Home blood pressure monitoring is an alternative to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and the process for doing this will be exactly the same as that used by the doctor or nurse in the surgery. You will be given a blood pressure monitor to use at home. Wrap the cuff around your arm just above the level of the elbow, ensuring the tubing is in the right position (see the diagram on the cuff). When taking your reading you should be seated comfortably with your arm supported (for example, on a table) at the level of your heart. Press the start button to inflate the machine and then make a note of the reading.

You should measure your blood pressure for 7 consecutive days, twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. On each occasion you should take two readings, leaving at least a minute apart. The nurse will use all the readings, apart from those taken on the first day, to calculate your average blood pressure.

There are a few simple steps that you can follow, before you take your readings, to be sure that you get an accurate measurement, these are as follows:

• Make sure you do not need to use the toilet, and that you have not just eaten a big meal. Do not measure your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking caffeine or smoking, or immediately after exercise or drinking alcohol.

• Wear loose-fitting clothes, like a short sleeved t-shirt, so that you can push your sleeve up comfortably.

• Always use the same arm for readings, as each arm will give you a slightly different reading.

• Before you take your readings, rest for a few minutes.

• Make sure your arm is supported and that the cuff around your arm is at the same level as your heart. You may need to support your arm with a cushion to be sure it is at the correct height.