High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has noticeable symptoms and many people are unaware they have the condition, but if left untreated, it can increase your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
How to monitor your blood pressure at home
In this video, Dawn Sargent, a Nurse Practitioner in the Southend East Primary Care Network talks through the importance of monitoring blood pressure, the benefits of doing this at home, and demonstrates how to accurately and effectively take readings.
What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body and the diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels. They’re both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
As a general guide:
- high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher (or 150/90mmHg or higher if you’re over the age of 80)
- ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control. It is important to remember that everyone’s blood pressure will be slightly different. What’s considered low or high for you may be normal for someone else.
Use this tool below to enter your blood pressure reading and find out what it means, along with information on how to reduce a high reading.
Check your blood pressure reading
Check your blood pressure reading
Use this service to:
- check what your blood pressure reading means
- get information about what to do next
Who can use this tool
- are aged 18 or over
- have a recent blood pressure reading, either taken by a healthcare professional or with a home blood pressure monitor
- are aged 17 or under
- are pregnant
- have a medical condition that can affect your blood pressure
- are taking medicines that can affect your blood pressure
- have recently had surgery or experienced an injury
- are feeling unwell with new symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or headache
- have recently seen a healthcare professional about your blood pressure and received medical advice.
You should not use this tool to diagnose any symptoms. If you’re worried about your blood pressure, book an appointment at a GP surgery.
You should have a blood pressure test if you’re worried about your blood pressure at any time.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including:
- your local GP surgery
- some pharmacies
- some workplaces
You can also check your blood pressure with a monitor at home.
How to choose a reliable blood pressure monitor (British Heart Foundation)
When you’re taking your blood pressure at home there are things you can do to help get an accurate reading.
Try to:
- sit on an upright chair with a back
- place your feet flat on the floor
- rest your arm on a table and relax your hand and arm
- wear something with short sleeves so the cuff does not go over clothes
- relax, breathe normally and do not talk during the test
- take another reading a few minutes after your first reading to check it’s accurate
If you’ve been asked by a healthcare professional to measure your blood pressure, do this as often as they advised, usually morning and evening.
If you regularly use a home blood pressure monitor you should tell your GP practice.
Watch how to measure your blood pressure at home (The British Heart Foundation on YouTube).