Know Your Numbers

Normal people can be lifesavers within their communities by simply helping others to check their blood pressure.

That’s the message this September as the annual Know Your Numbers campaign kicks off – aiming to reach the estimated five million people unknowingly living with high blood pressure.

Untreated high blood pressure is known as ‘the silent killer’ as it kills and disables many thousands of people each year through heart attacks, strokes, heart and kidney disease and more, yet it often has no symptoms.

Dr Lalitha Iyer, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Frimley, said: “A blood pressure check is quick, it’s painless and it’s the surest way to know if you’re living with high blood pressure.

“However, because most people living with high blood pressure have no symptoms they assume they’re fine, so they don’t see the need to check. That’s why I’m encouraging anyone who does have a monitor to persuade those around them to use it – whether it’s family members, friends, colleagues or members of a community group.

“It’s often through chance opportunities like this that high blood pressure cases are detected and people can be supported to improve and manage their conditions.”

Frimley Health and Care is keen to hear from anyone who would be interested in being a blood pressure Community Champion, hosting a monitor and using it to help those around them to check their situation.

For people already diagnosed with high blood pressure and taking medication, knowing their numbers matters just as much. Checking blood pressure at home is an important step, but it’s important to also share those results with the GP. By sending readings to the GP, people can help make sure their treatment is working as well as it can, and that their blood pressure is properly controlled.

High blood pressure can be caused or contributed to by a range of factors, including low activity levels, being overweight, poor diet, smoking and drinking too much alcohol. For some people it can also be something they have inherited.

Lifestyle changes, and in some cases medication, can lower and control blood pressure, meaning that by following the simple rules of Check, Change, Control, most people can live normal, healthy lives with a lower risk of experiencing serious health problems.

Blood pressure checks are also available in local pharmacies and some GP practices also have machines in their reception areas for patients to use.