Know Your Blood Pressure Numbers

Did you know that?

An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries
An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition.
Less than half of adults (42%) with hypertension are diagnosed and treated.
Approximately 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.
Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.

These figures are taken from the “World Health Organisation”

What is a normal Blood Pressure Reading?

Blood pressure	Systolic (top number) mm Hg	Diastolic (bottom number) mm Hg
Low	Less than 90	Less than 60
Optimal	Less than 120	Less than 80
Normal	120–129	80–84
Normal to high	130–139	85–89
High	Greater than 140	Greater than 90

The above figures are taken from The Heart Research Institute. UK

Risk factors for High Blood Pressure are:

Poor diets.
Lack of exercise
Smoking
Excessive alcohol use
Being overweight
Poor Air Quality.

Symptoms

I would encourage everyone to either have their blood pressure taken regularly by a health professional or purchase a blood pressure reading machine that can be used at home. They are very easy to use and can be obtained from many outlets including “The British Heat Foundation"

Many people are unaware they have high blood pressure as they do not experience any symptoms, but the common ones are:

severe headaches
chest pain
dizziness
difficulty breathing
nausea
vomiting
blurred vision or other vision changes
anxiety
confusion
buzzing in the ears
nosebleeds
abnormal heart rhythm

Prevention

There are many things you can do to help reduce your blood pressure or maintain a normal one.

Eat Healthily
Exercise regularly – including strength building exercises.
Drink alcohol sensibly
Reduce stress
Ensure you have sufficient sleep.

There is a wealth of information on the “WHO”’s website

However if you have any questions or wish to implement any of these preventative measures but are struggling to do so, then please give me a call and I am more than happy to help you implement them.