Health Services
Blood Pressure Check in Abermain
Pop in to our Cessnock Road pharmacy for a quick blood pressure check in Abermain. It is free, and a pharmacist explains what your two numbers mean before you leave.
Hypertension
High blood pressure has virtually no symptoms, and recent data indicates that in Australia 40% of men and 39% of women have high blood pressure. This makes it more important than ever that you are checking your blood pressure regularly.
High blood pressure occurs when blood presses on the walls of your arteries as it is pumped around your body, with constant high levels leading to various diseases.
Blood pressure that is high over a long time is one of the main risk factors for heart disease and uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke. The medical name for high blood pressure over a long period of time is hypertension. Learn more about Hypertension from the World Health Organisation.
Causes of Hypertension
The exact causes of hypertension are often not clear and may be affected by factors such as the listed below, it is recommended that a blood pressure test is done to rule out any concerns.
- family history
- diet, including eating too much salt
- alcohol intake
- weight
- your level of physical activity
Health Tips
- Hold back on caffeine and alcohol
- Exercise regularly
- Stop smoking
- Hold back on saturated fats and salt
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat healthy food
- Take a break you deserve it
Making sense of a reading
Results are written as two figures, one above the other, such as 120/80 mm Hg. The top figure is your systolic blood pressure, the pressure in your arteries as the heart muscle contracts. The lower one is your diastolic blood pressure, measured while the heart rests between beats.
For most adults, a normal result sits under 120 systolic and under 80 diastolic. Your doctor will tell you the ideal target for you, based on your medical history.
How often to have a blood pressure check in Abermain
From age 18, the Heart Foundation suggests getting your blood pressure measured at least every two years. Once you turn 45, it should also form part of a regular Heart Health Check with your GP, which looks at your overall risk.
A pharmacy visit fits easily between those appointments, and the pharmacist can note your figure for you to take to your doctor.
If your result is high
One raised figure does not mean you have hypertension. Blood pressure rises and falls naturally across the day, so a diagnosis belongs with your doctor. Book in with your GP if we find a high result.
Lifestyle changes such as eating less salt and drinking less alcohol can bring it down. The Heart Foundation recommends 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, with less time spent sitting, and some people also need medicine their doctor prescribes.
Because high blood pressure damages blood vessel walls, it is a leading stroke risk, and our stroke risk assessment covers the wider picture. People at risk of type 2 diabetes can add a finger-prick diabetes monitoring test on the same visit.
Questions people ask us
Can I monitor my blood pressure at home?
Yes, if your doctor asks you to. Use a validated blood pressure monitor, meaning one tested for accuracy. Australia has no register of these, but the Heart Foundation points to the list kept by the British and Irish Hypertension Society. Record each result in a diary for your next appointment.
What if someone's face droops or their speech slurs?
Those are two of the common signs of stroke in the Stroke Foundation's F.A.S.T. test. Do not come to the pharmacy for a reading: call 000 straight away.
Our other free screenings are listed on the health checks page.
Pop in for a quick, easy and free blood pressure evaluation.
We're just along Cessnock Rd Abermain