High blood pressure- Finding and managing raised BP
Raised blood pressure or hypertension is a very common problem. Blood Pressure UK estimates that one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. Most people have no warning signs that the blood pressure is raised so it’s important to have regular BP checks to ensure that it’s in the normal range. If untreated, over time high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of stroke, heart attacks, damage to the kidneys and the eyes, heart failure and dementia. Hypertension is usually easy to treat if picked up early and well managed through healthy lifestyle and medication. Untreated high blood pressure overtime becomes more difficult to get under control.
What is blood pressure and how often should it be measured?
Blood pressure is a measurement of the strength of blood pushing against the side of the blood vessels. The first (or top) number is your systolic blood pressure, the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats and the second (or bottom) number is your diastolic blood pressure, the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats. The ideal BP is 120/80.
If you don't have hypertension you should get your blood pressure checked at least once every five years. However, as you get older your blood pressure is likely to increase and you should be checked more often - every year is ideal. A BP check can be arranged by simply booking an appointment with Health Care Assistants or Practice Nurses or alternatively you can do a self-measurement using the BP monitor, which at our surgery is situated in the old building by reception.
If your blood pressure is greater than 140/90, you will be investigated for high blood pressure by your doctor or nurse. Part of these investigations includes recording your blood pressure measurements at home using either an electronic BP monitor (which can be loaned from the practice) or being fitted with a 12 hour automatic BP monitor.
If a diagnosis of high blood pressure is confirmed, your doctor or nurse will advise you on measures that you can take to help manage the blood pressure. These include following a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and low in salt, not smoking, avoiding exceeding the safe intake of alcohol (14 or less units per week) and keeping active.
As well as a healthy lifestyle, your doctor or nurse may prescribe tablets to help with control of the blood pressure. As high blood pressure cannot usually be cured, you will need to keep taking these tablets for life, so it is important that you report any side effects to your doctor or nurse.
If you have hypertension, you will be invited to attend once a year for blood tests and then an appointment with the long term conditions nurse or hypertension clinic. It is important to keep these appointments to ensure that your blood pressure remains under control. Some people find it helpful to measure your own blood pressure at home between appointments with your doctor or nurse, particularly if they suffer with white coat hypertension; this means the blood pressure is artificially high when seen by a doctor or a nurse.
For further information you may wish to look at http://bhsoc.org/ or
http://www.bloodpressureuk.org
Judith Magowan
Hypertension Lead Nurse, Nurse Prescriber and member of the British Hypertension Society
Okehampton Medical Centre
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