How to monitor blood pressure at home by. Elza Adrien
1. wash hands & find a safe setting
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Make sure to find a quite setting so you are able to hear the heartbeat.
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The area must have a comfortable place, such as a table, to rest your arm at heart level.
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Ensure that you are completely comfortable in this setting
2. Gather supplies
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Stethoscope
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Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff)
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Locate release valve on your hand bulb before pumping up the cuff.
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Gauge (measuring tool)
3. begin
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Before applying the cuff your arm should be straight with your open palm facing upward.
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Locate your pulse in the bend of your elbow, where the brachial artery is located.
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Place the head of the stethoscope in the general area where the pulse is.
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Secure the cuff onto your arm keeping the head of the stethoscope in place. The end of the cuff should be an inch above the bend of your elbow.
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Place the stethoscope in your ear, tilting the ear pieces forward into the ear.
4. inflating the cuff
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Hold the pressure gauge in your left hand and the bulb in your right hand.
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Turn the release valve clockwise to end the airflow to the bulb.
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Begin squeezing the bulb to inflate the cuff, you may inflate it until the gauge reads about 30 points (mm Hg) above your expected systolic pressure (ex. 120 mm hg).
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Continue concentrating on the gauge and slowly release air from the cuff by turning the valve counterclockwise.
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Listen carefully for the first pulse beat heard and keep note
