High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure Treatment

Blood pressure measures the strength that your heart pumps blood against the walls of your arteries. In turn, high blood pressure affects your heart and arteries and can lead to a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease. Known as the silent killer, high blood pressure rarely demonstrates any symptoms. Therefore, we advise that all adults should have their blood pressure checked by a GP every five years.

Blood pressure readings are recorded as two figures. The first figure records the rate at which your heart pumps out blood and the second reading measures the pressure of the blood when your heart is at rest. A normal reading is below 130/80mmHg and you are said to have high blood pressure when the reading is 140/90mmHg or higher. Your treatment will depend on the severity of your blood pressure levels, however we provide a wide range of treatments that can lower the pressure.

Am I At Risk?

There is no definitive cause of high blood pressure, however your chances of developing this condition increases with age. Moreover, your chances of developing high blood pressure may increase if you are:

• Aged over 65
• Overweight
• A smoker
• African or Caribbean descent
• A frequent drinker

In turn, you may want to adopt healthy habits to avoid developing high blood pressure and reduce the need for medication. Some of these changes may lower the pressure within a few weeks:

• Cut down on alcohol
• Cut down on caffeine
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet
• Eat less salt
• Stop smoking

High Blood Pressure Medication and Treatment

If your blood pressure levels are consistently above 140/90mmHg, you and the doctor should consider taking blood pressure-lowering medication. Medicines can help lower blood pressure levels in a variety of ways, from controlling hormones that affect it to making artery walls relax and widen to the treatment that removes unwanted fluids from the body.