How to Check Your Vitals at Home Without Equipment

Before a telehealth visit, or when you are unwell at home, a clinician will often ask for your "vitals." Two of them, pulse and breathing rate, need nothing more than a clock. The others (blood pressure, temperature, oxygen) need a device to be meaningful. For measuring with equipment, see measuring your own vitals at home.

Call 911 or your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath, blue or gray lips or face, new confusion, fainting, or signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty). Do not wait to count anything.

Pulse (heart rate)

At the wrist (radial pulse)

Sit and rest for at least five minutes.
Turn one palm up. Place the tips of your index and middle fingers (not your thumb, which has its own pulse) on the thumb side of the wrist, just below the base of the thumb, in the groove beside the tendon.
Press lightly until you feel the beat.
Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by two. If the beats seem irregular, count for a full 60 seconds.
Write down the number, the time, and whether the rhythm felt regular.

At the neck (carotid pulse)

Place two fingers gently in the soft groove beside your windpipe, below the angle of the jaw. Press lightly and only on one side at a time; pressing hard or on both sides can slow the heart or make you dizzy.

What is normal

For most adults at rest, 60 to 100 beats per minute is the usual range. Fit people and people on beta-blockers may be lower. Children's normal rates are higher and vary by age. A resting rate persistently over 100, under 50 with dizziness or fainting, or a new irregular rhythm is worth discussing with a clinician; with chest pain, breathlessness or fainting it is an emergency.

Breathing rate (respiratory rate)

Breathing rate is hard to measure on yourself because paying attention changes it. The most accurate way is for someone else to count while you rest, ideally without you knowing exactly when.

Rest seated for a few minutes.
Count each rise of the chest (one rise plus one fall equals one breath) for a full 30 seconds and double it, or count for 60 seconds.
Note whether breathing looks labored, uses neck or shoulder muscles, or makes noise.

A typical adult resting rate is about 12 to 20 breaths per minute. Being unable to speak a full sentence without stopping for breath is a warning sign regardless of the number.

What you cannot measure reliably without a device

Vital sign	Why "no equipment" does not work	What to use
Blood pressure	Cannot be estimated by feel. Camera- or screen-based phone apps are not reliable.	A validated upper-arm cuff (validatebp.org lists them)
Temperature	A hand on the forehead is a poor guide to fever.	A digital thermometer
Oxygen saturation	Cannot be judged by how you feel until it is very low.	A fingertip pulse oximeter, with its limits (less accurate with darker skin, cold fingers, nail polish)
Blood glucose	Symptoms are an unreliable guide.	A glucose meter or CGM

If you do not have devices, a pharmacy, clinic, or community health program can often check blood pressure for free. See home medical equipment worth buying.

Observations that are still useful

Skin color and temperature to touch, sweating, and whether lips or nail beds look blue or gray.
Alertness: confusion, unusual sleepiness, or difficulty waking.
Fluid intake and urine: how much you are drinking and when you last urinated.
Body weight on a bathroom scale (useful in heart failure, where sudden gain can mean fluid).

Sharing what you measured

For a telehealth visit, write down each value with the date and time, how you measured it, and what you were doing beforehand. Bring the list to the call or upload it through the patient portal. See preparing for a telehealth visit.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check my vitals at home without equipment?

You can measure pulse (heart rate) and breathing rate with a watch or phone timer, and note warning signs such as confusion, bluish lips, or trouble speaking. Blood pressure, temperature and oxygen saturation cannot be measured reliably without a device.

How do I take my pulse with my fingers?

Place the tips of your index and middle fingers on the thumb side of the inside of your wrist, just below the base of the thumb. Count the beats for 30 seconds and double it, or count for a full 60 seconds if the rhythm seems irregular.

What is a normal resting heart rate?

For most adults, a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute is considered normal. Well-trained athletes and people on some medications may run lower.

Can a phone app measure blood pressure or oxygen?

Phone apps that claim to read blood pressure or oxygen through the camera or screen are not reliable enough for medical decisions. Use a validated upper-arm cuff and, if needed, a pulse oximeter.

How to check your vitals without equipment