Hypertension - Keeping an Eye on Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the biggest health problems in the UK. At Bluebird Care Lewisham & Southwark, we’re committed to helping our homecare customers stay healthy, so here’s our guide to keeping an eye on your blood pressure.  

Most of us have had our blood pressure tested at some point in our lives. It might seem like a basic health check, but maintaining a healthy blood pressure is really important for our overall wellbeing and can even help prevent the development of some serious health conditions. With 1 in 3 people in the UK living with high blood pressure, having a greater awareness of the condition could make a big difference to the nation’s health.
 

What is a Healthy Blood Pressure?

We all know that blood pressure is measured by one number over another, but for many of us, what this actually means is a bit of a mystery.

The first number is your systolic pressure. This measures the pressure at which blood is being pushed out of your heart. The second number is your diastolic pressure and records the pressure when your heart is resting between beats. Together, these figures give you a reading within the low, normal or high range:

Low = a measurement of 90/60 or below
Normal – a measurement between 90/60 and 120/80
High - a measurement of 140/90 and over

Having a normal blood pressure obviously isn’t a concern and many people have slightly low readings which don’t cause them any problems. While very low blood pressure can cause some health problems, high blood pressure is by far the more common and potentially dangerous condition.
 

Common Causes of Hypertension

High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, can have many causes. Some, like your age, ethnicity or family history are not something you have control over, but most often, it’s our lifestyle choices that determine whether we have a higher risk of developing the condition. Smoking, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, obesity, high salt intake, not getting enough sleep and drinking too much alcohol can all increase the chances of having high blood pressure. Making some healthy lifestyle changes can go a long way in lowering our risk of developing the condition and the serious illnesses it can lead to.
 

The Risks of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension puts extra strain on your organs and arteries which can lead to an increased risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Vascular dementia
• Aneurysms
• Heart attacks
• Arterial disease

In fact, Blood Pressure UK report that people with hypertension are three times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke. They are also twice as likely to die from these conditions as someone whose blood pressure is normal. 
 

Get a Check Up

Unfortunately, it’s something of a ‘silent killer’ in that (unless it’s extremely elevated) people often don’t experience any symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to have regular blood pressure checks to make sure you’re within the healthy range.

From 10^th – 16^th September Blood Pressure UK are making free blood pressure checks available throughout the country. If you live in the Lewisham & Southwark area and want to find your nearest Blood Pressure UK Pressure Station, click here.

At Bluebird Care Lewisham & Southwark we’re always here to help our homecare customers stay healthy and live as independently as possible, whatever health conditions they may have. If you’d like to find out more about how our in-home care services could help you or a member of your family, get in touch with our team on 020-7635-1930 or drop us an email.