# Where does one go to buy a sphygmomameter?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 7, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536 "2004-11-07T21:44:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/1 "2004-11-07T21:44:07Z")
A visit to an ER yesterday produced a blood pressure reading of 193/107, which makes me think what I’m taking for hypertension (Inderal) isn’t doing its job very well. So, I’d like to start monitoring my blood pressure, but I’m not sure where to look for a relatively inexpensive, uh, consumer model sphygmomameter. Do they have that kind of thing at, say, Target?
---
### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/2 "2004-11-07T21:47:48Z")
[Here ya go.](http://www.e-firstaidsupplies.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FPI&Product_Code=922-00411)
I’ve never seen one in a store, but if there is a medical supply store near you, they should have one. Maybe a really well stocked drug store.
---
### Author:  [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/3 "2004-11-07T21:50:04Z")
Target doesn’t have a pharmacy, but you can buy one at any drugstore or most any other outlet that does have a pharmacy.
---
### Author:  [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/4 "2004-11-07T21:53:19Z")
I haven’t noticed them at our local Target pharmacy, not that I’ve been looking.
You can also drop by the bookstore of any college of nursing or medicine.
---
### Author:  [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/5 "2004-11-07T22:11:40Z")
**Ringo**
Major’s Books, on Fannin just south of OST. Or you could try Walgreen’s or Eckerd’s. They usually sell the automatic variety, which is a little better if you don’t want to buy a stethoscope as well (although a cheap stethoscope is under $20 and a BP cuff is around $25 IIRC while the automatic kinds are over $50).
---
### Author:  [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/6 "2004-11-07T22:13:32Z")
I messed up.
Major’s Books is just north of OST, south of Braeswood. I bought a cuff there when I was a first year med student. You’ll be able to get a nurse’s stethoscope there too, if you don’t want the automatic variety.
---
### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/7 "2004-11-07T22:24:45Z")
Sorry for posting a tongue-in-cheek hijack on GQ, but… what you need to do is find a **Miscellaneous Etc.** store that has the [Ultimate Belt](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/4F03.html) in stock
😃
Not just a sphygmomanometer, but also an emergency button, radon detector, compass, and turn signals!! 😉
---
### Author:  [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/8 "2004-11-08T00:29:42Z")
SEARS has 'em.
[http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/search.do?BV\_UseBVCookie=Yes&verticalFullName=&keyword=blood+pressure+cuff&displayTarget=searchresults](http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/search.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&verticalFullName=&keyword=blood+pressure+cuff&displayTarget=searchresults)
---
### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/9 "2004-11-08T00:34:42Z")
Walgreen’s has them. The electronic ones are very accurate.
If you’re a reasonable sized guy, you probably need a LARGE ciff.
---
### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/10 "2004-11-08T00:53:34Z")
Thanks, y’all! I got an automatic everything model at Walgreen’s (at a drugstore - who’d a thunk it?).
---
### Author:  [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/11 "2004-11-08T01:01:49Z")
Well, this is too late to help **Ringo** , but in case anyone else is looking for one, uniform stores like Work’N’Gear usually have them. (Any place that sells nurse’s scrubs is likely to have certain other items needed by nurses.)
---
### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/12 "2004-11-08T04:12:59Z")
If anyone else is wondering, the all-auto digital model I bought was $60, and I couldn’t discern any functional difference between it and the models they had ranging up to $130.
They did have a $17 blood pressure kit which included a manual cuff, a stethoscope and instructions.
CVS’ prices were higher.
---
### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2004, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/13 "2004-11-08T08:21:40Z")
Ringo writes:
\> A visit to an ER yesterday produced a blood pressure reading of 193/107, which
\> makes me think what I’m taking for hypertension (Inderal) isn’t doing its job
\> very well.
Make an appointment with your doctor immediately. Your blood pressure is way too high. I’m astonished that the emergency room doctor or nurse didn’t tell you this.
---
### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-one-go-to-buy-a-sphygmomameter/273536/14 "2004-11-09T01:41:43Z")
Thanks, **Wendell**. The ER doc _was_ considering giving me something for it, but decided to watch it for a bit as they knew I was taking Inderal. It dropped to 157/97 before they released me, which is still high, but they expected it to be somewhat high in someone who’s in an ER for a head injury.
I bought the sphygmomameter so I can monitor it and advise my doctor about the performance of the medication he has me on.