A lot of people want to know how to take blood pressure at home, here are the simple steps:

(If you purchase a manual or digital blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer), you will find a instruction booklet inside, follow that carefully.)

The following steps provide an overview of how to take your left arm blood pressure on either a manual or digital blood pressure monitor. Simply reverse the sides to take a blood pressure in your right arm.

1. Locate your pulse

Locate your pulse with the fingers by lightly pressing your index and middle finger slightly to the inside center of the bend of your elbow. If you cannot locate your pulse, place the head of the stethoscope (on a manual monitor) or the arm cuff (on a digital monitor) in the same general area.

2. Apply the cuff

Slide the cuff onto your arm with the lower edge of the cuff around 1 inch above the bend of your elbow. Fasten the cuff, but not too tight.

Place the stethoscope in your ears with the ear pieces slightly forward to get the best sound.

3. Inflate and deflate the BP cuff

In a manual BP monitor:

The most accurate reading you will get is by keeping your arm straight.

Release the pressure slowly, but if you release the pressure too quickly or in case you could not hear your pulse, DO NOT inflate the cuff again immediately. Wait one minute before repeating the measurement. Start by repeating the above steps.

If you are using a digital monitor:

If you did not get an accurate reading, DO NOT inflate the cuff again right away. Wait one minute before repeating the measurement. Start by reapplying the cuff.

4. Record your blood pressure

When you are releasing the pressure, listen carefully for the first pulse sound. As soon as you hear it, note the reading on the gauge. This reading is your systolic pressure (the force of the blood against the artery walls as your heart beats).

Continue to slowly deflate the cuff.

Listen carefully until the pulse sound disappears. The moment you can no longer hear your pulse, note the reading on the gauge. This reading is your diastolic pressure (the blood pressure between heartbeats).