When Is the Best Time to Take a Blood Pressure Reading

How to measure your blood pressure at home.

Welcome to our home monitoring resource hub.

Here you lot can find resources for abode monitoring, see our unproblematic steps to get an accurate reading and make the most out of home monitoring.

Plus, read more about why home monitoring can be helpful and how to cull a monitor.

The start step to managing your blood pressure is to Know Your Numbers! Watch our video to see how to measure out your blood pressure at domicile and utilize our tips and resource below to check your ain blood pressure at home.

Dwelling house claret force per unit area monitoring resources

Download our Checking your blood force per unit area at home [PDF 113KB] affiche and our Guidelines for home blood pressure level testing [PDF 44KB] to print and keep at home every bit a guide.

You can too download our 'Measuring your claret pressure at domicile' leaflet at the end of the page. This A5 booklet provides clear instructions on how to measure claret force per unit area at home. Information technology covers how to cull an accurate monitor, how to use the automobile correctly at dwelling house and when to measure.

Before y'all measure your blood pressure

• Avoid things that can raise your blood pressure in the short term. Don't measure your claret pressure level inside half an hour of eating, smoking, drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, or exercising. These can all raise your claret pressure temporarily. If you need to use the toilet, go earlier you mensurate your blood pressure.
• Wear loose-fitting wearing apparel. Wear a short-sleeved t-shirt or something with sleeves yous can button up easily, cipher tight. This is and then that yous can fit the cuff around your arm.
• Balance for v minutes before you have your reading. Sit down somewhere tranquillity, ideally at a desk or table. Have your dorsum supported with your arm resting on a firm surface and your feet apartment on the floor. Stay in this position while yous take your blood pressure.
• Make sure your arm is supported and at the same level every bit your center. Position yourself so that your arm is resting on a surface and is at the same summit equally your heart. Keep your arm and paw relaxed, not tensed.
• Make sure you are relaxed and comfortable. If you are broken-hearted or uncomfortable, your claret pressure will rise temporarily.

How to measure your blood pressure at domicile using a home monitor

1. Follow the instructions that came with your monitor. Make certain y'all place the cuff around your arm equally described in the instructions.
2. Place the arm cuff just to a higher place your elbow. The cuff should exist about 2cm to a higher place your elbow to make sure it tin detect the artery in your arm, just nether the skin.
3. Keep still and tranquility while you take your reading. Moving, chewing, talking and laughing tin affect your reading. Make sure y'all don't cross your legs, as this will raise your reading also.
4. Accept two or three readings, each virtually 1 to two minutes apart. If your first reading is much higher than the next, ignore information technology and take an extra reading. One time you lot have ii to 3 readings, y'all tin work out the average.
5. Proceed a tape of your measurements. Tape all your readings in the memory of your monitor, on your computer or telephone or on paper – whichever you prefer. Write them downwardly exactly as they appear on screen.

Tips for measuring your blood force per unit area at dwelling

• Measure out your blood pressure in both arms when y'all commencement start. They will give slightly dissimilar readings. From and so on, use the arm that gave yous the higher reading each time.
• E'er use the aforementioned arm. If possible, utilise the arm that your doc or nurse uses when they measure your claret pressure.
• Take readings at the same fourth dimension each 24-hour interval. For example, kickoff thing in the morning or terminal thing at night. Your blood pressure can vary throughout the twenty-four hour period and with unlike activities, so this will hateful yous're comparing like with like. It'due south skillful to take a routine – like measuring your blood pressure before breakfast.
• Don't round your measurements upwardly or down. Record your readings as they're displayed because it could affect the treatment you're prescribed.
• Don't worry if yous go an unexpected high reading. A i-off loftier reading is normally nothing to worry about, residue for five minutes and take the reading again. If it's still loftier, measure your blood pressure over again some other twenty-four hour period. If information technology remains high for long, effectually two or iii weeks, see your doctor or nurse.
• Don't worry about small changes. Information technology'due south normal for there to be minor changes in your claret pressure.
• Don't check your blood pressure besides frequently. Some people find that they get worried or stressed near pocket-sized changes in their readings if they accept them too oft. Worrying tin also raise your claret force per unit area in the brusk term, making your reading higher than it should exist.
• Don't cease taking your medications if your blood pressure falls. Always talk to your doc before stopping your medications, even if your blood pressure has fallen to a healthy level co-ordinate to your home monitor.
• Speak to your md or nurse if y'all're worried. If yous accept doubts or concerns almost your readings or home monitoring, speak to your doctor or nurse, or phone call out healthcare team on 020 7882 6218. If yous recollect yous may be having a stroke or center attack call 999 immediately.

