Hypertension

Check if you're at risk of high blood pressure

High blood pressure is very common, especially in older adults. There are usually no symptoms, so you may not realise you have it.

Things that increase your chances of having high blood pressure include:

your age – you're more likely to get high blood pressure as you get older
having close relatives with high blood pressure
your ethnicity – you're at higher risk if you have a Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background
having an unhealthy diet – especially a diet that's high in salt
being overweight
smoking
drinking too much alcohol
feeling stressed over a long period

Symptoms of high blood pressure

High blood pressure does not usually cause any symptoms.

Many people have it without realising it.

Rarely, high blood pressure can cause symptoms such as:

headaches
blurred vision
chest pain

But the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked.

Get help from NHS 111 if:

you often have headaches or blurred vision
you have chest pain that comes and goes
you have other symptoms you're worried could be caused by high blood pressure

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Call 999 if:

you get sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away – the pain can feel like squeezing or pressure inside your chest, burning or indigestion
you get pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, stomach or back
you have chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light headed or short of breath

You could be having a heart attack. Call 999 straight away as you need immediate treatment in hospital.

What happens at a blood pressure check

A blood pressure test involves inflating a band (cuff) around your upper arm and measuring the pressure in your blood vessels.

If the test shows you might have high blood pressure, you may be asked to:

use a blood pressure monitor at home to check your blood pressure regularly over the next few days
come back to your GP surgery a few days or weeks later to have your blood pressure checked again
wear a portable monitor that takes regular readings over 24 hours

This can confirm if you have high blood pressure.

What your blood pressure reading means

Blood pressure readings are given as 2 numbers, with the 1st number higher than the 2nd (for example, 130/80).

If you're under 80 years of age, you're usually considered to have high blood pressure if your reading is either:

140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional
135/85 or higher when checked at home

If you're aged 80 or over, you're usually considered to have high blood pressure if your reading is either:

150/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional
145/85 or higher when checked at home

Risks of having high blood pressure

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as your brain, kidneys and eyes.

If it's not treated, it can increase your risk of serious conditions such as:

Lowering your blood pressure even a small amount can help reduce your risk of these problems.

How you can help lower your blood pressure

Healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your blood pressure.

Medicines for high blood pressure

A GP will usually prescribe medicine for high blood pressure if:

your blood pressure is very high
you're at higher risk of problems linked to high blood pressure, such as a heart attack or stroke
your blood pressure is still high after making healthy lifestyle changes

There are lots of different medicines for high blood pressure. The medicine recommended for you depends on things like how high your blood pressure is, your age and your ethnicity.

Most blood pressure medicines are taken as tablets once a day. You may need to take more than 1 medicine to keep your blood pressure under control.

Find out more

You can get more information and advice about high blood pressure from: