· Don't drink coffee or smoke cigarettes 30 to 40 minutes before having your blood pressure measured.
· Before the test, sit for 5 minutes with you’re back supported and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arm on a table at the level of your heart.
· Wear short sleeves so your arm is exposed.
· Go to the bathroom prior to the reading. A full bladder can change your blood pressure reading.
· Get two readings the high blood pressure, taken at least two minutes apart, and average the results.
· Ask the doctor or nurse to tell you the blood pressure reading in numbers.
