Checking your blood pressure at home, the right way

Readings at home are often more useful than readings in the clinic, because they show how your blood pressure behaves in everyday life. They only help if they are taken the same way each time.

Before you measure

• Skip coffee, exercise and smoking for 30 minutes
• Empty your bladder
• Sit with your back supported and feet flat on the floor
• Rest your arm on a table at heart level

Taking the reading

Use a cuff that fits your upper arm. Sit quietly for five minutes, then take two readings one minute apart. Write down both, with the date and time.

How often

Twice a week is enough for most people once a plan is in place. In the first weeks after a medicine change, your provider may ask for a reading every day.

Sharing your numbers

Send your readings through the portal before each video follow-up. If a reading is above 180/120, rest for five minutes and measure again. If it is still that high, or you have chest pain or trouble speaking, call 911.