Many people find out they have high blood pressure by chance, at an appointment about something else entirely. That is not carelessness on their part: in most cases raised blood pressure produces no particular sign. You feel well, you work, you sleep, and yet your heart and arteries are carrying a heavier load than they need to. World Heart Day, every 29 September, is a good moment to take stock calmly, with a few simple steps anyone can take.
A silent condition, which is why measuring matters
Headaches, dizziness and tiredness are often blamed on blood pressure, but they are neither reliable nor consistent. You can have high blood pressure without a single symptom, and headaches for quite different reasons. The only way to know where you stand is to measure.
One reading on its own is not enough to draw a conclusion. Blood pressure changes through the day with effort, stress, coffee, or simply the nerves of being at the doctor’s. That is why doctors like to have several readings, taken in the right conditions, over several days.
Measuring your blood pressure at home
An upper-arm blood pressure monitor, used properly, is genuinely helpful. A few simple rules make the difference between a useful figure and a misleading one.
- Sit down with your back supported, feet flat on the floor and legs uncrossed.
- Rest quietly for five minutes before the first reading, without talking or looking at your phone.
- Put the cuff on your bare upper arm, at heart level, with your arm resting on a table.
- Avoid coffee, tea, smoking and exercise in the half hour before.
- Take two or three readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for several days in a row.
- Write each result in a notebook, with the date, the time and the arm used.
- Bring the notebook, or the monitor itself, to your appointment.
There is no need to interpret every figure on your own. It is the full set of readings, read by your doctor alongside your history and examination, that shows whether your blood pressure is normal, worth watching or in need of treatment. One slightly high figure on a tiring evening says little; a regular pattern says a great deal.
Salt, often where you least expect it
Cutting down on salt is one of the most effective things you can do for your blood pressure. Yet in many of our meals, most of the salt does not come from the salt cellar. Bread, eaten with every meal, contains more than people tend to think. Olives, cheese, cured meats, tinned food, pickles and preserved lemons, stock cubes and ready-made sauces add a good deal too.
None of this means giving up family cooking. You can taste before you salt, rinse olives and tinned vegetables, season with herbs, garlic, cumin or lemon instead, and eat a little less bread. Within a few weeks, your palate adjusts to food that is less salty.
Everyday habits that help your heart
Walking is an excellent ally: half an hour a day, at a pace where you can still hold a conversation, is enough to make a difference. Taking the stairs, getting off the bus a stop early and a walk after the evening meal all count. Stopping smoking remains the single most helpful step for your arteries, at any age, and it is easier with support.
Sleep and stress play their part as well. Nights that are too short, heavy snoring with pauses in breathing, or constant nervous tension can all weigh on blood pressure. Mentioning them to your doctor is part of the check-up, just as much as what you eat.
The yearly check and the cardiology appointment
Once a year, a simple check keeps an eye on three markers: blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. All three tend to change quietly, and often together, and your family doctor can order the tests and explain the results.
A cardiology check-up is particularly useful if heart disease or stroke runs in your family, if you have diabetes or known high blood pressure, or before taking up sport again after several years away from it, especially after forty. At Clinique Sakina, a cardiovascular check-up can be booked with the cardiology department.
Signs that should not wait
Some signs call for the emergency services straight away, without waiting for an appointment and without driving yourself:
- pain or tightness in the chest, especially if it spreads to the arm, jaw or back;
- sudden, unusual breathlessness;
- sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body or face;
- sudden difficulty speaking or understanding.
In these situations, being seen quickly makes a real difference. It is always better to call and be reassured than to wait.
Remember
This article offers general information and does not replace a consultation. If you have any question about your blood pressure or your heart, talk to your doctor.
General information: it does not replace your doctor’s advice.
