Blood Pressure Check Service
What is it?
The pressure created by the blood flowing through your arteries (these are the tubes which take the blood from your heart to other parts of your body) is known as your blood pressure.
A certain level of blood pressure is required to keep your blood flowing, but if your blood pressure is too high, it can cause damage to your blood vessels.
Why is having high blood pressure a health issue?
High blood pressure (which is also called ‘hypertension’) is one of the major causes of strokes and of heart disease. Around one out of every three British adults have high blood pressure. It is estimated that over one third of those experiencing high blood pressure are not currently receiving any treatment, thus they are risking their health.
High blood pressure does not usually make you feel ill. Yet, the higher your blood pressure is, the more chance you have of developing narrowed arteries, and the greater your risk becomes of shortening your life expectancy. If you have high blood pressure then you face an increased risk of having either a heart attack or stroke. If your high blood pressure is not treated effectively, you can develop kidney disease, problems with your eyesight and dementia.
What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?
- Lack of exercise
- A high intake of salt
- Being overweight
- A high intake of alcohol (the daily limit for men is 3 to 4 units, and for women it is 2 to 3 units)
- Being of Asian or of African-Caribbean descent
- A family history of high blood pressure
- A previous heart attack or stroke, renal disease or diabetes
How can I find out if I have high blood pressure?
As having high blood pressure does not usually make you feel unwell, with only a minority of people experiencing headaches when their blood pressure is very high, the only reliable way to find out if you have high blood pressure is through having it measured.
How can my IPSA Pharmacy help?
To have your blood pressure checked, you simply need to find your nearest IPSA Pharmacy on IPSA’s Pharmacy Locator*, go along and speak to one of IPSA’s pharmacists. IPSA’s pharmacists are happy to answer any questions on blood pressure that you have. Your IPSA pharmacist will then carry out your blood pressure check and it should not take any longer than ten minutes.
Once your IPSA pharmacist has completed your blood pressure check, he/she will explain your results to you, giving you any advice you might need on high (or low) blood pressure and on how to maintain a healthy blood pressure and lifestyle.
