High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common condition that, if left untreated, can increase the risk of serious health problems such as stroke and heart attack.
Dr Reg Rehal, Cardiometabolic Lead for Essex ICB, is encouraging people to have their blood pressure checked during Know Your Numbers Week (7-11 September).
Thousands of people across Essex have been diagnosed with hypertension, but there are thousands more who have high blood pressure but don’t know it.
It often has no noticeable symptoms so regular blood pressure checks can help identify high blood pressure early, allowing you to take steps to protect your health and reduce the risk of serious conditions such as stroke and heart disease. If you do not know your numbers – or have not had them checked recently – now is a good time to arrange a blood pressure check. It is a simple but important step in protecting your health.
This is why NHS Essex is committed to identifying more people with high blood pressure and ensuring they receive the right advice, support and treatment. Over the next five years, we will focus on detecting high blood pressure earlier in people aged over 40, reaching communities that may face barriers to regular health checks and helping people stay healthier for longer. Improving the early detection and management of high blood pressure is also a key priority within the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan.
Where you can have a blood pressure check
It’s simple and easy for people to have their blood pressure checked. You can walk into a community pharmacy, if you are 40 years and over, and ask to have your blood pressure taken. It’s even more important to do this if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked in the last five years.
People diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) should continue to monitor it regularly. You can do this by using a personal blood pressure monitor at home or, by borrowing a monitor through the Essex County Council libraries Blood Pressure Monitor Loan Scheme. Some participating GP practices may also be able to lend patients a blood pressure monitor for use at home. Where available, patients can use a blood pressure point-of-care testing machine at their GP practice to check their blood pressure without needing an appointment. Availability may vary, so please check with your practice beforehand.
There’s a dedicated page on the NHS Essex website that has all the information you need about blood pressure, what a normal reading is and how to lower your blood pressure too. You can also watch a short video where I explain more about blood pressure.
Know your numbers – it could save your life.