From the 2 - 8 September Blood Pressure UK is raising awareness of high blood pressure, encouraging all UK adults to get a blood pressure check.
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the strength with which your blood pushes on the sides of your arteries as it is pumped around your body.
Did you know...
The normal or ideal adult blood pressure is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
6 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it.
Every day in the UK, 350 people have a stroke or heart attack that could have been prevented.
Having high blood pressure can increase your risk of developing serious problems, such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia if it is not treated. As the condition rarely has any symptoms, approximately 3 in 10 of these remain undiagnosed, equating to 4.2 million people in England according to the NHS.
The good news is there are steps you can start taking today to lower your blood pressure and help prevent all these illnesses:
Regular physical activity - Try to do some moderate-intensity activity every day and build up to at least 150 minutes per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
Keep to a healthy weight - For some people, losing weight is all they need to do to get their blood pressure down to a normal level.
Cut down on salt – Don’t cook with salt or add any to your food at the table, and cut down on processed foods, which contain a lot of salt.
Don’t drink too much - If you drink alcohol, stick within the recommended limits. No more than 3–4 units a day for men and no more than 2–3 for women.
Cut down on caffeine - Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day may increase your blood pressure. If you're a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeine-rich drinks, such as cola and some energy drinks, consider cutting down. It's fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but these drinks mustn't be your main or only source of fluid.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet - What you eat can make a huge difference to your blood pressure quickly and naturally. Getting at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, while cutting back on salt and saturated fats will help.
Stop smoking - Smoking does not directly cause high blood pressure, but it puts you at a much higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Smoking, like high blood pressure, will cause your arteries to narrow. If you smoke and have high blood pressure, your arteries reedwellbeing.com 11 will narrow much more quickly, and your risk of heart or lung disease in the future will dramatically increase.
Take medications as prescribed - Most people will need to take more than one type of medicine to control their blood pressure. Don’t stop taking your medication without consulting with your GP first.
Useful links:
Where can you get a blood pressure check?
Your doctor’s surgery - Your GP or practice nurse can check your blood pressure.
Your local pharmacy - Some pharmacies offer blood pressure checks, and your pharmacist will also be able to point you in the direction of support and advice if you need it.
NHS Health Check - NHS (www.nhs.uk) These are available if you’re 40-74 years old, They include other checks too, such as your blood cholesterol and if you’re a healthy weight, to give you an idea of your overall health.
If you have your blood pressure tested somewhere other than your doctor’s surgery or hospital and your blood pressure reading is high, make an appointment with your GP. One high reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, but your GP will be able to find out more and talk to you about treatments or lifestyle changes you might need.