Checking your blood pressure could save your life

One in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, most people don’t realise, but if you’re over 40 you can get it checked for free at most pharmacies.

High blood pressure doesn’t have any obvious symptoms but it is a major cause of heart attack and stroke, and can also lead to a number of serious long-term health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and kidney disease.

It’s really important to get your blood pressure checked so you can catch problems early, then take simple steps to reduce it and lower the risk to your health.

If you are over 40, you can get check-up for free at most pharmacies across Derby and Derbyshire. Your pharmacist will refer you to a GP if your blood pressure is higher than normal and can offer advice on how to manage it.

Rebecca White, 49, from Ripley had her check as part of a routine smear test and found out she had high blood pressure.

“The worrying part of this is that I didn’t – and still don’t – have any symptoms of feeling unwell at all. So without the trip to the nurse, none of this would have been highlighted and I would have continued as normal not knowing how high my blood pressure was.”

“I would definitely urge everyone to geta check: it’s free, it’s safe, it doesn’t hurt and it could save your life!”

Many pharmacies are open evenings or weekends, so why not pop in and ask about getting your blood pressure checked next time you pass? If your local pharmacy doesn’t offer checks, they will give you information for a pharmacy that does. You can also measure it at home using a monitor, find out how on Blood Pressure UK’s website.

The only way to know if your blood pressure is healthy is to have a check, and to keep having them regularly.