High blood pressure (hypertension) can put a strain on your arteries and organs, which can increase your risk of developing serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Low blood pressure (hypotension) isn’t usually as serious, although it can cause dizziness and fainting in some people.
A blood pressure test is the only way to find out if your blood pressure is too high or too low, because most people won’t have any obvious symptoms. Having a test is easy and could save your life.
We would encourage all patients to buy a home blood pressure machine. It is an important addition to your home medicine cabinet, and you should monitor your own blood pressure at least once a year.
If you have been diagnosed with Hypertension (high blood pressure), we require to monitor your blood pressure annually (usually in your birth month). Sometimes, having your blood pressure taken in the surgery is not the ideal situation as you may be anxious which will make it higher than normal & so we will ask you to do 7 days worth of home BP readings & submit them using our online form here:
7 Day Blood Pressure Readings Form
If you cannot monitor your blood pressure at home, you can visit a pharmacy or use our machine which is situated in our waiting room.
Controlling your blood pressure
If your blood pressure is found to be too high or too low, your GP or the healthcare professional performing the test can advise you about ways to control it.
This may involve:
- adopting a healthy, balanced diet and restricting your salt intake
- getting regular exercise
- cutting down on alcohol
- losing weight
- stopping smoking
- taking medication, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or calcium channel blockers
In some cases, you may be referred to a doctor such as a cardiologist (heart specialist) to discuss treatment options.
Read more about treating high blood pressure and treating low blood pressure.