Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. A reading contains two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.
What Do the Numbers Mean?
The systolic number is the pressure when the heart contracts. The diastolic number is the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.
How to Measure Blood Pressure Properly
- Avoid exercise, caffeine, and smoking shortly before measurement.
- Sit quietly for several minutes beforehand.
- Keep your back supported and feet flat on the floor.
- Rest your arm on a surface so the cuff is positioned appropriately.
- Use a properly sized, validated blood pressure cuff.
One Reading Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Blood pressure naturally changes throughout the day. Stress, physical activity, illness, caffeine, and even the measurement environment can affect a reading. Repeated measurements are often more useful than a single result.
When Is It an Emergency?
Extremely high blood pressure accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe headache, weakness, confusion, or vision changes requires urgent medical attention.
Discuss consistently elevated readings with a healthcare professional rather than attempting to diagnose or treat hypertension based on home measurements alone.