​​How is Blood Pressure measured?

The most common method for measuring blood pressure uses a sphygmomanometer – an inflatable armband with a pressure gauge and hand pump. The doctor pumps the armband up enough to squeeze the brachial artery in your arm shut. They then gently let a little air out and listen with a stethoscope at the crook of your elbow, until they hear the blood just start to flow again. The pressure reading at this moment is your systolic pressure, which is the maximum pressure during each heartbeat. Releasing more air until there is no more sound through the stethoscope, gives the minimum pressure for the heartbeat, which is the diastolic pressure.