Check Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health problems we see, yet many people don’t realise they have it. This is because it is often a “silent” condition, meaning it usually causes no obvious symptoms until damage has already occurred.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. These arteries act like the body’s pipework, carrying blood to vital organs. Over time, arteries can become stiff or narrowed due to ageing or fatty build‑up. When the pressure inside them stays too high, the heart works much harder to pump blood around the body. This extra strain can gradually reduce blood flow to important organs such as the brain, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart.

A useful way to picture this is to imagine standing on a garden hose. The flow of water slows down, and pressure builds up behind it. High blood pressure works in a similar way inside the body.

If high blood pressure is not treated, it can lead to serious health problems. These include chest pain, palpitations, breathlessness due to heart failure, strokes caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, kidney damage, and vascular dementia. The longer blood pressure remains high, the greater the risk of long‑term complications.

High blood pressure becomes more common as we get older, especially after the age of 60. Around one in four people are affected, but many do not know they have it. In fact, only about half of people with high blood pressure are diagnosed and receiving treatment.

Some risk factors cannot be changed. High blood pressure often runs in families, increases with age, and affects men slightly more than women. However, many important risk factors are linked to lifestyle. These include lack of physical activity, being overweight, unhealthy diets, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Ongoing stress is also known to raise blood pressure. In some cases, medical conditions such as kidney disease, taking steroids or pregnancy can contribute as well.

High blood pressure rarely causes clear warning signs. Some people may experience headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia or tiredness.

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The top number, called systolic pressure, measures the pressure when the heart beats. The bottom number, diastolic pressure, measures pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. A healthy reading is usually between 120/80 and 140/90. Readings consistently above 140/90 are considered high and often require lifestyle changes and medication.

The good news is that high blood pressure is easy to check and treat. Simple changes to lifestyle, diet, exercise, weight loss along with medication when needed, can greatly reduce health risks.

Everyone over the age of 40 should have their blood pressure checked at least once a year, at their GP surgery, pharmacy, or at home.

A check today can help protect your health for years to come.

Dr Suparna Behura FRCGP
Specialist GP
Community Gynaecology and Dermatology
Saturday Mornings Nuffield Hospital, Leamington Spa

Monday-Friday – 8.00am-6.30pm
Tel – 01926 857331
www.castlemedicalcentre.co.uk
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22 Bertie Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1JP