Blood Pressure Monitors

WHAT DOES MY BLOOD PRESSURE READING MEAN?

Use our blood pressure table to see what your reading means.

Stage 1 Hypertension

Average home readings of >135/85 mmHg or clinic readings of >140/90 mmHg, but less than Stage 2.

Stage 2 Hypertension

Average home readings of >150/95 mmHg or clinic readings of >160/110 mmHg but less than Stage 3.

Stage 3 Hypertension

A clinic reading of 180/120 mmHg (this means either the top reading is above 180 mmHg or the bottom reading is above 120 mmHg – they don’t both need to be above this level).

HOW DO I USE A BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR?

• Put the cuff on following the instructions that came with your blood pressure machine.
• Make sure you are relaxed and comfortable. If you are anxious or uncomfortable, this will make your blood pressure rise temporarily.
• When you are taking your reading, keep still and silent. Moving and talking can affect your reading on the blood pressure monitor. Take two or three readings, each about two minutes apart, and then work out the average. Some people find that their first reading is much higher than the next readings. If this is true for you, keep taking readings until they level out and stop falling, then use this as your reading.
• Record your reading, either in the memory of your blood pressure monitor or on computer or paper.