High blood pressure, or hypertension, lays the groundwork for a slew of serious health complications. The condition forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body and this extra effort can spur on a stroke or a heart attack. Fortunately, an expert has shared five warning signs that could ring alarm bells.
Pharmacy2U said: “Blood presses against the walls of your arteries as it travels away from the heart, and this pressure is easy to measure, and is very important.
“It’s one of the four vital signs (including body temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory rate) that medical professionals monitor, and there can be serious implications if it’s either too high (hypertension) or too low (hypotension).”
High blood pressure is often the result of poor lifestyle choices. Fortunately, you can tame your reading through simple lifestyle tweaks but you need to identify the culprit first.
From headaches to feeling sick, the condition can trigger some symptoms in certain cases.
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Pharmacy2U said: “People with very high blood pressure will occasionally experience headaches, bloodshot eyes, feeling sick, or generally unwell.”
The British Heart Foundation has added other key signs that could help spot the condition, including:
- Blurred vision
- Nosebleeds
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness.
While all of these signs could reveal the silent killer, blood pressure is often very difficult to identify.
Pharmacy2U said: “It’s estimated that millions of people in the UK are unaware that they have high blood pressure, and the only way to be sure you’re within a healthy range is by checking it.
“Even though you may not exhibit any symptoms or become noticeably ill, high blood pressure is still a serious condition.
“When your blood pressure is too high, it will strain your heart, blood vessels, and other organs.
“If this persists, it could increase the risk of potentially life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, heart failure, strokes, kidney disease, and aortic aneurysms.”
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Fortunately, you don’t have to depend on the mercy of the condition to trigger warning signs.
The NHS explains that you can get your blood pressure checked at a number of places, for example, your GP surgery or some pharmacies.
Furthermore, people over the age of 40 can have their reading checked as part of an NHS Health Check, which is offered every five years.
Pharmacy2U added: “Blood pressure is recorded using two numbers: the first reflects the pressure on the arteries during a heartbeat, and the second number is between heartbeats.
“A reading of 140/90mmHg or above is considered to be high for most people. If you’re 80 or older, 150/90mmHg and above is the bracket deemed to be high.”
How to lower high blood pressure
From lifestyle tweaks to medicine, there are various ways to keep the culprit in check.
“Small lifestyle changes are a great way to reach and maintain normal blood pressure,” the pharmacy said.
One key step is cutting back on salt as the seasoning is considered the single biggest cause of hypertension, according to Blood Pressure UK. The NHS advises eating no more than six grams of salt a day.
Other interventions like exercise, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol can also help.
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