1. Prepare for measurement: First, make sure to sit quietly for three to five minutes before measurement to relax your body and reduce blood pressure changes caused by activities.
2. Install the cuff: With your upper arm exposed, wrap the cuff about two to three centimeters (one inch) above your elbow. Adjust the cuff to wrap it evenly around your upper arm, making sure it is neither too tight nor too loose. Generally, the tips of two fingers can be inserted into the upper edge of the cuff.
3. Place the stethoscope: Insert the probe of the stethoscope (disk facing down) into the inner part of the upper arm below the cuff, where the brachial artery pulsates.
4. Inflate: Use one hand to quickly squeeze the airbag until the pressure gauge reads 30 points higher than your daily systolic blood pressure. Be sure to inflate the cuff quickly.
5. Deflate and listen to the heartbeat: After stopping squeezing the airbag, turn the valve knob on the airbag counterclockwise to slowly release the air. Allow the pressure to decrease at a rate of 2 mm per second (i.e. 2 scale lines on the pressure gauge), while listening to the heartbeat through the stethoscope.
6. Record systolic pressure: When you first hear the heartbeat, write down the pressure gauge reading, which is your systolic pressure.
7. Record diastolic pressure: Continue to deflate until you can no longer hear the heartbeat, then write down the pressure gauge reading, which is your diastolic pressure.
8. Repeat the measurement: Rest quietly for one to two minutes, then measure again to confirm the accuracy of the reading.
9. Record the value: Record the measurement result, which can be written down or entered into a personal health record.
