Management

Step-by-Step: Checking Your Blood Pressure

Choose a preferred language

Sit down and rest for five minutes. Place your forearm on a flat surface with the palm of your hand facing up. Make sure you are wearing a sleeveless shirt or roll your sleeves up. Pull the blood pressure cuff up over your bicep. Tighten the blood pressure cuff around your arm. Turn the blood pressure monitor on. Press the start button on the blood pressure monitor. Read the systolic millimeters of mercury and diastolic millimeters of mercury levels on the monitor. Record both numbers onto a sheet of paper. Sit down and rest for one minute. Repeat steps two through eight, one more time.

Featured in

Author: Wu, Derek

Online Medical Reviewer: Hurd, Robert, MD

Date Last Reviewed: 12/31/2020

© 2000-2026 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
heart icon

Healthy heart, healthier life

Don't wait to get to get answers about chest pain or high blood pressure.

FIND A CARDIOLOGIST
stethoscope icon

Personalized care starts with the right provider

Search by specialty, location, and more.

FIND A DOCTOR
Related Articles
Read article
Heart Health
Patient Stories: Ronnie, Being Diagnosed with Heart Failure

This video is a patient story about Ronnie, who lives with heart failure.

Read article
Heart Health
Removing Your Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter

See how your healthcare provider will quickly and easily remove your PICC line when it is no longer needed.

Read article
Heart Health
Your Health Checklist: Taking Warfarin Safely

Follow this checklist to properly and safely take warfarin.

Read article
Heart Health
Exercise Cardiac Stress Test with Imaging

Watch this to learn about Exercise Cardiac Stress Test with Imaging. You will get information about why a doctor might request one, and what information they can gain from it. It gives your healthcare provider more information than a non-imaging stress test.