In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer

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How to Check Your Blood Pressure
with a Sphygmomanometer
Three Parts: Setting Up the Equipment Taking the Blood Pressure Interpreting the Results
It's a good idea to have your blood pressure checked regularly. However, many unfortunate
people suffer from "white coat hypertension", a state of anxiety which causes their blood
pressure to skyrocket as soon as they are approached by a medical professional wearing a
dreaded stethoscope. Taking your own readings at home can eliminate this anxiety and allow
you to estimate your average blood pressure in day-to-day, real-life situations.
1
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Sit down and open the blood pressure testing kit. Sit down at a table or desk
where you can easily set up the necessary equipment. Remove the cuff,
stethoscope, pressure gauge, and bulb (also known as a "bladder") from the kit, taking
care to untangle the various tubes.
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Home Categories Health Medication and Medical Equipment Article Edit Discuss
Part 1 of 3: Setting Up the Equipment

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In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Raise your arm to heart level. Elevate your arm so that when you bend your
elbow, your elbow is parallel to your heart. This ensures that you will not get either
an overestimated or underestimated reading on your blood pressure. It is also important
that your arm is supported during the reading, so make sure to rest your elbow on a
stable surface.
Wrap the cuff around your upper arm. Most cuffs have Velcro, making it easy to
secure the cuff in place. If your shirt has long or thick sleeves, roll them up first, as
you can only put the cuff over very thin clothing. The bottom edge of the cuff should be
about an inch above the elbow.
[1]
Some experts recommend you use your left arm; others suggest you test both
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In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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arms. But while you're first adjusting to self-testing, use the left arm if you're
right-handed, or vice versa.
Make sure the cuff is snug, but not too tight. If the cuff is too loose, the cuff will
not cut off the artery correctly, giving you an inaccurately low blood pressure
reading. If the cuff is too tight, it will create what is known as "cuff hypertension" and give
you an inaccurately high reading.
[2]
Place the wide head of the stethoscope on your arm. The head of the
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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stethoscope (also known as the diaphragm) should be placed flat against the skin
on the inside of your arm. The edge of the diaphragm should be just beneath the cuff,
positioned over the brachial artery. Gently put the earpieces of the stethoscope in your
ears.
Do not hold the head of the stethoscope with your thumb - your thumb has its
own pulse and this will confuse you while you try to obtain a reading.
A good method is to hold the head of the stethoscope in place with your index
and middle fingers. This way, you should not hear a thumping sound until you
have begun to inflate the cuff.
Clip the pressure gauge to a stable surface. If the pressure gauge is clipped to
the cuff, unclip it and attach it to something sturdy instead, such as a hardcover
book. That way, you can place it in front of you on the table, making it easier to watch.
It's important to keep the gauge anchored and stable.
Make sure there is adequate light and you can see the needle and pressure
markings well before you begin to test.
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Take the rubber bulb and tighten the valve. The valve needs to be closed
completely before you start. This will ensure that no air escapes as you pump,
which would produce an inaccurate reading. Twist the valve clockwise, until you feel it
stop.
It is also important to avoid over-tightening the valve, otherwise you will open it
too far and release the air too quickly.
Part 2 of 3: Taking the Blood Pressure
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Inflate the cuff. Rapidly pump the bulb to inflate the cuff. Keep pumping until the
needle on the gauge reaches 180mmHg. The pressure from the cuff will occlude a
large artery in the bicep, temporarily cutting off blood flow. This is why the pressure from
the cuff can feel a little uncomfortable or strange.
Release the valve. Gently turn the valve on the bulb counter-clockwise, so that
the air in the cuff is released steadily, at a moderate pace. Keep an eye on the
gauge; for best accuracy, the needle should be moving downwards at a rate of 3mm per
second.
[3]
Releasing the valve while you hold the stethoscope can be a little tricky. Try
releasing the valve with the hand on your cuff arm, while holding the
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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stethoscope with your free arm.
Note your systolic blood pressure. As the pressure drops, use the stethoscope
to listen for a thumping or knocking sound. When you hear the first thump, make a
note of the pressure on the gauge. This is your systolic blood pressure.
The systolic number represents the pressure your blood flow exerts on the
walls of an artery after the heart beats or contracts. It is the higher number of
the two blood pressure readings, and when blood pressure is written down, it
appears at the top.
[4]
The clinical name for the thumping sounds your hear is "Korotkoff sounds".
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Note your diastolic blood pressure. Keep watching the gauge, while using the
stethoscope to listen to the thumping noises. Eventually the hard thumping noises
will turn into a "whooshing" sound. It is helpful to note this change, as it indicates that
you are close to your diastolic blood pressure. As soon as the whooshing noise
subsides, and you hear only silence, make a note of the pressure on the gauge. This is
your diastolic blood pressure.
The diastolic number represents the pressure your blood flow exerts on the
walls of an artery when your heart relaxes between contractions. It is the lower
number of the two blood pressure readings, and when blood pressure is written
down, it appears at the bottom.
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Don't worry if you miss a reading. If you miss the exact measure of either
number, it's perfectly acceptable to pump the cuff back up a little to catch it.
