Blood Pressure
Check my reading

For whoever hands this out (a senior center, a congregation, a food bank, a waiting room): print this page and copy it as often as you like. There is nothing to sign, no account and nothing to report back. The page prints on one sheet.

Open the seven-day week

Blood pressure: know your number

One reading is a snapshot. A week of home readings shows your real number. This page explains; your clinician decides.

Emergency signs first

In crisis, or thinking about harming yourself: call or text 988.

Call 911Call 988

How to measure at home

  1. No caffeine, exercise or smoking for 30 minutes before.
  2. Empty your bladder. Sit and rest quietly for 5 minutes.
  3. Back supported, both feet flat, legs not crossed.
  4. Cuff on a bare upper arm, just above the elbow bend. Use the cuff size that fits your arm.
  5. Arm resting on a table, cuff at the level of your heart.
  6. Do not talk. Take 2 readings 1 minute apart and write both down.

The seven-day week

  • Morning (before blood pressure medicine) and evening (before bed).
  • 2 readings each time, 1 minute apart.
  • 7 days if you can (28 readings); at least 3 days (12 readings).
  • Your number is the average of all of them. Bring the list to your visit.

What the numbers mean (2025 AHA/ACC table)

CategoryTop numberBottom number
Normalunder 120andunder 80
Elevated120 to 129andunder 80
Stage 1130 to 139or80 to 89
Stage 2140 or higheror90 or higher

A home average of 135/85 or higher matches 140/90 in a clinic. Any number in Stage 1 or Stage 2: talk with a clinician about it.

Where to go next

Sources (checked 2026-10-22)

Education, not medical advice. This page does not diagnose and has not been reviewed by a clinician. From bloodpressure.help.