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Cheriton Bishop and Teign Valley Practice

The Surgery, Yeoford Road, Cheriton Bishop, EX6 6JA

Branch Surgery - The Surgery, Layne Fields, Christow, EX6 7NY

tel: 01647 24272

email: D-ICB.CheritonBishop@nhs.net

Raised Blood pressure

Our Practice Nurses offer appointments for the monitoring of high blood pressure, weight control and cholesterol.

We recommend routine blood pressure checks every 3 years for everyone between the ages of 16-75.

There is a blood pressure monitor in the waiting room. You may use the blood pressure monitor prior to seeing a doctor or nurse and take the slip into your appointment with you.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common problem as we all get older. We know that a higher blood pressure is associated with increased chance of cardiovascular problems such as stroke and heart attacks. It is therefore important to pick up patients with a high blood pressure and treat it adequately.

In order to diagnose blood pressure, it is sometimes necessary to send you away with a blood pressure machine and ask you to check your readings over 2 weeks. We have produced a form for you to record your blood pressure which can be downloaded here.

What do the numbers mean?

There are 2 parts to the blood pressure:

  1. The top (first) number is the systolic pressure. This is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.
  2. The bottom (second) number is the diastolic pressure. This is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between each heartbeat.

What are normal and high blood pressure values?

Normal blood pressure is less than 140/90 mmHg. (However, if you have diabetes you should aim to have a level less than 140/80 mmHg.)

Mildly high blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above, but below 160/100 mmHg. Treatment with tablets may be advised if it remains at this level, depending on whether you have other 'risk factors'.

Definitely high blood pressure is 160/100 mmHg or above. Treatment with tablets is usually advised if your blood pressure remains at this level.

What can I do to lower blood pressure?

Lose weight if your are overweight (BMI > 25)

Losing some weight can make a big difference. On average, blood pressure falls by about 2.5/1.5 mmHg for each excess kilogram which is lost. Losing weight has other health benefits apart from lowering blood pressure.

Exercise regularly

You should aim to do some exercise on 5 or more days of the week, for at least 30 minutes. For example, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, gardening, etc. Regular exercise can lower blood pressure in addition to giving other health benefits.

Cut down on added salt and processed foods and normalise alcohol consumption

Eat a healthy diet, which means

A healthy diet provides health benefits in different ways. For example, it can lower cholesterol, help control your weight, and has plenty of vitamins, fibre, and other nutrients which help to prevent certain diseases. Some aspects of a healthy diet also directly affect blood pressure. For example:

A diet which is low-fat, low-salt, and high in fruit and vegetables can lower systolic blood pressure by up to 11 mmHg.