Managing high blood pressure
Lindsay was
diagnosed with having high blood pressure - or hypertension - but
with careful management and changes to his lifestyle, he leads an
active, healthy life.
In 2008, Lindsay wasn't feeling well
and went to see his doctor. The doctor ran a few tests
and the diagnosis was high blood
pressure.
People from African Caribbean communities are at greater
risk of developing high blood pressure.
It's important to get regular checks on your blood pressure,
because high blood pressure increases your risk of getting
coronary heart disease or having
a stroke.
People from our community have the highest risk of developing high blood pressure compared to other ethnic groups in the UK.
To
help control his blood pressure, Lindsay was prescribed medication
and his doctor offered him some advice about some
lifestyle changes he could make too.
"It was a relief to know that there are a few simple things I
could do to improve my blood pressure and help look after my
heart."
Lindsay decided to follow the advice of his doctor and has
changed his diet by reducing the amount of salt in his diet as well as becoming more
physically active.
What causes high blood pressure?
There's no single definite cause of high blood
pressure, and there can be many risk factors that play a part. The
most important thing you can do is minimise your risk,
because you'll also be reducing your risk of getting coronary heart disease or having
a stroke.
I have no symptoms, why should I get a blood
pressure check?
The other thing to bear in mind is that high
blood pressure usually has no symptoms - so it's important to
get your blood pressure checked regularly by your doctor and live a
healthy lifestyle to protect your heart.