Best Practices for Accurate Blood Pressure Readings at Home
Measuring your blood pressure at home is easy with an upper arm cuff monitor that can be purchased at pharmacies or online retailers. Measuring your blood pressure at home can help with early diagnosis and confirmation of high blood pressure, tracks your treatment and can bring a sense of control over your health. Home monitoring is recommended for those with high blood pressure to assist your medical provider understand if the treatments are properly working.
The American Heart Association recommends the use of an automatic, cuff-style, upper arm monitor. Wrist and finger monitors are not recommended as the readings are less reliable.
Some things to consider when measuring your blood pressure at home:
- Ensure that the cuff properly fits, and the cuff is the correct size for you.
- Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, exercising, or smoking 30 minutes before the measurement.
- Ensure your bladder is emptied.
- Allow at least 5 minutes of quiet time before taking your blood pressure. Do not talk or use cellular devices.
- Do not take your measurements over your clothing. Remove the clothing over the arm that will be used to measure your blood pressure.
- Sit with your back straight on a chair such as dining room chair rather than your sofa, couch, or bed.
- Your feet will need to be flat on the floor and your legs uncrossed. The arm you will be measuring your blood pressure will need to lay flat on a surface.
- The middle of your cuff will need to be placed on your upper arm at heart level.
Your readings should be taken at the same time every day. If a reading is higher than normal, take it a second time and record both of your results. If your blood pressure is suddenly higher than 180/120 mmHg, wait at least a minute and retest. If your readings still continue to be high, seek medical care immediately as you could be having a hypertensive crisis.
For more information about heart disease and local resources, check out our website at https://gethealthyclarkcounty.org/manage-your-risk/heart-disease/
Additional Resources:
YouTube video of an accurate blood pressure screening at home: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XUApETuCiR8
