Tips for Having Your Blood Pressure Taken
- Don’t drink coffee or smoke cigarettes 30 minutes before having your blood pressure measured.
- Before the test, sit for five minutes with your back supported and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arm on a table at the level of your heart.
- Wear short sleeves so your arm is exposed.
- Go to the bathroom prior to the reading. A full bladder can change your blood pressure reading.
- Get two readings, taken at least two minutes apart, and average the results.
- Ask the doctor or nurse to tell you the blood pressure reading in numbers.
Provided by ArmMed Media
Revision date: July 9, 2011
Last revised: by Janet A. Staessen, MD, PhD
Revision date: July 9, 2011
Last revised: by Janet A. Staessen, MD, PhD