Newsroom
Know your numbers!
Dr Helena Jopling, public health registrar, explains why we should all know our blood pressure.
It’s Know Your Numbers week this week, a drive across the UK to raise awareness about the importance of testing blood pressure and why we should all know our own results.
We’ve all heard about blood pressure and many of us have had our blood pressure measured at some point in our lives. But why is it important? What does having high blood pressure actually mean?
Your blood pressure, put simply, is a measurement of the pressure of the blood in your arteries. High blood pressure, left untreated, will increase your risk of a range of serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, dementia and some eye conditions.
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms; 5.6 million people in England have high blood pressure without knowing it, according to Public Health England.
The good news is that high blood pressure can usually be treated and often prevented.
The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to have regular blood pressure tests. All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked every five years at least. It’s an easy procedure that could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at several places, including your GP surgery, some pharmacies, as part of your NHS Health Check, in some workplaces and even at home with your own blood pressure monitor, which you can buy from £20.
High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher. If your result is high, please visit your GP. There are many simple changes you can make to your lifestyle to help naturally prevent and lower high blood pressure:
- reduce the amount of salt you eat and enjoy a healthy diet
- drink less alcohol
- lose weight if you’re overweight
- exercise regularly
- cut down on caffeine
- stop smoking
- get at least six hours of sleep a night
Know your numbers! And encourage your family and friends to do the same.
Click here for more information about blood pressure.
Back to Newsroom