Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure?

Your heart pumps blood around your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your organs. Your blood pressure is the force your heart uses to pump your blood through your arteries. Blood pressure is the measurement of force applied to the artery walls.

You need some pressure to keep your blood moving. Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down, and is fine for it to go up whilst your moving about. It's when your overall blood pressure is always high, even when you are resting, that you need to do something about it.

High blood pressure can cause heart and circulatory diseases including heart attack or stroke. But there are simple things you can do to help bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level like eating better and taking medication. YOU NEED TO ACT NOW -EVEN IF YOU FEEL FINE.

Heart and circulatory diseases kill 1 in 4 people in the UK, and high blood pressure is one of the most common causes for it. You need to make some changes to what you eat and how active you are to help bring your blood pressure back down.

What is high blood pressure?

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. It means your blood pressure is always too high.

High blood pressure is serious. If you ignore it, it can lead to heart and circulatory diseases like heart attack or stroke. It can also cause kidney failure, heart failure and problems to your sight.

High blood pressure means that your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body,so the pressure is always higher than it should be.

Your arteries (the blood vessels that carry blood to your organs) are stretchy to cope with your blood pressure going up and down. If you have high blood pressure, your arteries lose their stretchiness and become stiff and narrow.

The narrowing makes it easier for fatty material to clog them up. If the arteries that carry blood to your heart gets damaged and clogged, it can lead to a heart attack. If this happens in the arteries that carry blood to your brain it can lead to a stroke.

Symptoms of high blood pressure

Many people with high blood pressure feel fine. More than 1 in 4 people have high blood pressure but many people don't realise they have it.

The following are symptoms of high blood pressure. But even if you feel fine, have your blood pressure checked regularly.

- Blurred Vision

- Nose Bleeds

- Shortness of breath

- A headache that won't go away

LOOK AT LABELS

You might be eating too much salt without putting it on your food. Around three quarters of the salt we eat has already been added to our food before we buy it. Checking food labels on the food you buy can help you choose lower salt alternatives. Make sure you mostly eat things that are labelled green or amber for salt.

GOOD TO KNOW

Eating more fruit and vegetables can help to lower your blood pressure. Aim for at least 5 portions a day.

Salt is salt. Whether it comes in crystals or grains, from the sea or the Himalayas - it's all salt and you need to limit it. The same goes for garlic or celery salts too.

GET SUPPORT

If you are aged 40-74 you can ask for a NHS health check (England only). Your doctor should write to your every 5 years about this, but you can also just make an appointment to check your blood pressure. It's important to know that you're not alone. It's important to find support from the people around you and healthcare professionals. Make sure you you check your blood pressure regularly so you can see your progress.