Hypertension - High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is simply the pressure of blood on the walls of your arteries (blood vessels). These arteries carry blood from your heart around the body. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day and can be affected my many different events in your day. High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when your blood exerts a persistent and abnormally high pressure, or force, on your arteries.

Why is high blood pressure a problem?

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. You will not know if you have high blood pressure unless you have your blood pressure checked. If high blood pressure is not controlled properly, it can lead to a number of serious
complications and cardiovascular (disease of the heart) problems such as:

• Angina and heart attacks
• Strokes and mini strokes
• Heart failure
• Kidney damage
• Eye problems

Am I at risk of developing high blood pressure?

As you get older you are more likely to have high blood pressure. There are several risk factors which can make you more likely to develop high blood pressure, these include:

• Being overweight
• Not exercising enough
• Having too much salt in your diet
• Not eating enough fresh fruit and vegetables
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Too much stress in your life
• Smoking

These risk factors can be reduced by making relatively simple changes to your lifestyle.

How can I lower my blood pressure?

There are two main ways in which you can help lower high blood pressure (hypertension):

• Improve your lifestyle
• To have medication that is usually prescribed by your doctor

Did you know?

• 16 million people in the UK have high blood pressure
• 1 in 3 people with high blood pressure don’t know they have it
• 130,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year, that’s about 1 person every 5 minutes

6 easy ways to help lower your blood pressure

1. Be as active as you can. Try to take brisk walks or do moderate activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week.
2. Drink alcohol in moderation.
3. Cut down on salt. Try to eat no more than 6g per day. Substitute salt with herbs in your cooking for flavour.
4. Keep to a healthy weight. If you are overweight get into shape by aiming to lose a small amount each week.
5. Eat healthily. Try to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day, if you can eat more that’s even better.
6. If your doctor has given you medication for your blood pressure never forget to take them and take the medication exactly how your doctor or pharmacist tells you.

What drugs are used to lower blood pressure?

There are several drugs that can be used to lower blood pressure. The doctor will choose a drug depending on certain things such as your age, if you have any other medical problems, if you take any other medicines or even the potential side effects of the drug.

Some drugs work well in some people and not so well in others. The doctor may try one or two drugs before finding the one that suits you. It is also common to need more than one drug to reduce your blood pressure. In some cases some people need to take four different medicines to reach their target blood pressure.

How do I take my blood pressure medicines?

High blood pressure usually does not have any symptoms so taking your medication may not make you feel any different, but you should still keep taking them. The best way to make sure that your medication is working is to get your blood pressure checked, this can be done at your doctors or at most pharmacies.

Unfortunately some medicines have side effects

The common side effects seen with blood pressure medicines are dizziness, tiredness, swollen ankles and a persistent dry cough. If you think you are experiencing any worrying  side effects, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

The important thing to remember is that you should never stop taking your medicines unless told to by your doctor. It can be dangerous to stop taking some medicines suddenly, such as beta blockers. High blood pressure is a long-term condition so, in most cases, you will need to keep taking your medicines to control it.

3 EASY WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

1. Have your blood pressure checked every 2 years, or every year if you already have high blood pressure
2. During times of stress use relaxation techniques to cope
3. Eat less than 6g of salt each day

Your Numark pharmacist can help you:

• understand high blood pressure
• use your medicines correctly
• recognise the risks of high blood pressure
• take steps to keep your blood pressure under control

For further informaton on blood pressure ask your Numark pharmacist for advice.

Where can you find more information?

NHS Direct

Tel: 08454647 Web: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Blood Pressure Association

Tel: 020 87724994 Web: www.bpassoc.org.uk

High Blood Pressure Foundation

Tel: 01313329211 Web: www.hbpf.org.uk

This page last updated on 5th April 2009