How often should you measure your blood force per unit area?

When and how often you take your readings volition depend on your blood pressure level. Speak to your doctor or nurse near what's suitable for you.

It can be useful to monitor your blood pressure closely to begin with, then less oftentimes but at regular intervals.

When you first start using your home monitor

When y'all first start using a home monitor, measure your claret pressure in the morning time and evening, every day for a week.

Accept three readings in the morning time, one to two minutes apart, and the same over again in the evening, and record all the readings. Take an average of the readings, just discard the first ane if it'southward much higher than the others. To take an average simply add the 2 readings together and split past two. Dissever by three if you use all three readings.

Ignore the start day'southward readings birthday, because they might non be accurate as you're not familiar with your monitor still.

At the stop of the calendar week yous will have a useful picture of what your blood pressure is normally like.

Your doctor might ask you to keep a record similar this when they first think yous might accept loftier blood pressure and would like to know more than before making a diagnosis.

After the first week

One time y'all have a record of your claret pressure over a week, you lot can take readings less oft – in one case every one to two weeks perhaps. Your md or nurse tin can talk to y'all about this, there's no need to mensurate information technology too often.

If your blood pressure has been stable for a long fourth dimension, you might merely need to mensurate it once every iv to six months. Your doctor or nurse will exist able to propose you.

There might be times when you want to measure your blood pressure level more than oftentimes. For example, if you are given a new medicine or a higher dose of medicine, to run across if the modify is having an effect. It's likewise helpful to tape your numbers for iv to seven days earlier a clinic visit so you can show your doc.

Keeping a record

Keeping a record will aid you and your doctor to see how your blood pressure is responding to treatments and lifestyle changes, and if you need a change in your treatment. Take your record along with you to your appointments.

You can tape your readings in the retention of your monitor, on your computer or phone or on paper – whichever you prefer. If you share your monitor with someone else keep a tape elsewhere so that your readings don't become dislocated.

It'south helpful to keep a diary of your blood force per unit area readings. Write down all your readings, fifty-fifty the ones y'all don't include in the average. Ideally write down the time and engagement, and the time you lot took your blood pressure medications. It'south too helpful to note anything that might have affected your blood pressure, for example changes in treatment, episodes of illness, symptoms you take at the time such as headaches or feeling empty-headed.

You tin also download our handy E-record card [PDF 38KB] beneath for yous to record your blood pressure numbers on. Use our blood pressure level chart to see what your numbers hateful, and follow our guidelines for dwelling house blood pressure testing to see what action you should take.

Working with your doctor or nurse

You won't usually make a decision about treatment based solely on the readings you lot have taken at home. But they may notice it useful to know what you're blood force per unit area is like when you're away from the clinic.

Talk to your doctor or nurse before you start to measure your claret pressure at domicile. They advise you on when to mensurate your blood force per unit area and how often, and this can help you both to be clear virtually what y'all are doing and why.

Bring your records with yous to your appointments so they can use information technology to review your treatment.

Make sure your monitor is suitable and you know how to use information technology

Information technology is a good idea to bring your monitor to the appointment and then that your doctor or nurse tin check that information technology is validated and authentic, that it fits properly, and that yous know how to use it. They can evidence you if y'all're not sure.

Read more than

Acquire more than most your blood pressure, what blood pressure readings hateful, and how to lower your blood pressure.

For further information on home monitoring, download our booklet, Measuring your BP at home [PDF 194KB].

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Source: https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/your-blood-pressure/how-to-lower-your-blood-pressure/monitoring-your-blood-pressure-at-home/how-to-measure-your-blood-pressure-at-home/