May Measurement Month - do you know your numbers?
“Knowledge is power,” states the famous quote. In the context of blood pressure, it is certainly true.
As we approach May Measurement Month, healthcare leaders in the Frimley Health and Care area are urging local people to check their blood pressure, because knowing what your blood pressure reading is gives you more control over your health.
An estimated five million people in England have high blood pressure but don’t know that they’re living with a potential killer.
Only by knowing that they have the condition can they take action to improve their health and reduce their risk of serious injury – or worse.
Dr Lalitha Iyer, Chief Medical Officer of NHS Frimley, said: “You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know about it, and when it comes to high blood pressure, it is really important to know your numbers.
“Checking your blood pressure is quick, it’s painless and can be life-changing. If you detect high or raised blood pressure, making simple changes to your lifestyle can go a long way to help more than your heart, benefitting your overall health and wellbeing.
“I hope people across our communities can use May Measurement Month as motivation to start checking their blood pressure and to encourage those around them to do it too.”
High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it often has no symptoms and yet it contributes to tens of thousands of deaths and disabilities nationwide each year.
May Measurement Month is an annual global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of undetected and untreated high blood pressure.
Blood pressure can be checked in many community pharmacies, while increasing numbers of GP practices also have blood pressure machines in their reception areas for patients to use.
The condition can be caused by a number of reasons, including obesity, poor diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and a lack of activity. It can also be hereditary and is more prevalent among some ethnic groups.
Lifestyle changes, such as changing your diet, being more active, stopping smoking and cutting down alcohol consumption are all important ways of lowering or maintaining a healthy blood pressure.
For more information, including how to check yours, what it means and what you can do about it, visit the Frimley Health and Care blood pressure webpages.