Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in the arteries. The arteries are vessels that carry blood from the heart around the body.
There needs to be a certain level of pressure in the arteries to move blood around the body. But, if blood pressure is higher than recommended over time it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases like stroke or heart attack. High blood pressure (or hypertension) is usually diagnosed if your blood pressure is regularly above 140/90 mmHg.
You may be more at risk from high blood pressure if you:
For some people, a cause of high blood pressure is found. This can include:
If you’re worried that your medication is affecting your blood pressure, speak to a healthcare professional.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. So, if you think you may have high blood pressure, or you’re on medication for it, you should check your blood pressure regularly.
In rare cases, high blood pressure may cause symptoms.
You have symptoms of very high blood pressure like:
Some GP practices now will now provide you with a blood pressure monitor to take home. This is because:
A home blood pressure monitor can be used to measure your blood pressure levels over time. You can can use the monitor at a time that suits you.
A healthcare professional may take blood and urine tests along with blood pressure checks. This is to check for conditions that can cause an increase in blood pressure like kidney disease.
Making lifestyle changes can sometimes help if you have high blood pressure.
Sometimes a combination of treatments is needed to treat high blood pressure. This means you may have to take more than one type of medication in addition to making healthy lifestyle changes.
The most common medications for high blood pressure are:
If you have high blood pressure, you may have to take medication to treat it for the rest of your life. But, the effect of medication and your lifestyle on your blood pressure should be monitored over time.
If it’s left untreated, high blood pressure can cause problems including:
Last updated:
03 September 2024