high blood pressure is often called the
silent killer
that's because it rarely has any
symptoms yet it causes two thirds of
strokes and nearly half of all heart
attacks
shockingly as many as six million people
in the uk have it of all ages
and many of them don't even know they
have it until they're diagnosed by
perhaps having a screening
or when they have a heart attack or a
stroke
your blood pressure isn't something you
can see or feel but it's there in your
arteries as it flows around your body
pumped rhythmically by your heart your
blood pressure can be healthy
or it can be too low but more often it
can be too high which puts your heart at
risk
if your blood pressure is in the healthy
range this protects your heart and your
blood vessels
if it's raised your blood pushes with
too much force against your artery walls
and they become damaged this leads to a
range of problems
including heart failure kidney disease
vascular dementia
poor circulation blood clots can also
form in the damaged arteries
causing heart attacks and strokes but
the good news
is that high blood pressure is usually
preventable which is why knowing your
numbers is the most important
first step you can take for your health
so what causes high blood pressure
well for some people it may be the
result of a condition such as kidney
disease
however for most people about 9 out of
10 it doesn't have one particular cause
it may be a combination of factors such
as your ethnicity
your family history your genes and
particularly if you're black or south
asian descent
but the most important thing for most
people is lifestyle
what you do and what you eat every day
of your life
adds up to what your blood pressure will
be are you eating well
are you eating lots of processed meals
and sauces with salt in them
are you trying to take some daily
exercise do you smoke
and are you trying to keep a healthy
weight for your size all these things
can have an impact on what your blood
pressure is
there is only one way to know your blood
pressure numbers and that's
to have it measured and it could save
your life
it's very quick simple and painless and
usually free
you can do it as a gps with your
practice nurse or a pharmacist
or with a simple bit of kit you can do
it at home
and what's more people often find it's
very empowering because you can take
your blood pressure when you like
when you're relaxed at home and it puts
you in control
firstly measure your blood pressure at a
time that's convenient for you
if it's in the morning then do it before
eating or taking any medication
don't smoke have caffeinated drinks or
exercise for 30 minutes before measuring
your blood pressure
sit quietly for a few minutes get
yourself in a comfortable position
with your legs and ankles uncrossed try
to be calm
still and quiet make sure your arm is
positioned properly
rest your arm raised to the level of
your heart on a table desk or chair arm
you might need to place a pillow or
cushion under your arm
roll up your sleeve place the cuff on
bare skin or over thin fabric
turn the monitor on and press start when
you're ready the cuff inflates quite
quickly
which will feel like a squeeze
if your monitor doesn't log blood
pressure numbers
write them down take a repeat reading
the first reading is almost always high
so wait for a couple of minutes and then
do it again
then take an average of those two
readings and write it down
take your blood pressure at the same
time each day as it varies throughout
the day
take your blood pressure every day for a
week and then just once a month or so
after that your blood pressure will be
written as two numbers
a top number the systolic and a bottom
number
the diastolic the top number is the most
important especially if you're in the
older range
a reading of 120 over 80 and up to 140
over 90
is considered pretty high blood pressure
you don't have high blood pressure yet
but it could rise with time so it's good
to keep an eye on it
and take steps to lower it 140 over 90
or over
is considered high blood pressure also
known as hypertension
the risk of illness is notably higher
but don't panic
if your blood pressure readings are high
your doctor or healthcare team can help
you get it under control
that's why knowing your numbers can save
your life it puts you in control
and can help you live well for longer
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