A blood pressure monitor (BP monitor), or sphygmomanometer, uses an inflatable air-bladder cuff and a listening device or pressure sensor to measure blood pressure in an artery. This monitoring can be performed by using either of two methods: a manually inflated cuff with a stethoscope for listening to arterial wall sounds (the auscultatory method), or a blood pressure monitor that contains a pressure sensor for sensing arterial wall vibrations (the oscillometric method).

Knowing your blood pressure can save your life. This is because you will have the opportunity to detect problems early. High blood pressure or very low blood pressure is fatal. If you have high blood pressure, this is called hypertension. This condition can cause conditions like strokes, and heart attacks, and many other diseases. It can also worsen diabetes!