Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

***We have recently changed our process for home blood pressure monitoring. Our surgery monitors are being taken out of circulation and instead we are asking patients to purchase their own blood pressure monitors to do home readings. More information is below***

Click here to download our home blood pressure monitoring diary

Why should I monitor my blood pressure at home?

Calculating average home blood pressure readings has been shown to be effective at assessing if someone has high blood pressure or not – and is more reliable than a one-off reading taken in the surgery (where your blood pressure may be elevated due to stress, pain or other reasons).

For someone less than 80 years old without any other health problems we are aiming for a home blood pressure reading of less than or equal to 135/85, or 145/85 if over 80 years old.

What type of monitor should I buy?

Wrist or finger monitors are not recommended – instead a blood pressure monitor with a cuff that goes on the upper above (above the elbow) should be used.

Most chemists will stock approved brands – Omron is the one we most commonly use in the surgery. They typically range from around £15 upwards. More expensive does not necessarily mean better!

The British Hypertension Society has a list of approved monitors: Click here to go to their website 

Most monitors need calibrating every 1-2 years (instructions will be in the leaflet). Old machines that have not been regularly calibrated can be inaccurate.

How to measure your blood pressure at home

Before you measure your blood pressure:

• Avoid things that can raise your blood pressure in the short term. Don’t measure your blood pressure within half an hour of eating, smoking, drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, or exercising. These can all raise your blood pressure temporarily. If you need to use the toilet, go before you measure your blood pressure.
• Wear loose-fitting clothes. Wear a short-sleeved t-shirt or something with sleeves you can push up easily, nothing tight. This is so that you can fit the cuff around your arm. Tight clothing can alter the measurement.
• Rest for at least five minutes before you take your reading.

Arm Position and Cuff Size

• Make sure you are seated (unless you have been told to take a standing blood pressure), with your back supported, and both feet on the floor (don’t cross your legs).
• Make sure your upper arm is supported and at the same level as your heart. Position yourself so that your arm is resting on a surface and is at the same height as your heart. Keep your arm and hand relaxed, not tensed. Support the arm with a pillow if needed.
• Make sure you place the cuff around your upper arm, just above your elbow.
• Make sure you have the right cuff size for your arm. It should wrap snugly around your upper arm, with just enough space to slide two fingertips underneath. Most home blood pressure monitors will come with a medium-sized cuff. If your upper arm is particularly larger or smaller than average, you may need to buy a different sized cuff separately.
• To make sure you have the right cuff size, follow the instructions that came with your monitor. Alternatively have a look at the “Blood Pressure UK” website: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/.
  • SMALL CUFF-upper arm circumference <23 cm
  • MEDIUM CUFF- upper arm circumference 23-33 cm.
  • LARGE CUFF-upper arm circumference 33-50cm.

Take the Readings

You can access this YouTube video which shows how to use a blood pressure monitor: https://youtu.be/AXCFcftkric

• Follow the instructions that came with your monitor.
• The cuff should be placed about 2cm above your elbow to make sure it can detect the artery in your arm.
• Keep still and quiet while you take your reading. Make sure you don’t cross your legs, as this will raise your reading.
• Take at least 2 blood pressure readings, 1-2 minutes apart, each morning & evening, ideally for 7 consecutive days.
• If the first two readings you take are very different, take 2 or 3 further readings.
• Write your readings in your blood pressure diary exactly as they appear on screen. Do not round the numbers up or down.
• After 7 days please average out your readings and return the results to the surgery.
• Blood pressure readings naturally vary. Don’t worry if you get an unexpected high reading. A one-off high reading is usually nothing to worry about, rest for five minutes and take the reading again. If it’s still high, measure your blood pressure again another day. If the upper reading (systolic) is repeatedly >180, or < 100; or if the lower (diastolic reading) is repeatedly > 100, then contact the surgery for advice.

How to calculate your Average Blood Pressure

Ignore the first day of readings (as this was when you were getting used to the monitor) and take an average of the remaining readings.

Add up all the systolic (top number) blood pressures & divide by the number of blood pressures done – this is your average systolic reading.

Next, add up all the diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures & divide by the number of blood pressures done – this is your average diastolic reading.

If you do not average your home blood pressure readings then please be aware that we will be using ChatGPT (artificial intelligence) to calculate your average reading from your anonymised data. If you are not happy for us to do so then please let us know.