J ust don't do it too much (more than twice) as this can affect accuracy.
Alternatively, you can switch the cuff to the other arm and repeat the process
again.
Check your blood pressure again. Blood pressure fluctuates within minutes
(sometimes dramatically) so if you take two readings within about a ten-minute
period, you can come up with a more accurate average number.
For the most accurate results, check your blood pressure a second time, five to
ten minutes after the first go.
It may also be a good idea to use your other arm for the second reading,
especially if your first reading was abnormal.
Part 3 of 3: Interpreting the Results
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Understand what the readings mean. Once you have recorded your blood
pressure, it is important to know what the numbers mean. Use the following guide
for reference:
Normal blood pressure: Systolic number of less than 120 and diastolic
number of less than 80.
Prehypertension: Systolic number between 120 and 139, diastolic number
between 80 and 89.
Stage 1 Hypertension: Systolic number between 140 and 159, diastolic
number between 90 and 99.
Stage 2 Hypertension: Systolic number higher than 160 and diastolic number
higher than 100.
Hypertensive Crisis: Systolic number higher than 180 and diastolic number
higher than 110.
[5]
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Don't worry if your blood pressure is low. Even if your blood pressure readings
are far below the 120/80 "normal" mark, there is no cause for concern. A low blood
pressure reading of, say, 85/55 mmHg is still considered to be normal, as long as no
symptoms of low blood pressure are present.
However, if you are experiencing symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness,
dehydration, nausea, blurred vision and/or fatigue, it is advisable that you see a
doctor as your low blood pressure may be the result of an underlying
condition.
[6]
Know when to seek treatment. It's important to understand that a single high
In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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reading does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. It could be
the result of many factors.
If you take your blood pressure after exercising; after eating salty foods,
drinking coffee or smoking; or during a period of high stress, your blood
pressure might be uncharacteristically high. If the blood pressure cuff was too
loose or too tight on your arm or too large or too small for your size, the
readings could be inaccurate. As a result, you shouldn't worry too much about
one-off readings, especially if your blood pressure is back to normal the next
time you check it.
However, if your blood pressure is consistently at or higher than 140/90 mm Hg,
you may want to consult with a doctor who can put you on a treatment plan,
which usually involves a combination of healthy eating and exercise.
If you get a systolic reading of 180 or higher, or a diastolic reading of 110 or
higher, wait a few minutes then check your blood pressure again. If it is still at
that level, you need to contact emergency medical services immediately, as
you may be suffering from a hypertensive crisis.
[5]
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Give this diary to your doctor at your next appointment. Your doctor may be able to
glean an important pattern or clue to your fluctuations in blood pressure.
Accept the fact that the first few times you try using a sphygmomanometer you'll likely
make some mistakes and become frustrated. It takes a few tries to get the hang of
this. Most kits come with instructions; be sure to read them.
We could really use your help!
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In-depth Guide: How to Check Your Blood Pressurewith aSphygmomanometer
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Take a reading when you're especially relaxed: that will give you an idea of how low
you can go. But also force yourself to take a reading when you're upset, as
unpleasant as that thought is; you need to know how high your blood pressure goes
up when you're angry or frustrated.
You may want to check your blood pressure about fifteen to thirty minutes after
exercising (or meditating or other stress relief activities), to see if there is an
improvement in your numbers. There should be an improvement, which will provide
good incentive to keep up your exercise regimen! (Exercise, like diet, is key to
controlling blood pressure.)
It may also be a good idea to take readings in different positions: standing up, sitting
and lying down (possibly having someone do it for you there). These are called
orthostatic blood pressures and are helpful for determining how your Blood Pressure
varies by position.
Keep a diary of your blood pressure readings. Note the time of day when you took
the reading and whether it was just before you ate, before or after exercise, or when
you were agitated.
BMI Chart
Use our BMI Chart to find out your bmi.
Your blood pressure becomes elevated when you smoke, eat, or consume
caffeinated beverages. You may want to wait until an hour after smoking, eating, or
drinking coffee or cola, to take a reading.
Conversely, you may want to check your blood pressure just after smoking -- the
elevation in numbers will be another inducement to kick the butts. (The same goes
for caffeine if you know you're addicted to coffee or caffeinated sodas; and for salty
foods, if snacks like chips and pretzels are your Achilles heel.)
Self checking with non-digital blood pressure cuff is unreliable. It's better to have a
friend or family member who knows how to do it assist you.
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1. http://homepage.smc.edu/wissmann_paul/anatomy1/1bloodpressure.html
2. http://www.bhsoc.org/files/2913/3483/0659/ABC1_Sphyg.pdf
3. http://www.practicalclinicalskills.com/blood-pressure-measurement.aspx
4.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/SymptomsDiagnosi
sMonitoringofHighBloodPressure/How-High-Blood-Pressure-is-
Diagnosed_UCM_301873_Article.jsp
5.
5.05.1
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBlo
odPressure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp
6.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPre
ssure/Low-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301785_Article.jsp
How to interpret blood pressure readings
What is high blood pressure
Practice taking blood pressure - simulated patients and blood pressure cuff
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