To monitor your blood pressure using an automatic blood pressure monitor, find a comfortable place to sit with good back support at a table or desk.

When you’re ready to take your blood pressure, sit quietly for three to five minutes beforehand.

Place your feet flat on the floor and rest your arm on a tabletop even with your heart. Lean against the back of the chair. Stretch out your arm, palm upward.

Place the cuff on your bare upper arm one inch above the bend of your elbow. Make sure the tubing falls over the front center of your arm so that the sensor is correctly placed. Pull the end of the cuff so that it’s evenly tight around your arm. You should place it tight enough so that you can only slip two fingertips under the top edge of the cuff. Make sure your skin doesn’t pinch when the cuff inflates.

To get started, wait a moment, then press start. Remain still and quiet as the machine begins measuring. The cuff will inflate, then slowly deflate so that the machine can take your measurement. When the reading is complete, the monitor displays your blood pressure and pulse on the digital panel. If the monitor doesn’t record a reading, reposition the cuff and try again. Rest quietly and wait about one to two minutes before taking another measurement.

Record your numbers, either by writing the information down or by entering the information into an electronic personal health record. Some monitors can upload your blood pressure readings automatically into a computer or mobile device.

Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic’s experts.

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which
information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with
other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could
include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected
health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health
information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of
privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on
the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Jan. 20, 2022

  1. Symptoms, Diagnosis & Monitoring of High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/SymptomsDiagnosisMonitoringofHighBloodPressure/Instructional-Video_UCM_303324_Article.jsp# Accessed Dec. 6, 2011.