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Control High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure—hypertension—is not a disease in itself, but it can lead to an increased risk of developing some serious conditions later in life such as strokes and heart attacks. Over the years high blood pressure slowly damages the blood vessels, making them narrower and more rigid, so that the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the vessels making your overall blood pressure (BP) rise. This is turn makes it easier for clots to get caught and for fatty debris to block the blood vessels. This what happens in stroke and heart attacks.
What Is Blood Pressure?
The blood within our bodies has to be under pressure to enable it to be sent round the whole body. Along with the pumping action of the heart it enables the circulation to do its job of providing oxygen and nutrients to the body.
Measuring Blood Pressure
BP is recorded as two readings, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. The first one records the maximum pressure within the blood vessels during the cycle of the heart beating, which is when the heart contracts. The second is the lowest pressure when the heart rests as it fills up again.
These readings are expressed for example as 120/70mmHg.
(The mmHg stands for millimetres of mercury based on the original measuring tool of columns of mercury calibrated against millimetre scales.)
Monitoring High Blood Pressure
Because high blood pressure very rarely has any symptoms, there is nothing to tell us that anything is wrong. The only way to know what your BP is, is to have it measured.
According to the British Hypertension Society, a usually healthy person should request to have their blood pressure checked from the age of 20 years. If normal it should be checked every five years after this. If ever found to be abnormal e.g. a one-off high reading, while taking the contraceptive pill or during pregnancy, it should be checked once a year, every year, indefinitely.
Most doctors agree that a BP up to 140/90mmHg can be described as normal. If either reading is higher, some further investigation and treatment may be required. It is also advisable in these circumstances to have your cholesterol checked.
In general, a sustained BP of 160/100mmHg or above indicates the need to consider early treatment. People with diabetes will be considered for early treatment at the lower level of 140/90 or above. We do know that high blood pressure is more common as we get older and that having it checked regularly is very important. Your doctor will be able to tell you how often you should have your BP checked.
There are certain circumstances when you could be at higher risk of developing or having high blood pressure, so make sure it doesn’t get the chance to do any long-term damage by getting it checked if
- anyone in your family has high blood pressure, as it tends to run in families
- there is a family history of strokes or heart attacks
- you are of Afro-Caribbean or South East Asian ethnic background
- you are on the contraceptive pill
- you have diabetes
- you are concerned about your lifestyle
Treatment For High Blood Pressure
Once it has been confirmed that you have high blood pressure it is very important that you take any drugs prescribed for you. There are several different groups of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, which work slightly differently. If you suffer from side effects, discuss this with your doctor, as there may be a different drug to choose from. Remember that by keeping your BP under control, you are reducing your risk of strokes and heart attacks in later life.
The treatment of high blood pressure is looked at in much more detail in this booklet from Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) Living With High Blood Pressure H4 [1.33M PDF]
Lifestyle Changes
Changes to lifestyle risk factors can significantly reduce high blood pressure in some people. These are the same as those for reducing your risk of stroke generally and are looked at in more detail in a later section.
The particularly relevant points are
Smoking
Nicotine raises your BP.
Control Weight
Losing weight will help to lower your BP . In people younger than 40, being over-weight is often the main cause of high blood pressure.
Keep Active
By exercising regularly you can bring down your BP by as much as many BP lowering drugs.
Moderate Alcohol Intake
Cutting down on alcohol intake can bring BP under control. Binge drinking at any age can cause a temporary, but significant, rise in BP.
Reduce Salt In Your Diet
Reducing a high salt intake can sometimes help to lower your BP
- gradually adjust your taste over a period of time
- do not add salt at the table or during cooking
- add herbs or spices for flavour
- processed food such as bread, meat products, vegetables, soups and sauces may contain a lot of salt—read labels
- use processed foods that advertise a low salt content
- do not be tempted to use salt alternatives
Reducing Salt (Link to [Salt] page in Heart section** tbc)
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