeeze as tightly as the machine. I would always look at someone regular reading and use that as a baseline, only going significantly higher if needed.

What age are all the people who experience such a severe dislike of it? I've never heard of anyone saying this before. In real life or on medical documentaries. Older people often need their blood pressure taken, I just can't imagine them refusing because they don't like the feel of it.....they wouldn't want to cause a fuss.

Another one to say I love it. I love the feeling of tight spaces and being squished. Opposite of claustrophobia.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

What age are all the people who experience such a severe dislike of it? I've never heard of anyone saying this before. In real life or on medical documentaries. Older people often need their blood pressure taken, I just can't imagine them refusing because they don't like the feel of it.....they wouldn't want to cause a fuss.

Well, I never refuse. I can't, because I'm high risk for losing my vision if blood pressure is elevated thanks to type 1 diabetes.

I'm 37 and have HATED it my whole life since diabetes diagnosis aged 11 though!

@Blossom64265

It’s not my most hated sensory thing, but it’s very unpleasant. I would much rather get stuck with a needle than have my blood pressure taken.

Yes same here.

Needles all day any day over squeezing cuffs. I mean to be fair I'm not a fan of the tourniquet for blood draws but it is released pretty quickly once blood is flowing, so I can deal.

It always makes me feel a bit funny peciliar. Not pleasant but not awful either.

It's just something you get on with though, isn't it? It's seconds long, it's a finite process. It's not doing you any harm. It's a health check so it's a positive thing being done for your benefit. Doesn't actually hurt as such. I'm trying to understand people's perspectives but it's really hard to!

I remember the first time I got it done it felt like it was just getting tighter and tighter and something had to give, and it was a bit disconcerting, yes. But an overwhelming feeling of panic at such a short-lived thing, I'm not sure I can understand. It's not like someone's got their hands round your neck and stopping you breathing.

@XenoBitch

I like it. Is like a little hug for my arm.

This tickled me

I don't mind them too much in the GP's office but I had to have a 24 hour one once and I got a sadistic model. It was really painful. Then when the GP was looking at the results she found it unusual that my blood pressure was higher when I was sleeping than when I was awake. I told her that I was sleeping, I was waking in panic and pain.

'wasn't sleeping' not 'was sleeping', although I was sleeping until the pressure started by the time it took a reading I was hyper alert.

Tbh the reason it feels like it's cutting off your circulation is that it is... it's stopping blood flow through the artery! 😂

Ok @CurlyhairedAssassin you don't get understand and find it a non issue, that's ok.

I genuinely find it hard to deal with and panic inducing.

I'm shit with many medical procedures and unfortunately have to suck them all up for my own benefit. I still find it difficult though!

Just because something is for your own good and you know this logically and make yourself do it, doesn't mean you can't find it hard or unpleasant.

@OrlandointheWilderness

Tbh the reason it feels like it's cutting off your circulation is that it is... it's stopping blood flow through the artery! 😂

Urrghhh NOT HELPING!

I find it really painful. DD had to have her blood pressure taken when she was about 4 months old and I was so surprised (and relieved) that she didn't cry at all (she was just fascinated by the whole thing). It was the first time I realised clearly not everyone experiences it like I do!

I have it done every 2 weeks and its painful as they do it 3 times but what I find worse is the numbness tht gives way to pins and needles afterwrds. I find the whole process uncomfortable and draining.

Hate it. I was in hospital for ages and had my obs taken every few hours, it drove me nuts. I hate the tightness.

Makes me feel faint

But my blood pressure is fine (a little high)

It’s a weird feeling

Hate it, give me blood tests all day long, blood pressure cuff is horrible. Feels like my arm is about to explode. When I was pregnant with both dc I had to have extra checkups due to medical issues which meant double the amount of blood pressure checks.

Oh thank goodness! I thought it was me just being weird. I squirm too. I honestly find having a blood test easier than having my BP done. I also cannot stand food massages. I had to tell the beautician to stop because I was literally squirming, she looked at me like a was a right oddball.

I don't know if this will help anyone or not, but when I was an in patient I had the multiple obs every day yada yada. I found the BP cuff was quite painful and uncomfortable. Nurse said "you are clenching your arm muscles, don't fight against it, just let it happen" I did what she said and it was SOOOO much easier, I hardly noticed it.

It is natural to anticipate discomfort and pain so we clench our muscles, so when I went with the flow and didn't fight back so to speak it was no problem anymore.