I'm concerned about my blood pressure. Can I check it at home?

## Summary
Checking at home Checking your blood pressure at home can help add valuable data to an isolated blood pressure reading at a once-a-year doctor's visit. In 2025, the American College of Cardiology issued updated hypertension guidelines , and they note that home readings enhance "the accuracy and precision for detecting a patient's true and usual BP levels." McCormick says if he sees a patient with an elevated in-office reading, he'll recommend they check their blood pressure at home a few times a week. Then, when they return to see him again, together they'll review the data and decide whether or not the patient has a true diagnosis. "That's the luxury you have as a family physician," McCormick told me. "You're not just seeing them in the ER … You have continuity, and ideally you have home monitoring." Proper technique Whether you're getting your blood pressure checked at a doctor's office or doing it at home, proper technique is key. So this is how the American College of Cardiology defines things: Normal blood pressure: Below 120/80 Elevated reading = 120-129/80 Hypertension = 130/80 or above I'll typically recommend that a patient start a medication if they've had multiple blood pressure readings in the hypertension range over at least one month.

## Article Content
I'm concerned about my blood pressure. Can I check it at home?
March 17, 2026
6:00 AM ET
By
Mara Gordon
Sunnu Rebecca Choi for NPR
Do you have a medical question you'd like to get a doctor's honest answer to? Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician in Camden, N.J., answers reader health questions monthly. Write us at:
thrive@npr.org
.
Question: I recently had a high blood pressure reading at my annual physical, but my doctor didn't start me on medication. What can I do to stay on top of this? Should I be checking my blood pressure at home?
Doctors call hypertension the "silent killer." That's because it can cause serious medical problems, but people with high blood pressure often feel perfectly fine.
It's scary, right? Without treatment, hypertension can put people at risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. It's also extremely common,
affecting an estimated 31% of adults worldwide
. Many of my patients are walking around with this deadly condition and have no idea until they come in for a primary care appointment.
That's why it's important that you get your blood pressure checked regularly. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — a nonpartisan government body that issues guidelines about preventive care — suggests that
all adults over 18 get screened
for hypertension with a blood pressure check in a doctor's office. (They don't make strong recommendations about how often, but say it's reasonable that everyone over age 40 do this at least once a year.)
But ironically, checking your blood pressure in a doctor's office is not always the best way to diagnose hypertension. Getting the diagnosis right is trickier than you might imagine.
Let's break down how to think about this deceptively complex condition.
Hypertension can be tough to diagnose
Although in-office measurements are recommended to
screen
for hypertension — that means identifying who's at-risk — actually diagnosing it is another matter.
That's because hypertension is defined by
repeated
high blood pressure readings, not just one. It's normal for your blood pressure to fluctuate throughout the day.
"Blood pressures are very dynamic measurements," said Dr. Ryan McCormick, a family physician in New Jersey who writes the newsletter
Examined
. "They go up and down throughout the day, minute by minute."
When you're getting your blood pressure checked in a doctor's office or emergency room, it's often high because of stress or pain. This can be a normal physiologic response.
"
You're there under the spotlight," McCormick said. "It can be very anxiety-provoking."
This phenomenon has a name: white coat hypertension, meaning the doctor's white coat makes you nervous and raises your blood pressure. People who frequently get white coat hypertension
are at higher risk for developing true hypertension
, but they're not the same thing.
That's why you might have been told that you had an elevated reading but your doctor didn't immediately recommend medication.
That high blood pressure measurement was only one data point. To confidently diagnose hypertension, your doctor will need more.
Checking at home
Checking your blood pressure at home can help add valuable data to an isolated blood pressure reading at a once-a-year doctor's visit.
Not everybody needs to run out and buy a blood pressure cuff. But if you've had a high or borderline reading in a health care setting, it might be worth it to monitor occasionally at home.
In 2025, the American College of Cardiology issued
updated hypertension guidelines
, and they note that home readings enhance "the accuracy and precision for detecting a patient's true and usual BP levels."
McCormick says if he sees a patient with an elevated in-office reading, he'll recommend they check their blood pressure at home a few times a week. Then, when they return to see him again, together they'll review the data and decide whether or not the patient has a true diagnosis.
"That's the luxury you have as a family physician," McCormick told me. "You're not just seeing them in the ER … You have continuity, and ideally you have home monitoring."
Proper technique
Whether you're getting your blood pressure checked at a doctor's office or doing it at home, proper technique is key.
Using a cuff that's too small for your arm, for example, can cause
systolic blood pressure
readings that are off by almost 20 points. (That's the top number, which reflects your blood pressure while your heart is contracting.)
The American Heart Association recommends several steps
to make sure your blood pressure reading is as accurate as possible.
First, it recommends avoiding caffeine, exercise or smoking for at least 30 minutes before checking your blood pressure. And make sure you go pee! A full bladder can definitely raise your blood pressure.
You should also rest quietly for at least five minutes before the test. This is one mistake I often see in my own practice — people are rushing to their appointment and aren't given adequate time to calm down. You

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- That's why it's important that you get your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Preventive Services Task Force — a nonpartisan government body that issues guidelines about preventive care — suggests that all adults over 18 get screened for hypertension with a blood pressure check in a doctor's office. (They don't make strong recommendations about how often, but say it's reasonable that everyone over age 40 do this at least once a year.) But ironically, checking your blood pressure in a doctor's office is not always the best way to diagnose hypertension.
- Checking at home Checking your blood pressure at home can help add valuable data to an isolated blood pressure reading at a once-a-year doctor's visit.
- It's important to use a properly sized cuff, which can be tricky to determine.

### Areas for Consideration
- Without treatment, hypertension can put people at risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.
- Hypertension can be tough to diagnose Although in-office measurements are recommended to screen for hypertension — that means identifying who's at-risk — actually diagnosing it is another matter.
- People who frequently get white coat hypertension are at higher risk for developing true hypertension , but they're not the same thing.

### Implications
- Should I be checking my blood pressure at home?
- Getting the diagnosis right is trickier than you might imagine.
- That's why you might have been told that you had an elevated reading but your doctor didn't immediately recommend medication.
- To confidently diagnose hypertension, your doctor will need more.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers blood, pressure, hypertension topics. Notable strengths include discussion of blood. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1677.