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High blood pressure is a risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. In this article: What is high blood pressure? Symptoms Risk factors for high blood pressure Diagnosis Effect on your life Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is high blood pressure? High blood pressure affects over 50 per cent of the UK population who are of retirement age. 1 in 4 middle-aged adults also have high blood pressure and, with more and more people across the country drinking alcohol to excess and adopting unhealthy lifestyles through poor diet and a lack of exercise, the number of younger people susceptible to developing high blood pressure is set to increase. When discussing high blood pressure, perhaps the best starting point is to explain exactly what blood pressure in the body actually is. Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood that flows through your body’s arteries. Your arteries (blood vessels) need to be free of the fatty deposits or the build up of waste that causes them to narrow for the blood to flow naturally and in sufficient amounts so that the heart and the overall circulatory system functions properly and well. When your blood pressure level rises, the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of your arteries as your blood flows through them is increased to an inordinate sustained level. This can lead to serious health problems. How is blood pressure measured? The heart pumps more than 10 pints of blood around your body every minute. Your blood is measured in millimetres of mercury (nnHG) and is recorded as 2 figures in a kind of a fraction. The top figure is the systolic pressure – the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart contracts (beats). The lower figure is the diastolic pressure – the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is still (i.e. resting between each heart beat). When your blood pressure measurement is 140/90 mmHG or above, your blood pressure can be said to be high. Symptoms Most people with high blood pressure experience no symptoms at all. However, in some cases, the following symptoms can occur: Dizziness Headaches A feeling faintness Vision problems Risk factors for high blood pressure You are at risk of developing high blood pressure if you: are diabetic already have a cardiovascular disease (or have had a stroke) smoke consume alcohol and/or caffeine excessively have a salt intake that is too high Maintain a poor diet which is low in fruit and vegetables and high in fat do not exercise regularly have a genetic predisposition to having high blood pressure. That is, there is a family history of the condition Are of a particular ethnicity Diagnosis Blood pressure levels need to be taken more than once for high blood pressure to be diagnosed: several high blood pressure readings taken by your GP or at your local hospital will need to be recorded for an accurate diagnosis to be confirmed, and for appropriate treatment to be recommended. Effect on your life It is a misconception that high blood pressure is more common in people who suffer from high levels of anxiety or struggle to cope well with stress. High blood pressure can actually occur in anyone. What makes high blood pressure so dangerous is that most people are oblivious to it, due to not having any symptoms. Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases could be avoided if more people had their blood pressure checked regularly and adopted a healthy lifestyle. Treatment Although there is no actual cure for high blood pressure, appropriate treatment can help to reduce blood pressure levels, thus lessening the risk to you of developing the aforementioned serious health conditions. The general treatment for high blood pressure is prescribed medication (in tablet form) – where preventative measures and lifestyle changes have proved unsuccessful in bringing your blood pressure level down. How Chemist Online can help Through this website we have a range of remedies for headaches – an associated symptom of high blood pressure in some people. www.chemistonline.co.uk Advice & Support High Blood Pressure Foundation Tel. 0131 332 9211 Website: www.hbpf.org.uk Blood Pressure Association Tel. 020 8772 4994 Website: www.bpassoc.org.uk This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.
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