How Often Should You Check Your Blood Pressure at Home?
How often you should check your blood pressure at home depends on why you are monitoring it. If your readings are normal and you have no specific risk factors, you may only need routine checks. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or take medication, your care team may ask you to check more often.
Follow your clinician’s plan first
Your GP, nurse or pharmacist is the best person to tell you how often to measure. They may ask for readings at certain times of day, for a set number of days, or before a medication review.
Do not change prescribed medication based only on home readings unless a healthcare professional has told you to do so.
A practical routine for home monitoring
When you are asked to monitor at home, consistency is more useful than frequent random checks.
- Measure at similar times each day where possible
- Avoid caffeine, smoking and exercise shortly before the test
- Sit quietly for five minutes before measuring
- Take two readings about one minute apart
- Use the same arm unless your clinician advises otherwise
- Record the date, time and readings
Why regular tracking helps
Blood pressure is not fixed. A record over time can help a healthcare professional see whether treatment is working or whether readings are affected by lifestyle, stress or timing.
Pulse gives you one place to record readings and review the trend before appointments. Start tracking with Pulse.
When to get help
Contact your GP or NHS 111 if you are worried about repeated readings. If you have a very high reading together with symptoms such as chest pain, severe headache, shortness of breath, weakness, confusion or visual disturbance, seek urgent help.