How a simple blood pressure check helped diagnose his hypertension
Neil is a B&Q employee working from the Trade Point desk at their Ladymead Store in Guildford. Our Healthy Heart Practitioner, Ellie, first met Neil at our Healthy Heart Clinic held at the store in October 2022.
Neil was among the first to arrive and have his blood pressure taken, along with a few other store employees. The quick appointment, which only took ten to fifteen minutes, started with a blood pressure check followed by a pulse rhythm check.
The result of this check showed that Neil’s blood pressure was elevated and registered a reading of 154/105. Neil was advised to speak with his GP, who subsequently diagnosed hypertension and prescribed medication to help him control his blood pressure.
Over the course of the following eight months, Ellie and Helena continued to check Neil’s blood pressure at the regular B&Q Healthy Heart Clinic. As a result, Neil’s medication could be adjusted, stabilising his blood pressure to a final reading of 127/85.
What is hypertension?
The medical term for high blood pressure is ‘hypertension’, and it means your blood pressure is always too high. This means your heart is working harder when pumping blood around your body.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is very common. However, most people don’t know they have high blood pressure because there aren’t obvious symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Why is it important to know your blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a serious condition. Knowing you have high blood pressure could prevent life-threatening complications like heart attack and stroke.
Neil has been working hard to manage his blood pressure well. Speaking with Neil, he admitted that “I would not have learned about my high blood pressure” if it weren’t for having the check. And Neil claims that he does feel “better” as a result of having his blood pressure checked by the team.
The British Heart Foundation provide information and support on heart and circulatory diseases, alongside understanding what risk factors may increase your chance of developing these. Blood Pressure UK is a charity dedicated to lowering the nation’s blood pressure to prevent stroke and heart disease. Their flagship ‘Know Your Numbers!’ campaign looks to raise awareness of high blood pressure, encouraging all adults to get a blood pressure check.
