Blood pressure monitoring

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure measures how strongly blood presses against the walls of your arteries (large blood vessels) as it is pumped around your body by your heart. It indicates how much work your heart needs to do to pump blood around your body.

Blood pressure is measured by two numbers. The first number records blood pressure when the pressure is at its highest i.e. when the heart muscle squeezes out the blood – this is called systolic pressure. The second number is when the heart relaxes and allows the blood to flow back into the heart – this is called diastolic pressure.

Blood pressure may increase or decrease depending on a range of factors such as age, diet, heart health, emotions, activity, the medication you take, smoking & caffeine intake.

What’s the normal level?

The normal level of blood pressure is usually about 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic).

High blood pressure

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. You are considered to have high blood pressure if your blood pressure readings are consistently measuring 140/90mmHg or higher on separate occasions. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. In order to detect if you have high blood pressure, you need to have your blood pressure checked by your pharmacy team or GP. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious conditions, including stroke and heart attack.

However once detected, high blood pressure can be managed with some lifestyle changes and, if needed, medication.

Am I at risk of high blood pressure?

You may be at risk if:

• You are over 30 and you have never had your blood pressure checked
• You are a smoker
• You are overweight (with a BMI of 25 or greater)
• You have a high intake of salt and processed foods
• You have a low intake of fruit and vegetables
• You have a high intake of alcohol
• You are not physically active – It is recommended that adults get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days each week
• You have a family history of high blood pressure
• Your doctor has recommended that 24-hour blood pressure monitoring would be useful for you
• You have previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure and you or your doctor wish to see if steps taken have brought your blood pressure under control (e.g., lifestyle changes or blood pressure medication)
• You suff­er from ‘White Coat’ hypertension which means that you may get a temporary high blood pressure reading while you are at the doctor’s surgery because you are nervous or stressed.
• You or a member of your family has high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.
• You or your doctor want to find out if you have high blood pressure at night. High blood pressure while sleeping is considered high risk for heart disease

A member of your totalhealth pharmacy team can carry out a once-off­ blood pressure check in our consultation room free of charge and advise you on your result. Your pharmacy team member will be able to tell you if your blood pressure is normal or if you may need to speak to the pharmacist or your doctor about it.

We will also give you advice on how to help keep your blood pressure within normal limits. Having your blood pressure checked is a quick and painless process. If you are coming in to get your blood pressure checked, we recommend you wear a short-sleeved top so we can access your arm easily in order to get an accurate reading.