kingsfoldmedicalcentre web site

In the UK, high blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most common medical conditions needing long-term treatment. With increasing age, blood pressure levels rise. There are generally no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, so you should have your blood pressure checked regularly to make sure your levels are within a healthy range. High blood pressure is not a disease, but it is a major cause of heart disease and strokes. If you have high blood pressure and you also smoke, have high blood cholesterol or are generally unfit, the risk of you having a stroke or heart attack increases.

How is blood pressure measured?
Blood pressure is quoted as two numbers for example 130/85 mmHg. The first number is the pressure in the arteries as the heart is pumping the blood around the body. The second number is the pressure when the heart is being filled with blood before it next beats and pumps blood.

Blood pressure levels are normal or high as follows:

Blood pressure varies considerably throughout the day and is affected by your thoughts and actions. So your doctor should take at least three readings at different times to confirm you have high blood pressure.

What causes high blood pressure?
In about 10% of cases, the cause of high blood pressure can be related top another medical condition - this can be confirmed by your doctor. However, for most people, there is no specific cause for their high blood pressure, and it’s likely to be affected by a combination of things including:

Making changes to your lifestyle to address some of those factors can lower your blood pressure and reduce the need for medications.

Should you change your eating habits?
Don’t feel guilty about indulging yourself now and then - it’s okay to enjoy your favourite foods in moderation. Just remember that your diet plays a vital role in managing and reducing your blood pressure.

If you’re overweight one of the most important things you could do is to lose weight. For every kilogram of body fat you lose, you can reduce your blood pressure by two points.

To lose weight you need to reduce your calorie intake and increase physical activity. Some simple tips for improving your eating habits are listed below:

Use low-fat dairy foods, such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese and low-fat yoghurt
Choose grilled or baked lean meat and skinless chicken and fish instead of fried, fatty foods
Choose fresh fruit instead of biscuits, cakes and pastries
Drink low-alcohol beer or dilute your drink with soda water or low-calorie lemonade.
Alternate water and alcoholic drinks and try limiting alcohol to two units a day
Lowering the amount of salt you eat can help reduce your blood pressure and help your medication work better