Rochedale Family Practice
How to measure your blood pressure at home
A practical guide to choosing a validated blood pressure monitor, taking readings correctly and recording them for your GP review.
Home blood-pressure readings can help your clinician understand your usual pattern outside the clinic. Follow the frequency, timing and target provided by your treating clinician. These may differ according to your health conditions and treatment.
Plan for your review
- Usual measuring plan: __________
- Review appointment: __________
- Monitor/cuff checked: yes / no
Before each reading
- Measure at around the same times each day.
- Sit quietly for five minutes before pressing start.
- Use a quiet room without conversation or distractions.
- Empty your bladder first.
- Avoid smoking or caffeine for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
- Avoid measuring immediately after eating or vigorous exercise.
- Measure before medicines only if this matches your clinician's instructions.
- Avoid measuring while you are in significant pain, highly stressed or acutely uncomfortable.
Correct position
- Sit with your back supported.
- Keep both feet flat on the floor.
- Do not cross your legs.
- Place the cuff on your bare upper arm.
- Support your arm so the cuff is around heart level.
- Relax your hand and arm.
- Do not talk during the reading.
Take and record
- Take two readings one minute apart.
- Write down both readings, not just the lowest or highest.
- Record pulse if shown and any relevant symptoms or comments.
- Do not change medicines based on home readings unless your treating clinician has told you to.
Call the practice
- Readings remain unexpectedly high or low after you have rested and repeated them.
- Readings are outside the personal range given by your clinician.
- You have symptoms with an abnormal reading.
- You are unsure whether your monitor, cuff size or technique is correct.
- You are unsure how often to measure or what to bring to your review.
Follow-up
- Bring your readings to your planned appointment.
- Bring your monitor if your GP or nurse has asked to check it.
- Your GP will interpret the readings in context, including your health conditions, medicines and individual target.
- Continue prescribed medicines unless your treating clinician advises otherwise.
Call 000
Call 000 for severe chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, new facial droop, arm weakness or speech difficulty, collapse or loss of consciousness, sudden severe neurological symptoms, or another severe or rapidly worsening problem. Emergency action is based on the clinical situation and symptoms, not simply one isolated home reading.
Rochedale Family Practice is not an emergency service.
Seven-day blood-pressure diary
Measure as directed by your clinician. Bring this diary or your monitor memory to your review.
| Date | Morning 1 | Morning 2 | Evening 1 | Evening 2 | Pulse | Symptoms/comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | ||||||
| Day 2 | ||||||
| Day 3 | ||||||
| Day 4 | ||||||
| Day 5 | ||||||
| Day 6 | ||||||
| Day 7 |
How to measure your blood pressure at home
A practical guide to choosing a validated blood pressure monitor, taking readings correctly and recording them for your GP review.
For adults who have been asked by their GP or nurse to monitor their blood pressure at home and bring readings to a planned review.
Home blood-pressure readings can help your clinician understand your usual pattern outside the clinic. Follow the frequency, timing and target provided by your treating clinician. These may differ according to your health conditions and treatment.
Key Actions
What to do
- Use a validated upper-arm monitor with a cuff that fits correctly.
- Sit quietly, support your back and arm, keep both feet flat and do not talk during the reading.
- Take two readings one minute apart and record both readings.
- Bring your diary or monitor memory to your blood-pressure review.
- Do not change medicines based on home readings unless your treating clinician has told you to.
Information
Choosing a monitor
Use a validated automatic blood-pressure monitor where possible. An upper-arm cuff is usually preferred, and the cuff must be the correct size for your arm.
Wrist and finger monitors can be less reliable if they are not positioned correctly. Ask your GP, nurse or pharmacist if you are unsure which monitor or cuff size is suitable.
Bring your monitor to an appointment if you would like the practice team to check your technique or compare it with clinic equipment.
Care
Before taking a reading
- Measure at around the same times each day.
- Sit quietly for five minutes before pressing start.
- Use a quiet room without conversation or distractions.
- Empty your bladder first.
- Avoid smoking or caffeine for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
- Avoid measuring immediately after eating or vigorous exercise.
- Measure before medicines only if this matches your clinician's instructions.
- Avoid measuring while you are in significant pain, highly stressed or acutely uncomfortable.
Activity
Correct position
- Sit with your back supported.
- Keep both feet flat on the floor.
- Do not cross your legs.
- Place the cuff on your bare upper arm.
- Support your arm so the cuff is around heart level.
- Relax your hand and arm.
- Do not talk during the reading.
Information
Taking the readings
Place the cuff on your bare upper arm and start the monitor once you are sitting comfortably and quietly. Take two readings, one minute apart, and write both readings down.
Try not to talk, move around or check messages during the reading. If a reading seems unusual, sit quietly, check the cuff position and repeat it once using the same technique.
Information
How often to measure
Your GP or nurse may give you a specific plan. A common approach is to measure morning and evening for seven days, or for at least five days if seven days is not possible.
Measure at roughly the same times each day. Do not continue frequent measuring indefinitely unless your clinician has asked you to.
Information
Recording the readings
Record every reading rather than choosing the lowest or highest number. Include the date, whether it was morning or evening, both readings, pulse if shown, and any relevant symptoms or comments.
Bring your written diary or monitor memory to your review. Your GP will interpret the pattern of readings in the context of your health, medicines and individual target.
Do not start, stop or change blood-pressure medicines based only on home readings unless your treating clinician has told you to.
Information
What to do about an unexpected reading
One unexpected reading can happen because of movement, cuff position, stress, pain, recent caffeine, activity or normal day-to-day variation. Rest quietly, check your position and repeat the reading once.
Call the practice for advice if readings remain unexpectedly high or low, are outside the personal range your clinician has given you, or you are unsure what the reading means.
Contact
When to contact the practice
Call the practice if you are unsure
- Readings remain unexpectedly high or low after you have rested and repeated them.
- Readings are outside the personal range given by your clinician.
- You have symptoms with an abnormal reading.
- You are unsure whether your monitor, cuff size or technique is correct.
- You are unsure how often to measure or what to bring to your review.
Follow-Up
Follow-up
- Bring your readings to your planned appointment.
- Bring your monitor if your GP or nurse has asked to check it.
- Your GP will interpret the readings in context, including your health conditions, medicines and individual target.
- Continue prescribed medicines unless your treating clinician advises otherwise.
Next Actions
Next steps
Care at Rochedale
Related care at Rochedale Family Practice
News
Related News & Updates
External Resources
Authoritative links
- Blood pressure and your heart opens in a new tabHeart Foundation
Australian guidance on home blood-pressure monitoring, including timing, positioning and recording readings.
- High blood pressure opens in a new tabHealthdirect Australia
Australian information about blood pressure, medical review and when urgent symptoms need emergency care.
- Validated blood pressure monitors opens in a new tabSTRIDE BP
International validated device register that can be filtered for home-use upper-arm monitors.