Many of us in the UK monitor our blood pressure on a regular basis in a bid to prevent heart attacks and strokes. This makes perfect sense as high blood pressure can adversely affect our health in so many ways. However, high blood pressure presents several risks such as:
- Damage to the heart – coronary artery disease is a narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the heart which may first present as chest pain, irregular heart rhythm or a heart attack.
- High blood pressure puts too much strain on the heart, often leading to an enlarged left heart which limits the organ’s ability to pump the blood around the body.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini stroke – this is a temporary disruption of the blood supply to the brain, often caused by a blood clot. TIA is often a warning that you may be at risk of a full blown stroke.
- Stroke – uncontrolled high blood pressure may lead to a stroke because it can weaken or damage to blood vessels in the brain.
- Dementia – this is a brain disease that causes problems in thinking, speaking, memory, movement and vision. Vascular dementia may be the result of high blood pressure causing narrowing or blockage of the arteries that take blood to the brain.
- Kidney damage – either kidney failure or kidney scarring is most commonly caused by high blood pressure. This results in the kidneys being unable to filter waste from the body effectively leading to an accumulation of fluid and waste.
These are just some of the risks that come with high blood pressure, so monitoring blood pressure is a good idea, especially if you’ve already been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). Luckily, it’s easy to buy a blood pressure monitor for home use nowadays so that you can keep track of your blood pressure levels at all times, without having to pay a visit to the doctor.
Lloyd’s Pharmacy (which has a branch on just about every High Street in the UK) offers a selection of blood pressure monitors for home use.
- Blood Pressure Monitor and Cuff – this is a portable and highly accurate unit that’s easy to use and available in 3 sizes. The battery powered unit is compact and comes with a user manual and a record card for keeping track of any changes in blood pressure.
- Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor – this battery powered gadget is both convenient and reliable and offers a great way of monitoring blood pressure on a regular basis. This little one is ideal for those who travel and need to monitor blood pressure on the go.
- Lloydspharmacy Advanced Blood Pressure Lowering System – this is an interactive system which uses effective breathing exercises to relax the muscles and constricted blood vessels to help reduce blood pressure. It’s advised that the system be used for 10 minutes per day and this little gizmo comes complete with user manual, breathing sensor belt and a convenient carry pack.
Whatever your circumstance and whatever you lifestyle, it’s important that you find the right blood pressure monitor for you. Why not discuss your needs with one of Lloyd’s expert pharmacists to find out which machine would suit you best?
Definition of High Blood Pressure