Many also have a policy of arranging regular checks for you.Īdults who are over 40 and have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years. Some surgeries have home monitoring devices available, which you may be able to use at the time of blood pressure medication start up or change. Regular blood pressure checks for over over 40'sīlood pressure checks are usually available on request at most GP surgeries and health clinics.
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Visit your GP as soon as possible if you have any of these symptoms. Symptoms can occur in rare cases where a person has a very high blood pressure level so it is good to be aware of these. High blood pressure does not usually cause any obvious symptoms. More about the treatment of high blood pressure Medication that can help you lower your blood pressure is also available.
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reducing the amount of alcohol that you drink.High blood pressure can be managed or controlled by making changes to your lifestyle, such as: More about complications of high blood pressure Treatment and prevention of high blood pressure heart attacks - a serious condition where the blood supply to part of your heart is blockedĭiabetes and kidney disease are also linked to high blood pressure complications.strokes - a serious condition where the blood supply to your brain is interrupted.coronary heart disease - where the main arteries that supply your heart (the coronary arteries) become clogged up with plaques (fatty deposits).High blood pressure is a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases such as: More about the causes of high blood pressure and how high blood pressure is prevented What's the impact of having high blood pressure? Half of people over 75 years have the condition.)Īlso, for reasons not fully understood, people of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian origin (Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi) are more likely to develop high blood pressure than other ethnic groups. age (the risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age.Risk factors for high blood pressure include: But all available evidence shows that lifestyle plays a significant role in regulating your blood pressure. In 90-95% of cases, there is no single identifiable reason for a rise in blood pressure. High blood pressure is a common condition, it is estimated that 18% of adult men and 13% of adult women have high blood pressure but are not getting treatment for it. Ask your GP when you are next due for yours to be checked.įind out more about the symptoms of high blood pressure How common is high blood pressure? The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure often causes no symptoms, or immediate problems. More about the diagnosis of high blood pressure Symptoms of high blood pressure Therefore, if your GP says that your blood pressure is '120 over 80', or 120/80mmHg, they mean that you have a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80mmHg. The figures are usually represented with the systolic pressure first, followed by the diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure - the measure of blood pressure when your heart is resting in between beats.īoth the systolic and diastolic pressures are measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
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Systolic pressure - the measure of blood pressure exerted when your heart beats and forces blood around your body.Two measurements are used to measure blood pressure: It is measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg.Ī more detailed explanation is provided below. How is blood pressure measured?īlood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure that is exerted on the artery walls as blood moves through them. Once the blood is fully oxygenated, the heart pumps the oxygen-rich blood around the body so that the oxygen can be used by the body’s muscles and cells, through the arterial 'pipeline' (arteries). The heart is a muscle that is designed to constantly pump blood around the body. It pumps blood that is low in oxygen towards the lungs, through the venous 'pipeline' (veins), where it receives a fresh supply of oxygen. However, most doctors agree that the ideal blood pressure for a physically healthy person is around 120/80mmHg.Ī normal blood pressure reading is classed as less than 130/80mmHg. The line between normal and raised blood pressure is not fixed and depends on your individual circumstances. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is usually defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.