Checking Blood Pressure at Home: Do It Right
Home readings are often more accurate than clinic ones — many people run high at the doctor’s office (“white-coat effect”). If you have, or might have, high blood pressure, a home monitor is one of the best investments you can make.
Buy the right device: an automatic upper-arm cuff (not wrist), from any Calgary pharmacy. Not every monitor on the shelf is accurate — Hypertension Canada keeps an official list of validated devices that have passed independent accuracy testing. Check the list at hypertension.ca/public/recommended-devices before you buy, or look for the Hypertension Canada checkmark on the box. Bring your monitor to your next visit so we can check it against ours.
Measure properly: no caffeine, exercise, or smoking for 30 minutes before; sit quietly for 5 minutes first; back supported, feet flat, arm resting at heart level; cuff on bare skin. Take two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for a week — and write them all down.
What the numbers mean: home readings averaging 130/80 or higher are worth a doctor visit. Contact your doctor if your readings are 140/90 or higher at least twice — and don’t put it off if they’re running 160/100 or higher, even if you feel fine.
If your blood pressure is over 180/110: with chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, sudden vision changes, or a sudden severe headache — call 911. Even with no symptoms at all, don’t wait for it to come down on its own: call your doctor right away or seek immediate care.
Please note: this article reflects current medical guidance at the time of its last review (August 2026). Medical recommendations change as new evidence emerges — for the most up-to-date advice about your own health, always talk to your health-care provider, or call Health Link Alberta at 811. This information is general education, not personal medical advice. © Grace Medical Clinic, Calgary.
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